THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MAKER.

The Musical Instrument-maker requires no further definition than that which the name itself imports.

Music, as well as painting, can be traced to the most remote antiquity. The most savage nations are not strangers to the, pleasure
which it aftbrds. We find in every country, the art more or less perfect, the instruments more or less rude, in proportion to the degree of civilization to which the people have arrived.

After the ordinary exercise of speech, to express our wants, and our intentions, it is a great pleasure to hear from the same voice, a
melodious song, and this melody is frequently such, that the most perfect instruments are still, in expression, far below it.

However, the art and ingenuity of man have now brought musical instruments to a surprising degree of perfection, and considerably
added to the elegant luxuries and refinements of the age.

It will be impossible for us to mention all the instruments which are made, either of the wind or stringed kind, but we shall describe
some of the principal ones, in order to give some idea of the whole, and of the trade of which we now treat.

The organ is an instrument of the highest antiquity, in the structure of which the greatest ingenuity has been displayed. The most
difficult part of this instrument m its manufacture, is the wind chest, Which is a large horizontal box, so closely fitted and prepared as to retain the wind forced into it, by various large bellows, which must be numerous, and capacious in proportion to the size of the wind chest. The quantity of wind in it is always known to the organist, by means of a tell-tale or index attached to the bellows, which rises and falls in proportion to the quantity of air, and apprizes the performer in what degree the wind is exhausted. The top of the wind chest is bored with several lines of apertures, proportioned to the sizes of the pipes which they are to receive, those of the bass notes being of course the largest ; but all the pipes in each row being different as to their interior construction, and consequently producing very different sounds, each row is called a stop, and has a plug appropriate to it, acting upon a slide, which shuts or opens the whole of that row at pleasure ; this is called a register. There are as many of such rows of apertures, or registers, as there are kinds of tones, or stops on the organ : some having few, others having numerous stops. The wind is prevented from escaping from the wind chest, into the pipes by valves, which are opened only when the performer presses the keys respectively ; when, by means, of communicating wires, the valves are pressed down, and the wind, passes into the pipes. When the key is quitted, the pressure of the wind, aided by a spiral wire-spring, shuts the valve, and the sound of that pipe instantly ceases. In order to regulate the force of the sound, most church-organs have either two or three rows of keys whereby a greater or less number of pipes may be filled, and the powers of the instrument be controlled into what is called the small organ, pr be let loose, so as to become the full organ. The pipes suited, to the higher notes, are, made of mixed metals, chiefly tin and lead ; they increase in length and diameter, in proportion to the note ; until metal pipes being no farther applicable, square ones of wood are substituted in their stead, for all the lower notes. The dimensions of all the pipes of an organ, are regulated by a scale or diapason, formed for the use of the manufacturers in this line, and apportioned to every size of the instrument usually made.

The stops usually made in a great organ, are the open diapason, in which all the pipes are open at the top ; this is a metallic stop ; — the stopped diapason, the bass-notes of which, up to the tenor C, are always made of wood, and are stopped at their summits, with wooden plugs, by which the tone is very much softened ;— the principal is the middle stop, which serves, when tuned, as the basis for tuning all the other parts, above and below; it is metallic ;— the twelfth, which is metallic also, derives its name from being a twelfth, or an octave and a half above the diapason ; the fifteenth so called because it is two octaves above the diepason ; the sesquialtera is composed of various pipes, turned in the parts of the common chord ; the upper part is often called the cornet ; — the furniture stop is very shrill, and in some passages has a peculiarly fine effect; the trumpet is a metallic stop, and derives its
name from the instrument which it so admirably imitates; this peculiar tone. is produced by .what is called a reed, but in reality a piece of brass, on which the wind acts forcibly, giving a. roughness of sound, which is further changed by all the pipes of this stop having bell mouths like trumpets ; the clarion is a reed stop also, but an octave higher than the trumpet : the tierce is a third above the fifteenth. The octave above the twelfth is too shrill to be used, but in the foil organ ; the cornet is treble stop ; the dulcimer takes its name from the sweetness of its sound ; there are also the ftute, the bassoon, vox~humana, haut-boy, and cremona stops.

The fingering of an organ is precisely the same as that of the piano-forte, so far as relates to the situation of the keys, &c. ; but on account of the great nnmber of holding notes in organ music, the fingers are never kept down, whence it is considered highly injudicious to piano-forte performers to practice the organ, they bring subject to lose that lightness, and that delicacy pf touch required for the former instrument.

Organs are also made with barrels, on which are a great number of pins, and staples of fiat brass wire, and of different lengths. The barrel being turned by means of a crank, or winch, the wires that communicate with the valves in the wind-chest, are acted upon
by the pins and staples, which hold down the valves for a longer or shorter time, according to the duration of the notes, which they are designed to give. On these barrels, which are made to shift at pleasure, from ten to fifteen tunes are usually made. The winch not only turns the barrel, but also works a pair of bellows, by which the wind chest is supplied. This instrument is called the hand, or barrel organ, and is very common in the streets of London.

Before we quit the organ, we may just observe, and the observation will be equally applicable to the manufacturers of other musical
instruments, that the organ-builder should possess a nice, accurate, and highly cultivated ear, and a sound judgment, in the vibratory
qualities of wood and metal. He should also be acquainted with the science of pneumatics, and practical mechanics ; and he should be so far informed in the simple elements of musical composition, as to be capable of trying the different stops and combinations of his own instruments, and of deciding for himself, on the effects in performance.

Having been so diffuse in the account of the organ, our notice of the other instruments must be somewhat circumscribed. But we may remark generally, that in the structure of all kinds of musical instruments, both wind and stringed, the use of well seasoned wood is of the utmost importance, and that to the preparing and seasoning it, the attention of the musical instrument manufacturer must be particidarly directed : for with every precaution m this particular, from the alterations of the atmosphere, the best instruments will some times get out of tune ; and, with neglect, the artist's labour will often be in vain.

The other principal wind Instruments, now in use are, the mouth-organ, or Pandean-pipet, frequently played as an accompaniment to other music in the streets ; they consist of a range of pipes, bound together, side by side, gradually lessening with respect to each other in diameter, and shortening in length. The longest is about six inches, and the shortest about two inches in length.

The Eolian harp consists of a long box, in which four or more strings are stretched its whole length, and tuned to the component
parts of any-common chord, such as, C. E. G. C. E. G. &c. opposite the line of strings, which are placed over a slanting sounding board, and two slits, one on each side, running parallel with the entire strings, or a circular hole with ornamental openings, is made in the centre of the box, under the strings ; when this instrument is placed in a confined passage, a window for example, the air rushing between the strings, and through the apertures in the box, produces a variety of harmonious and beautiful sounds.

The Trumpet may be next mentioned. It is made of metal : those of silver are by far the softest in tone; but brass is in general use.
It has a mouthpiece, about an inch in diameter, concave tor the lips to act within, and closing to a very narrow tube. Trumpets
with slides to lower or raise the pitch one or two notes, are the best and most useful instruments of this class.

The French Horn consists of a long tube twisted into several circular folds, gradually increasing in diameter, from the end at which
it is blown, to that at whieh the wind issues. Those intended for concerts, have like the trumpets, various crooks, and a slide, whereby they may be brought to accord with the most scrupulous exactness.

The Serpent is so called from its form : its mouthpiece is very similar to that of the trumpet, but it is made of ivory. This is the
deepest bass instrument of all that have five finger holes. It is made of very thin wood, covered with buckram and leather, so as to
become very firm.

In the common flute there are seven fingers above, and one for each thumb below ; some have only one thumb hole, others two small ones : the sound is generated by blowing through a slit into the bore, the superfluous wind passing out at a vent made on the top close to the upper end. All the flageolet tribe, which are of various sorts and sizes, belong to this species ; one lately introduced, called the double flageolet, is a very pleasing instrument.

The German-flute is also a very agreeable instrument, it is usually made of box, or some very hard and seasoned wood.

The Bassoon is not, we believe, so mueh in use as it formerly was. It has two bodies, and a swan neck brass tube, with a reed attached to it, through which the sound is generated.

The Hautboy and Clarionet have mouth pieces of different forms, made of reeds, or canes.

The principal varieties of stringed instruments, are found in the harp, the piano-forte, the guitar, the violin, and the Eolian harp, before mentioned, &c.

In the Harp, each note has a separate string; in the Welsh harp, there are two strings to each note of the principal scale, with
an intermediate row for the semitones. In the pedal harp, the half notes are formed, by pressing pins against the strings, so as to
shorten their effective length.

In the Harpsichord and Spinnet, instruments gone very much out of fashion, the quill acts like the finger in the harp, or the plectrum in the lyre.

In the Piano-forte the sound is produced by a blow of a hammer, raised by a lever, which is as much detached from it as possible. The Grand Piano resembles the Harpsichord in form, but its action and tone, are much superior. Its wires run longitudinally along the belly, or sounding board, supported at about two-thirds of an inch distance by small, low, curved battens of beech, or other wood, into which pins are firmly driven, for the purpose of keeping the wires perfectly parallel. These, battens, called bridges, determine the lengths of the several wires; though the latter pass beyond them for some distance, being hooked on at their farther ends, to stout pins driven into a solid part of the frame-work, and coming over the bridge, which is next to the keys, with which it is parallel, and winding on a set of iron pegs, which, being driven into a solid block of hard wood, are turned either right or left, by means of a small instrument, called a tuning hammer, and are thus tightened or relaxed at pleasure. The shortest, wires are the thinnest, which lie to the right, and give the upper notes : the longest are to the left, and give the lowest notes ; those between them are longer or shorter according to their vibration, their several lengths increasing as they approach towards the left side of the in- strument, forming, by means of the bridges, which lie obliquely, a triangular figure. Each note has three wires lying within, somewhat less than half an inch in breadth : these are equidistant, and proceed to three rows of tuning-pins, so that the tuner cannot mistake as to which of the three wires he acts upon. The wires are imported from Germany, our artisans not having acquired the mode of giving them a due degree of temper. Those of the higher notes are of brass, and commonly begin with No. 8, 9, or 10, gradually increasing in thickness, until they reach the extent of about four octaves, when they give place to copper wires, which produce a deeper sound.

Most grand piano-fortes have two pedals, one for each foot, communicating with the interior ; one is designed to-raise all the dampers completely, the other to throw the whole of the key-frame to the right, more or less; by which means the hammers are slid at the same moment in a body, about a quarter of an inch to the right, also so as to quit either one or two, at pleasure, of the left hand wires each note, and to strike upon only one or two, as is judged proper for the greater of less diminution of sound. The sounding board, or belly, is made of very fine narrow deals, chiefly imported from the continent, and so closely joined, that in many, no line or indication of junction, can be distinguished.

The square piano-forte is very different in form from the grand. It however, has an action and movements nearly similar.

The Piano-forte is of German origin, and derives its name from its equal command, both of softness and strength of tone.

The Guitar is played with the fingers like the Harp. It has a broad neck, on which we various frets, made of wires, fixed into the finger board, at right angles with the wires ; these being the guides for the fingers to make the several notes by passing between the
frets. The bridge is very low, and stands behind a circular sound-hole, covered with an ornamental and perforated plate ; the body of the guitar is of an oval form, the sides perpendicular to the belly and back.

The Violin is an instrument universally known. All the violin class have four strings fastened at one end to a small piece of ebony,
called the tail-piece, and after passing over a raised' bridge, made of seasoned wood, and over a little ridge, called the nut, are fastened respectively to four pegs, made of very hard tough wood, by the turning of which the strings are put in tune. All the strings give fifths to their neighbours throughout ; thus the first string is E ; the second A, the third D; and the fourth which is a covered one, is G ; the tenors and basses have no E string, but a C one added below the G. The notes are made by compressing the strings on a rounded slip of ebony, called a finger board, which proceeds from the nut, full four-fifths of the distance between that and the bridge, the latter being always placed on the belly or sounding board, exactly between the centres of the two sound holes, which are in the form of an S; the belly is supported by a small piece of rounded deal, called the sounding post, without which the tones would be imperfect and harsh. Violin strings were formerly obtained from Rome, Naples, and some parts of Germany ; but latterly they have been manufactured in England, of equal quality with those procured from abroad.
Of Drums we have an abundant variety.

The side or military drum, is well known.

The Kettle drum derives its name from its form, the bottom being made of copper, and the head being vellum, or goat's skin. The Tabor is a small drum, so flat, that the two heads are not more than three inches asunder. The Tambourine is a kind of drum, with only one head, the other end of the hoop, which is not more than four inches in breadth, being open.

The Triangle is known from its~name ; but we must not swell our article with any further notice.

'The business of a Musical Instrument Maker is a very lucrative one. The trade in Piano-fortes alone is one of considerable magnitude, seventy "guineas being frequently paid for a good article of this kind. The price of an organ frequently amounts to many hundred pounds. Of course considerable capital is necessary in this trade, and the wages of joureymen are good.