labelled ‘C. A. Galbusera / LEIPZIG, 1832’

1998.60.123 Castle 189

Carlo Galbusera was an officer in the Italian cavalry. He lived at Milan from 1830 until 1836 where ‘he was known to have constructed several guitar-form violins and some guitars’.

At the time his guitar-shaped violin was considered such a success that it was awarded a gold medal by the Academy of Sciences’ exhibition in the Brera Palace, Milan in 1832.

‘It is fashioned in the same lines as a model by the celebrated maker Francois Chanot (1787 - 1828). Chanot had also conceived a guitar-shaped violin that dispensed with corner and blocks entirely. It is unusual in that no attempt was made to purfle the edge and the tail saddle has no parallel ridges below the belly.’

The new form was supposed to minimise the cutting through of the wood fibres. This gain in longer fibres was calculated to increase the vibration power and thus the sound of the violin.

François Chanot, a French naval officer, was interested in the same scientific consideration as Savart’s trapezoid violin. ‘Chanot claimed for his violin the merit, therefore, of having more long fibres to produce the low notes, and more short ones to produce the high ones. The bass bar is set, as in Savart’s fiddle, down the exact centre on the join of the belly.’