Violin Forum/Message Board

ted · Junior Member Joined: 27 Oct 2008 Posts: 8

Reading the "Getting Harmonic" post made me wonder

Should the Bridge be above the sound post? or
What should the correct position/relationship be?

Mat Roop · Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 11:30 pm Post subject:

Ted, the standard set up is to have the post vertical between the two plates, and the edge of the soundpost set about 3mm behind the edge of the bridge foot. Once you have that setting then you begin to ajust position and test for results...If you have a "sows ear" violin then no amount of adjustment will get you a "silk purse". Sometimes however, you can get significant improvement, and yes there are times when you need to place the post under the bridge, or even lean it off the vertical. Each time you reposition the post you will need to refit it. Of course that is easier when the adjustment is to a shorter length, but moving to a longer length means making a new sound post.
The standard position of the bridge is one of 3 options depending on who gives the advice and what results you get.
1- Place the bridge centered in line with the inner notches... this will be what the maker designed...and is usually my first choice
2-neck stop to body stop ratio of 2:3 . Neck stop is distance of edge of top at neck to edge of nut; body stop is edge of top at neck to center of bridge, which is ideally where the notches should be
3- vibrating length of string 325mm to 327mm.
Check the resources here...
http://violinbridges.co.uk/index.php?bg=yes
Cheers, Mat

ted · Junior Member Joined: 27 Oct 2008 Posts: 8

Thankyou Mat

I have checked my violin and is fits on all three accounts.

Mat Roop · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:52 pm Post subject:

Ted... where does the post sit?... Mat

ted · Junior Member Joined: 27 Oct 2008 Posts: 8

The centreline of the post is
10mm behind the bridge and
in line with the outer edge of the right hand foot

Ted

Leif Luscombe · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:48 am Post subject:

Try this:
http://www.violins.on.ca/luthier/soundpost.html
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Leif Luscombe
Violin Maker and Dealer
The Violin Forum Moderator

Dave Chandler · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 2:05 pm Post subject: Tuning up

Matt:

Your mention of vibrating string length made me go back and check my own, it was at 330mm which meets Stroebel's "measurements" guide, but bridge to tailpiece was only 50. I noticed I had about 5mm between the small end of the tailpiece and the peak of the saddle, so moved it back and now its at 55mm which meets Stroebel's "measurements". I could detect some difference, but not a lot, but yes, an improvement in the quality of the tone.

Just seems there are many things that have to just right, not just soundpost and bridge.

I recently mentioned that I had pulled the top off one of my earlier violins, built before I owned a decent caliper. I found my top was more than 3mm all over, some areas up to 4mm. No wonder it would only squeek. With my new graduating calipers, I brought it down to about 2.6-2.8 all over, trimmed out my bass bar which had been a bit oversized, new soundpost, new bridge (projection changed a mm or so after reassembly), and all I can say is WOW. I'm so in love with the instrument's new tone, that last night I was up till 1 a.m. playing music I had put aside because it was just to difficult to draw a decent sound -- I had become discouraged. Of course, it could have been the double espresso iced coffee at 10pm.
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo

Mat Roop · Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 1:11 am Post subject:

Dave, Congratulations on your success...that should keep you motivated for another year or so or until the next AH-HA!
My Thomastik string catalogue shows that their 4/4 violin strings are designed for a mensur of 325mm, and they recommend an afterlength (edge of bridge top to bearing point on tailpiece) of 57mm. The distance from saddle to end of tailpiece seems to be of minimal consequence.
Cheers, Mat

Dave Chandler · Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 1:32 pm Post subject: bridge

I read in Stroebel's "measurements" handbook, that if the vibrating string lenth is 6x the afterlength, it should be correct ratio. 330 div by 6 is 55mm. I suppose as close as you can get without moving the soundpost away from the "stop".
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo

Dave Chandler · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 2:58 pm Post subject: More