Bow & Bridge Violin and bow makers, as the old books printed them

Scan 209

Old violins and violin lore, 1900

10 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.

1OLD VIOLINS
3uncongenial treatment of its nerves, until the nerves learn to sympathise, and even rejoice, in special directions of pressure and tension induced by the sound-post. When this happens, better let well alone and don't attend to outside advice of experts.
5It is seldom wise to encourage an amateur, or any but a skilful hand, to trifle with the position of the sound-post. If it must be moved or has fallen down, why then by all means take the advice of an expert; go to the doctor.
7The same sort of advice may be given about the position of the bridge. Granted that you have a bridge which suits your instrument (and the importance of this I have elsewhere dwelt upon), then consider whether 'tis worth while to move your bridge at all. The two little side slits in the ff indicate approximately the position of the bridge; let a violin-doctor determine the right height, which, remember, must be modified according to its position, and the slope and elevation of the fingerboard. But here again there is a vague and subtle margin for readjustment; the importance of the bridge's position is of course directly related to the whereabouts of the sound-post, as the bridge is a prime factor in dealing first with the vibrations transmitted by the sound-post from belly to back.
9There are violins which gain brilliancy by the bridge leaning a little forward, but this is of course dangerous, as a little more, and down comes the bridge. The theory of course is for the feet of the bridge to grip equally at

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