Scan 121
The violin & its story : or the history & construction of the violin, 1905
12 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 105. See the scan on archive.org.
1exactly under the foot of the bridge, as in that case the vibrations of the bridge would for the most part be transmitted directly to the back, and the tone would be dull and stifled; it must be put behind the bridge foot (nearer the tail piece) about 6mm. The essential point in placing the sound-post is that it is precisely of the right length, and that it shall be neither too tightly nor too loosely fixed between the two tables. The French, with great truth, call the sound-post "the soul" (l'âme) of the violin.
3Spohr gives the following directions for the placing of the sound-post:—
5"Before any experimenting can be done with the bridge, the sound-post must be set up. For this a sound-post setter is used (see Fig. 25*). Fix the point of the setter about half an inch from the end which is to support the belly, and then pass it through the right sound-hole into the inside of the violin, press the lower end firmly on the back, and draw out the setter till the top of the post rests against the belly.
7"Now reverse the setter, and draw the post forward with the hook, or push it back with the semicircle, till it is in its proper place. This is usually close behind the bridge's right foot, so that the fore edge of the post may be in a line with the back part of the bridge foot. The sound-post must stand perfectly upright, and the ends should be worked with a fine file till they fit belly and back with the greatest exactness. This is a hard task, and can only be properly done by looking into the inside of the fiddle through the hole into which the tail-piece button fits. The upper edge of the post must be rounded off a bit, so that when moved about it will not press into the soft belly-wood.
9"Whether the upper end of the sound-post is in its proper place can only be known by measuring with a piece of fine wire, hooked so as to go through the sound-hole, and then holding the wire over the belly to see if
11* See Folding Plate.
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