Trimming Violin Bridges

by George Manno

Originally published in American Lutherie #6, 1986



Few will argue the statement that there are no two violins the same, even if the arching, graduation, position of the bass bar and soundpost, and even the preparation of the wood may seem to be exactly the same. All violins do share some of the same properties, but each instrument has a single property of its own that distinguishes it from another. You’d be surprised what 0.1MM, either in thickness or thinness, can do to the sound of an instrument. An adjustment that minute can change the tone tremendously. Does the same hold true for a violin bridge? Yes and no.

The following is my personal expansion upon the information given in Data Sheet #224 by Alan Carruth.

As Mr. Carruth states, violin bridge tuning is a trial and error situation which is challenging when searching for an instrument’s highest potential.