Does my violin need a sound post?
Does my violin need a sound post?
Yes, a violin without a sound post will still make a sound. The sound post isn’t there to help the violin make noise, that’s what the strings are for. Instead, it holds the violin steady in its structure, and keeps the crushing weight of the bridge and the strings from destroying the instrument.
How long should a violin sound post be?
about 70 mm
The wood for the top plate is usually good for soundposts, but it varies in density, so split off a piece that has the required number of rings and is approximately 8 x 8 mm wide. The length of about 70 mm should be enough.
How much is it to fix a sound post in a violin?
Soundpost adjustment: $10-35. New soundpost: $50 violin/viola, $75 cello. Violin/viola bridge: $60-125 (bridge with pickup: $150) Cello bridge: $150-275.
How does sound post affect violin?
Effect of position on the instrument Moving the sound post towards the fingerboard tends to increase brilliance and loudness. Moving the sound post towards the tail piece decreases the loudness and adds a richness or hollowness to the tonal quality of the instrument.
Do you need a Soundpost?
Your violin, viola, cello or double bass needs the soundpost to be where it belongs so you can have the best quality tone and responsiveness. Remember it’s the soul of the instrument. It’s also in place as a protection for the spruce top.
Where is the sound post placed?
The soundpost is typically located near the treble foot of the bridge: it transfers some of the stress applied by the treble foot to the back plate of the violin. In this typical set-up, the mechanical stiffnesses measured at the two feet are approximately equal.
How does a violin crack?
The sound post in violin-family instruments, if too long, can put too much pressure on the underside of the soundboard. Excessive tension & abrasion can crack the top along the grain between the treble foot of the bridge & the treble-side F-hole. Cracks also form in glued seams of instruments.
What is a sound post crack?
Almost without exception, a soundpost crack is the result of a sharp jolt, when that sharp-edged, hard dowel turns from a piston into a spike, cracking the wood it rests against. As substantial as the cost of the repair will be, it’s easily dwarfed by the loss of value.
Does a viola have a sound post?
Sound posts in cellos, violas and violins are cylindrical rods inside the instrument body located below the treble side of the bridge and held in place by the pressure of the instrument. It supports the structure, specifically the top of the instrument under string pressure.
What is a cello sound post?
The sound post – to use its more prosaic English name – is certainly a crucial ingredient in the sound of an instrument . When a sound post is fitted between the front and back of the cello, the plates become stiffer in their response to vibration as the instrument is played.
What is the sound post?
The sound post is the piece marked ⑤. In a string instrument, the sound post or soundpost is a dowel inside the instrument under the treble end of the bridge, spanning the space between the top and back plates and held in place by friction.
What is the soundboard of a violin called?
F-holes are usual in violin family instruments. Lutes commonly have elaborate rosettes. The sound board, depending on the instrument, is called a top plate, table, sound-table, or belly. It is usually made of a softwood, often spruce.
