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Subject: My new bridge
Date: Sat, 18 Sep 2004 16:29:03 -0500

I had to change my bridge, because I could see the strings were beginning to cut into it, and I wasn't getting the sound that I had been getting out of it. Well, I looked before I changed it, and I did exactly - or so I thought what was done before. I recently saw a picture of a violin, and I see that the bridge is slanted the opposite way. I'm trying to find out which way to put it. I'd ask another fiddler, but I'm the only one around here that I know of. 

Your help would be greatly appreciated

Nette from North Dakota

On a fiddle, the bridge should leaning very slightly back towards the tailpiece...the treble side of the bridge has the tapered off area...the bass side is the higher side. Usually, if the bridge has a name brand printed on it, it faces towards the fingerboard. Another consideration, and to prevent the slot from being cut into by the string, is the small tubular plastic piece on the E string...this resides directly on the bridge before tightening up the E string.

Make sure that the arches on the bottom of the bridge is properly fitted to the arch of your violin's top. Additionally, many bridges are of a different height; you want to make sure that the action you will end up with is comfortable for you. If the original bridge was the perfect height for playability, then you might want to use it as a reference before sanding the new bridge.

Hope this helps, Mickey

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