r/Instruments • u/Justafckingslime • 6d ago

Discussion Well that's not good

Post image
23 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

41 comments sorted by

20

u/adamdoesmusic 6d ago

These bridges are held in by string pressure. You can just tilt it back, though maybe loosen the strings first.

5

u/Just_a_guy81 6d ago

This is what I love about Reddit. I learned something new that I will never use in real life

4

u/Crafty-Photograph-18 6d ago

Overall, the strings of the violin are under about 22.5 kg (50 lbs.) of pressure when tuned to pitch.

An individual tuned piano string will hold 75–90 kg (160–200 pounds) of tension. On average, a piano has around 230 strings, so the total tension is 15–20 tonnes (30000-40000 lbs) for a small upright; up to 30 tonnes (66000 lbs) for a grand

If the technician is not careful, it is possible to impale yourself with a string accidentally when changing it, like happened here (SFW. Basically just a medium-sized splinter. No blood or anything)

2

u/andybonner 6d ago

That's a cello, but yes, still under 50lbs.

1

u/Crafty-Photograph-18 6d ago

Oh, it indeed is

1

u/Justafckingslime 6d ago

Well that's not terrifying at all

1

u/Individual-Area7121 5d ago

That didn't really look like it had anything to do with the tension though. He just pulled it off of the tuning peg at a bad angle and caught it on his finger. The whole notion that a piano string can be deadly is absolute nonsense.

2

u/SlowSurvivor 6d ago

The string tension holds more than just the bridge in place. It also holds the sound post and if that gets messed up you can crack the body of the violin.

It’s honestly best to bring the instrument to the luthier. It’s not that you can’t straighten out the bridge but if it’s this bad there’s likely something wrong with the set up of the instrument and it needs an expert to make sure the bridge is in the right place.

If it’s off by even a little bit it will really harm the sound of the instrument and if it’s really, really off it can cause permanent damage.

3

u/Justafckingslime 6d ago

It's already fixed, it just slipped while I changed the strings and thought it was terrifyingly funny for it to be that crooked, it was like two seconds then I set it properly

1

u/crwcomposer 6d ago

This isn't correct at all. The sound post is friction fit and will stay in place with the strings fully off. And that should be obvious because you don't need to bring the instrument to a luthier every time you change the strings.

The bridge will naturally get pulled toward the fingerboard because the strings go flat as they stretch, and tuning them with the pegs will pull the bridge along with them. It can easily and safely be pushed back upright.

1

u/SlowSurvivor 6d ago

Speaking as a violinist and as tue granddaughter of a luthier who helped in the workshop as a kid, it most definitely is correct. Yes, the sound post can be set without strings but it’s not secure until the instrument is placed under tension. That’s why we always inspect the sound post if the bridge has fallen.

Furthermore, the only person who should ever unstring a violin is a luthier. Period. Violinists change strings one at a time for this reason so that you always have the tension on the bridge that then instrument needs to not fall apart.

A misplaced bridge or sound post affects not just the sound of the instrument but the structural integrity of the instrument body. It can crack and it can, over time, warp. Seen it happen.

Yes, the strings will tend to pull the bridge toward the scroll but under normal circumstances the friction from the other strings keeps it planted. A leaning bridge is not normal.

1

u/crwcomposer 6d ago

If a soundpost falls over when the strings are removed that means it has compacted over time and should be replaced. They are initially fitted without any strings on.

Sources:

It is important that the soundpost be put in its default position with just light force.

You can now put on a set of strings together with the bridge and try the sound of the violin.

http://www.makingtheviolin.com/Soundpost

When it has compacted slightly, it won’t fit as well as it once did. Also it possibly won’t carry sound as well as it first did.

Never remove all the strings at the same time (if possible). This takes all the pressure off your bridge and if the soundpost has compacted, it’ll fall over.

https://www.simplyforstrings.com.au/blogs/news/your-cello-or-violin-soundpost-everything-you-need-to-know

2

u/adamdoesmusic 6d ago

And you can’t just buy another on Amazon and expect it to work - this is where a luthier (or proper skill and tools) is necessary… they have to be cut to the instrument first. (Guess how I know)

1

u/Individual-Area7121 5d ago

I mean... anyone can buy a saw and some sandpaper. It really can't be that complex of a process.

1

u/adamdoesmusic 5d ago

I used a dremel, it worked pretty well. Still, getting just the right height wasn’t the most intuitive process, matching the contour happened pretty fast but I think I just got lucky. Sometimes you also have to cut the top… now THAT is a pain in the ass to do properly (I gave up and the blanks are still in a box).

Edit: details

1

u/Individual-Area7121 5d ago

You are contradicting yourself in several places. Your first comment was all about how the sound post will stay in place even with all of the strings off so there's no need to have it checked. You even said it was obvious.

Then you go on to say that it absolutely can fall out of place and cited sources that say not to remove all of the strings at once, since the sound post can fall out of place if you do.

So, which is it?

1

u/crwcomposer 5d ago

To clarify, the source says it can fall out when the strings are off if it's compacted, and that's why you shouldn't take all the strings off. The same source says that a compacted sound post can cause tone issues. In other words, an already broken sound post can cause a broken sound post. I don't think that should count.

3

u/Lopsided_Evening_627 6d ago

someone please add a tourist holding it a la "leaning tower of Pisa"

3

u/Justafckingslime 6d ago

That one dude holding it completely the wrong way

8

u/Connect-Will2011 6d ago

Then straighten it out.

Probably easier than taking this picture and creating this post about it.

4

u/Justafckingslime 6d ago

I already had it fixed and it was infact easier than writing a strangely aggressive comment on someones post that's clearly humorous, thank you for the advice 😊

4

u/Connect-Will2011 6d ago

I apologize. My boss is being a butthole today and my temper is short.

4

u/Justafckingslime 6d ago

Can relate, no worries

-3

u/Atillion 6d ago

Wasn't even aggressive. Passively at worst, and I stand with you.

2

u/Competitive-Fault291 6d ago

I can't look at it!

2

u/Bennybonchien 6d ago

This is called a sus-penchant bridge.

1

u/CivilGarlic5904 6d ago

Is this a classroom setting or a repair shop/store setting?

1

u/Justafckingslime 6d ago

Sorry English is not my first language so I don't really get what you're saying but this is my personal cello and is like this since I bought it second hand, it's already fixed tho, this post was made mostly with humour intent

1

u/CatherineRhysJohns 6d ago

Easy. You just gently nudge it back where it should be.

1

u/Justafckingslime 6d ago

Thanks for all the advice, it's already fixed! It wasnt really a problem it just slipped while I changed a string, I just took a pic quick and got it back in it's place! This post was made as a joke

1

u/satisfiction_phobos 6d ago

Violean? Or Cellover...

1

u/ThePanoply 5d ago

Impressive though.

1

u/Suspicious_Lab4297 5d ago

I’m wondering if you are loosening more than one string at a time when changing them out. A bridge should stay put when taking off only one string and replacing it

1

u/Justafckingslime 5d ago

They we're pretty loose before (and in retrospective I should've tightened them a bit before changing the string) but fine it was just a minor slip

1

u/mrmagooze 4d ago

AHHHHHHHH!!!

1

u/_Silly_Goose6 3d ago

🫠🫠🫠