Violin Forum/Message Board

[Dave Chandler]

I've just removed and reset a neck on a violin that I built a couple years ago. I'm not sure how I managed it, but the clearance at the end of the fingerboard was only about 16mm. Even with the soundpost right up to the back side and outside edge of the bridge foot I was getting so much volume that I couldn't play it in my local ensemble. While the G and D were initially powerful, and lush, I could not get decent sound out of the A & E strings.

I was very reluctant to make such a drastic repair, and thought of many ways to try to work around the issue, like a wedge under the fingerboard, or trimming the fingerboard thin at the nut end to project higher toward the bridge. Everything I thought to do, meant some sort of compromise. Finally, I removed the neck and reset it to the proper angle (plus a tiny bit).

I built this violin following instructions in a Henry STrobel book which indicated that the treble side of the fingerboard should be 0.7mm lower than the bass side to provide the player with a better playing angle. Then when I cut the bridge to accommodate the lower clearance of the E the it left very little wood above the heart.

Along with the reset neck, I also added a new fingerboard that sloped to the bass side by nearly 1mm. When I cut the new bridge, it not only had lots more wood above the heart, it was almost even all the way across. AND I don't find the angle uncomfortable at all.

I've been really pleased with the result. The fingerboard when strung up to pitch, is right at 20.5mm and projection about 29mm. The sound is quite even across the strings now and I'm very (VERY) happy with the sound.
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo

[Mat Roop]

Dave, congratulations on your success!
As MD has said in the past... if you get all the dimensions as close to perfect as possible, you'll get a good sounding instrument.
As for the angle of the fingerboard I recall MD saying that flat with the ribs is is good.
Cheers,

[Dave Chandler]

The bottom of the fingerboard is flat with the ribs, its the top of the fingerboard that is lower on the G-side edge. Not saying this will be good for all instruments, but in this particular instrument, I needed to get more bridge wood under the E string.
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo