Violin Forum/Message Board

Jack Rushing · Member Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 170

What remedies do you suggest, for a bad, nasal sounding G String, other
than changing strings?

actonern · Super Member Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 444

By "nasal" are you describing a violin that tends towards a viola sound in its overall timbre?

A lighter guage string will help reduce the tension and may help... but you don't want to change strings...

You might try setting the post further away from the bridge too... if the nasal sound is strident and pinched, moving the post this way will often soften the sound...

Good luck!

Jack Rushing · Member Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 170

actonern, Sorry about the wording. I meant that I had already changed
the string several times, without much, if any, improvement. Thanks

Jack H. · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 10:47 am Post subject:

where is the bass bar?
where is the bridge?
Where is the sound post?
How thick is the top?
Is this one of yours or a repair?

J

Jack Rushing · Member Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 170

Best I can tell with my dental mirror, the bass bar is o.k. The bridge has
been moved in every direction, also the sound post. I am beginning to
believe that it is just a poorly constructed violin, with the plate thicknesses
way off. Maybe too thin in certain places. Could this possibly be the cause?
This is one of my student lend-out violins.

MANFIO · Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:17 pm Post subject:

The G string is the "difficult" string in the violin. It's difficult to find a violin that sounds good when you go up to the 7th position on the G string, try the C on the 7th position and what you get in many instruments is a rasped sound or wolves. That's why soloists start test driving instruments in this region.

If you have made the instrument and you left the top on the thin side, I would try a new, stronger bar.
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Jack Rushing · Member Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 170

MANFIO, You are right. It does sound much worse up in the higher positions.
I will make a new bass bar as soon as I get a chance. Thanks.

MANFIO · Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 3:30 pm Post subject:

Samuel Chambers sells quite good bass bar wood. When you remove the top, give a look on the tap tone it is giving. When you fit the new bar, try perhaps getting a tap tone of 2 or 3 tones higher.
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Jack Rushing · Member Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 170

I have some good bass bar stock material that I ordered from
International Violin several years years ago. I have never tap
tone checked a violin before installing a bass bar before,but will
give it a go. Anything, if it will improve the sound of the G string.
Thanks, Cheers.

Michael Darnton · Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:26 pm Post subject:

Jack, before you give up, try pushing the post inwards just a bit--maybe 1/2mm or a bit more, and perhaps North about the same amount.

MANFIO · Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:27 pm Post subject:

Welll, I'm not a tap toner adicted, but it can be used as one factor to guide our work towards a given result.... Good luck!!!
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Jack Rushing · Member Joined: 23 Mar 2007 Posts: 170

I moved the sound post again as suggested. It seems to have improved
a bit. I will play it awhile like this, to see if it will get better.

Michael Darnton · Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2008 3:06 pm Post subject:

If that did something, you might want to mess around a bit in the same vein, perhaps fitting a longer post, more towards the center, but not too tight, also.