Just got a second hand violin, all I've known is the guitar and saw that piece and this is my first video (likely of many) on how to take care of it. Excited about all of these new stuff
It was one of the first things I taught myself, how to set a soundpost and bridge, change strings and tailpiece. If you live far away from a luthier it’s very handy. Plus you really get to know your violin and can make adjustments when it sounds off. You know it’s character and how to get the best out of it with the setup. I changed the setup entirely on my violin and now it plays better and sounds the way I want. It was harsh and overpowering, now it’s softer, cleaner and more responsive.
I just picked up a KH from 1960. I know absolutely nothing about violins, I do play the guitar some, and my new violin is missing the bridge. This video has set me on the right path. I feel confident I can pick one up and place it correctly. I’ll be watching more of your videos and hopefully when I play my first notes it’ll sound amazing.
Thank you Olaf, my bridge was 5mm too far toward the tailpiece! Also the sound post is now in the correct place thanks to moving the bridge. I think the sound has improved.
Thank you! I bought my 12 year old daughter a violin for Christmas, she understood your video very easily to be able to install her bridge she is going to continue to watch your videos to learn more!
Thank you so much you’re a lifesaver. I was playing my violin when suddenly the bridge came off. I was really scared because my violin when I bought it it’s already had the bridge on it so I was worried but then I TH-cam it and I found your video and it was a lot of help I really liked the video
Thank you so much just got my violin this week and I don't have a teacher in my uni I was so frustrated because violin music is underrated in my country sudan
Thanks very much, it’s a great help .. I just came across your video today and fixed the bridge.. the violin is giving an excellent sound now .. much appreciated
I just bought a violin second hand without the strings on and the bridge needs to be put on this video answered all my questions on how to put them back ment thanks
Olaf, great video. You are very helpful! A student of mine on a fixed income was gifted a VSO to learn on. I see things that need to be fixed, but I know she doesn't have lots of money. What can she do inexpensively to fix her violin?
1- A good set of strings... Tonica are great value for the sound 2- just getting the top of the bridge adjusted to the right string height, string spacing and curvature. 3- getting the nut adjusted to the right string height and spacing. 4- just putting peg paste on the pegs a d... 5- getting the soundpost adjusted
Due to covid, I’ve been waiting quite a while for my luthier to come back to Thailand to change my bridge as the strings have cut into it 😕...wish I lived near Olaf
When I first bought my violin. it came set up. I had this fret sticker. And I was scared at first because the bridge fell off when I took the strings off. Well I used a picture as a guide to repositioned the bridge when I restrung it there were indents on the violin where the bridge had been set up. I made it straight as possible. Once the strings were tight I found you could still adjust the bridge forward or backward a little. I did that until I got a consistent sound. I'm glad I was able to do it by myself without wrecking anything.
What is the correct distance from the bridge to the nut, and from the nut to the front of the tailplate? Is 330 mm and 25.5mm correct? Thank you for all of your videos and your enjoyable presence.
When you play a nyckelharpa, with mechanical keys, precisely spaced, and tangents precisely tuned, correct positioning of the bridge requires a tape measure. Exactly 400mm bridge to nut. Otherwise you have 50+ notes that need retuning/checking. At least on a violin your finger positioning compensates for any differences in bridge to nut distances between instruments or setups.
Hello Olaf, I have an antique J. B. Collin Mezin violin from 1900 & after watching this video I measured the distance from the body to the inner F-hole markers. This turned out to be about 192mm & the string length was also slightly shorter than the standard 328mm. I have since moved the bridge back a few mm to set up the correct string length, is this correct or should I move it back between the markers? The top plate has footprint marks where previous bridges have been sitting for over 100 years. Thanks in advance, keep up the great work with your videos.
Thanks Olaf. I love your unique teaching style. One question about this demo. The inside and outside nicks on the F hole are slightly lower on the violin body than the outside nicks. In your demo, you used the inside nicks as the guide to center the bridge. I have been placing the bridge further up so the inside and outside nicks sort of bracket the bridge. Do I need to move the bridge down a mm to line up with the inside nicks?
i would add that you should put pencil lead in the grooves to help reduce friction/pulling of the bridge towards the fingerboard. also, the bridge needs to be straight, but it isn't exactly 90 degrees. the general idea is the bridge wood shouldn't be in compression. so if it's too far one way or the other, you're actually squeezing the wood fibers, and if left too long, makes the bridge warped. theoretically if the grooves are lubricated with enough pencil lead, it should be more inclined to stay in the correct position. this is all dependent on the bridge being well made to begin with! some factory instruments, the bridge is of fresh/soft wood. you ideally want the bridge to be seasoned/dry.
Soft pencil lead in the grooves, both on the bridge and the nut grooves. Helps the string glide in the grooves during tuning. Also, some 'E' strings are provided with a tiny plastic tube which is meant to sit in the 'E' groove of the bridge (with the string passing through) to help reduce string wear. I was always taught that the rear (unlabelled) side of the bridge (ie facing the tailpiece) should be vertical, which means that the front (labelled) side appears to lean back VERY slightly.
I just had someone ring up about a mouldy bridge & they may want to clean it & also to make sure it is sitting correctly, so I said, look up Olaf & this last video, which was rather timely for them. Hopefully all will be OK (I'll hear about it if not). If only all teachers corrected their student's leaning bridge before it starts to bend. I remember when playing in a certain orchestra that I noticed a cello with a bending bridge & she was playing on a 'Harry' cello. I had to remind her to please do something about it.
Very informative thank you. Is it essential to remove the D and A string when putting up the bridge or can you do it with all four strings on the violin?
Hey there, I just wanted to take you for your video! I haven't played for many years, and I went to replace the strings to start playing again and then the bridge fell. I did not know where to put it back and if I had put it back right.
Very helpful video, thank you. One question about the distance from the string to the side of the neck. Should it be even in respect to the side of the string, or from the string centerline? This something that comes up on guitars as well. If it's the former version then the bridge is not in the middle, it needs to be slightly towards the E string side. Small point, but it makes a difference.
So my mother in-law bought me a violin for my birthday and we realized by watching your videos that my violin doesn't have a violin bridge ,she bought it second hand.
Olaf. I enjoyed your video. One question: Should we be concerned with the scale length? I read that it is 330 mm for a full size violin. Is it important to double check the position of the bridge by measuring the scale length?
Hi i have an old French violin with a shorter body Stop than usual (about 190mm) , the neck length is 130mm and the body length is 355mm. What do you think i should do about the bridge position and how can I find the ideal position ? Should I ignore the f nicks?
Hello, I bought a violin bridge 4/4 absolutely raw, and I would like to know the dimension to adjust it properly. Also, it is no post inside this violin, how is it possible to measure it to make one ? Thanks for you advises
This is a great video as always! I take it that this is aimed at players? Would you do a video on advanced bridge placement? Like in relation to the bass bar and geometric center, accounting for scale length, too?
Hi Johannes, Yes, my videos are mainly aimed at players. Over the years my biggest frustration has been the lack of information given to students and players about their instrument. My goal is to have a much better informed string community. There are some fantastic books for professionals and people looking to delve deeper into violinmaking.
You appear to have a small piece of yellow tube around the E string. On another video of yours I noticed that this was sitting on the bridge but, here you have it just floating on the string. You don't mention this on either video, I'm just wondering where this should be positioned?
Hello, thank you for sharing, i see that your bridge has the lines for the strings. Did you do the lines yourself or the bridge came like that? Because i bought i new violin but my bridge doesn't have the lines as yours do thanks
@@elprofetamusical83 unfortunately a lot of cheaper violins don't come with string groves. Maybe watch the video of the things I do to set up my instruments... Bridges need string groves
When a violin is shipped with the strings slack and the bridge off, I would worry that the sound post would come loose just like that first violin you shook as an example. I got one shipped to me that way but thankfully the sound post did not move (maybe it is even a bit too tight in there?)
i received my violin in the mail. I tuned the strings, and maybe about 5 minutes afterwards the bridge popped out from under the strings. Mine does have a pick up on the violin, so I assume it goes back in the pickup. It is a cheaper violin definitely, but is that normal for that to happen?
I give my customers a stick with a small notch at 325mm. Place the end against the nut, and the notch should fall exactly on the top of the bridge. A quick and non-technical way to assure that the scale is correct and it will intonate perfectly.
I got a bridge stamped "Teller Germany" and it's stamped on the wrong side. For the E-string to go low and the G-string to go high, I have to turn the stamp towards the tailpiece. Looking at them on line, sure enough, the low side is to the right if you're looking at the stamp. Not a big deal, but I played with my bridge backwards for a week! Just sayin' not all bridges are stamped the same way.
What about the curve of the feet of the bridge? last one I installed had adjustable feet. Now this one needs some adjustment to be fitted perfectly on "the belly of the goose".
gosh thank you for this i was tuning my g string and i was trying to see what was wrong with it.Suddenly,the bridge popped out.I was so scared,im a begginer as well💀
I'm having a problem with the intonation of my g-string when the bridge is directly in between the middle of the sound holes I offset my bridge to correct the intonation is there something wrong that I may be doing?
Is the surface of the top plate, at the position where the bridge sits, exactly parallel to the base of the top plate? In other words should the bottom surfaces of the bridge completely cover the surface of the top plate/
The Olaf technique... 😁 But really... After many years of research I've come up with a model that really transfer a lot of the vibration energy of the strings on to the top plate of the violin. 🎻
I'm changing my strings and I noticed that I can see marks from the strings near the nut. When do I need to have my fingerboard looked at? And, do I need to invest in peg paste if I've had no problems with my pegs?
I love it when masters of their craft answer niche questions.
This is going to be a staple video for a lot of new players.
that's why i'm here!
Without those atop the chain to help those bellow, the chain will have no definition
Just got a second hand violin, all I've known is the guitar and saw that piece and this is my first video (likely of many) on how to take care of it. Excited about all of these new stuff
It was one of the first things I taught myself, how to set a soundpost and bridge, change strings and tailpiece. If you live far away from a luthier it’s very handy. Plus you really get to know your violin and can make adjustments when it sounds off. You know it’s character and how to get the best out of it with the setup. I changed the setup entirely on my violin and now it plays better and sounds the way I want. It was harsh and overpowering, now it’s softer, cleaner and more responsive.
at-home recommendations for a “tinny” a and e string? g and d are marvelous
I would love to know what you done to get those results!
I would love to know what you done to get those results!
So you got me:
How do you set the soundpost?
A master of precision down to the 1/2 millimeter.
A treasure of learning that can do nothing but increase one's appreciation for quality violins.
I just picked up a KH from 1960. I know absolutely nothing about violins, I do play the guitar some, and my new violin is missing the bridge. This video has set me on the right path. I feel confident I can pick one up and place it correctly. I’ll be watching more of your videos and hopefully when I play my first notes it’ll sound amazing.
I'm so glad you are showing how to put up the bridge. I had put it up on my own so many times and each time I'm never sure.
Thank you Olaf, my bridge was 5mm too far toward the tailpiece! Also the sound post is now in the correct place thanks to moving the bridge. I think the sound has improved.
This was really helpful. Turns out the garage sale violin I bought to teach myself needed some adjusting! Very grateful!
Thank you! I bought my 12 year old daughter a violin for Christmas, she understood your video very easily to be able to install her bridge she is going to continue to watch your videos to learn more!
mannnnn .
that's worked thankkkk u so much I was struggling with my violin for years and now it's working Easley
thank you ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks so much, Olaf. My violin arrived today and I was wondering about it's setup. You answered my questions and allayed my fears.
Thank you so much you’re a lifesaver. I was playing my violin when suddenly the bridge came off. I was really scared because my violin when I bought it it’s already had the bridge on it so I was worried but then I TH-cam it and I found your video and it was a lot of help I really liked the video
Thank you so much just got my violin this week and I don't have a teacher in my uni I was so frustrated because violin music is underrated in my country sudan
Maestro your bridge shape is just amazing. Best bridge I ever seen!
Thanks very much, it’s a great help .. I just came across your video today and fixed the bridge.. the violin is giving an excellent sound now .. much appreciated
Thanks for making this video. Very helpful and educational.
sir, I'll be watching a lot of your videos! This is pure gold!
Thanks Olaf I got my violin yesterday and it helped me so much
thanks for sharing your knowledge
I just bought a violin second hand without the strings on and the bridge needs to be put on this video answered all my questions on how to put them back ment thanks
Absolutely gorgeous and educational. Thank you so much for such rich and detailed video. You are a Star!
Who's here in 2024?❤
mr 😭
Me! Because I just picked one up for the price of a Carl's Jr. Meal.😅
ERRRR WHAT THE SIGMAAAA‼️‼️‼️
Yup
Meh
Thanks for this video! The bridge of my violin was badly places and this really helped me to place it correctly. I even made my own video about it ;-)
Thank you so much for making this video; it helps us immensely as we don't have violin luther in Guam we recently moved here.
Very nice explanation
Olaf, great video. You are very helpful! A student of mine on a fixed income was gifted a VSO to learn on. I see things that need to be fixed, but I know she doesn't have lots of money. What can she do inexpensively to fix her violin?
1- A good set of strings... Tonica are great value for the sound
2- just getting the top of the bridge adjusted to the right string height, string spacing and curvature.
3- getting the nut adjusted to the right string height and spacing.
4- just putting peg paste on the pegs a d...
5- getting the soundpost adjusted
Due to covid, I’ve been waiting quite a while for my luthier to come back to Thailand to change my bridge as the strings have cut into it 😕...wish I lived near Olaf
When I first bought my violin. it came set up. I had this fret sticker. And I was scared at first because the bridge fell off when I took the strings off. Well I used a picture as a guide to repositioned the bridge when I restrung it there were indents on the violin where the bridge had been set up. I made it straight as possible. Once the strings were tight I found you could still adjust the bridge forward or backward a little. I did that until I got a consistent sound. I'm glad I was able to do it by myself without wrecking anything.
Thank you Master for great info.
Wonderful as always, Olaf.
What is the correct distance from the bridge to the nut, and from the nut to the front of the tailplate? Is 330 mm and 25.5mm correct? Thank you for all of your videos and your enjoyable presence.
When you play a nyckelharpa, with mechanical keys, precisely spaced, and tangents precisely tuned, correct positioning of the bridge requires a tape measure. Exactly 400mm bridge to nut. Otherwise you have 50+ notes that need retuning/checking. At least on a violin your finger positioning compensates for any differences in bridge to nut distances between instruments or setups.
Hello Olaf, I have an antique J. B. Collin Mezin violin from 1900 & after watching this video I measured the distance from the body to the inner F-hole markers. This turned out to be about 192mm & the string length was also slightly shorter than the standard 328mm.
I have since moved the bridge back a few mm to set up the correct string length, is this correct or should I move it back between the markers?
The top plate has footprint marks where previous bridges have been sitting for over 100 years.
Thanks in advance, keep up the great work with your videos.
This video was really helpful since I recently gotten a viola on offer up so I just need a new bow to play now
Thanks a lot
I learnt more abt my violin now ❤
Thanks bridge wood quality is very important for good sound
Thanks Olaf. I love your unique teaching style.
One question about this demo. The inside and outside nicks on the F hole are slightly lower on the violin body than the outside nicks. In your demo, you used the inside nicks as the guide to center the bridge. I have been placing the bridge further up so the inside and outside nicks sort of bracket the bridge. Do I need to move the bridge down a mm to line up with the inside nicks?
Move it. Always use the inside nicks to position the bridge.
i would add that you should put pencil lead in the grooves to help reduce friction/pulling of the bridge towards the fingerboard. also, the bridge needs to be straight, but it isn't exactly 90 degrees. the general idea is the bridge wood shouldn't be in compression. so if it's too far one way or the other, you're actually squeezing the wood fibers, and if left too long, makes the bridge warped. theoretically if the grooves are lubricated with enough pencil lead, it should be more inclined to stay in the correct position. this is all dependent on the bridge being well made to begin with! some factory instruments, the bridge is of fresh/soft wood. you ideally want the bridge to be seasoned/dry.
Soft pencil lead in the grooves, both on the bridge and the nut grooves. Helps the string glide in the grooves during tuning. Also, some 'E' strings are provided with a tiny plastic tube which is meant to sit in the 'E' groove of the bridge (with the string passing through) to help reduce string wear. I was always taught that the rear (unlabelled) side of the bridge (ie facing the tailpiece) should be vertical, which means that the front (labelled) side appears to lean back VERY slightly.
I watched the entire video just cause it was nice to watch, I don't play the violin. Nice content!
Excellent video. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!
What an interesting and informative video, thank you. So for a left handed player would one just simply set the bridge the other way round?
I just had someone ring up about a mouldy bridge & they may want to clean it & also to make sure it is sitting correctly, so I said, look up Olaf & this last video, which was rather timely for them. Hopefully all will be OK (I'll hear about it if not).
If only all teachers corrected their student's leaning bridge before it starts to bend. I remember when playing in a certain orchestra that I noticed a cello with a bending bridge & she was playing on a 'Harry' cello. I had to remind her to please do something about it.
Very informative thank you. Is it essential to remove the D and A string when putting up the bridge or can you do it with all four strings on the violin?
You can put it up with all strings... Just make sure they are loose
Thank you so much for this. God Bless You out there.
Thank you so much!!
This was very helpful 👌🏼
Hey there, I just wanted to take you for your video! I haven't played for many years, and I went to replace the strings to start playing again and then the bridge fell. I did not know where to put it back and if I had put it back right.
Thanks for the idea
My grandfather gave me his violin without setting it up so thanks!
Good information!
Thank you, I love your work very informative
Very helpful...thanks
super helpful!
Very helpful video, thank you.
One question about the distance from the string to the side of the neck. Should it be even in respect to the side of the string, or from the string centerline? This something that comes up on guitars as well. If it's the former version then the bridge is not in the middle, it needs to be slightly towards the E string side.
Small point, but it makes a difference.
So my mother in-law bought me a violin for my birthday and we realized by watching your videos that my violin doesn't have a violin bridge ,she bought it second hand.
Thank you ❤✨🎻
How can we tell the ages of each violin? And what will they look/sound like?
Olaf. I enjoyed your video. One question: Should we be concerned with the scale length? I read that it is 330 mm for a full size violin. Is it important to double check the position of the bridge by measuring the scale length?
Where are you located in Australia? We will plan a vacation and bring our instruments to get them tune up to your shop.
Thnx john hero II from south
You just saved me $60 / 45.14£
Hi i have an old French violin with a shorter body Stop than usual (about 190mm) , the neck length is 130mm and the body length is 355mm. What do you think i should do about the bridge position and how can I find the ideal position ? Should I ignore the f nicks?
Hello, I bought a violin bridge 4/4 absolutely raw, and I would like to know the dimension to adjust it properly. Also, it is no post inside this violin, how is it possible to measure it to make one ? Thanks for you advises
This is a great video as always! I take it that this is aimed at players? Would you do a video on advanced bridge placement? Like in relation to the bass bar and geometric center, accounting for scale length, too?
Hi Johannes,
Yes, my videos are mainly aimed at players.
Over the years my biggest frustration has been the lack of information given to students and players about their instrument.
My goal is to have a much better informed string community.
There are some fantastic books for professionals and people looking to delve deeper into violinmaking.
Dear Olaf
I am delving deeper! What books do you recommend?
Thanks!
You appear to have a small piece of yellow tube around the E string. On another video of yours I noticed that this was sitting on the bridge but, here you have it just floating on the string. You don't mention this on either video, I'm just wondering where this should be positioned?
Its to keep the skinny e string from cutting into the bridge, tube should be sat on top of the bridge under the string
need video on adjusting bridge curvature, they’re always TOO flat and kids always catch adjacent strings!!!
Hello Olaf, for the positions being aligned to the F-hole, is it the same for Viola, Cello, and Bass? Thanks!
Hello, thank you for sharing, i see that your bridge has the lines for the strings. Did you do the lines yourself or the bridge came like that? Because i bought i new violin but my bridge doesn't have the lines as yours do thanks
@@elprofetamusical83 unfortunately a lot of cheaper violins don't come with string groves.
Maybe watch the video of the things I do to set up my instruments...
Bridges need string groves
Не зря учила английский..сейчас очень помог😄
Isn't it 32.8 cm between bridge and saddle for a 4/4 violin? (vibrating string length)
When a violin is shipped with the strings slack and the bridge off, I would worry that the sound post would come loose just like that first violin you shook as an example.
I got one shipped to me that way but thankfully the sound post did not move (maybe it is even a bit too tight in there?)
I love this video 😍
My strings are way too tight. How do I loosen them to get the bridge in
i received my violin in the mail. I tuned the strings, and maybe about 5 minutes afterwards the bridge popped out from under the strings. Mine does have a pick up on the violin, so I assume it goes back in the pickup. It is a cheaper violin definitely, but is that normal for that to happen?
Previous video: How to avoid hand patches.
This video: 7:49
;) ;P
Thanks! 😀👍🏻
I give my customers a stick with a small notch at 325mm. Place the end against the nut, and the notch should fall exactly on the top of the bridge. A quick and non-technical way to assure that the scale is correct and it will intonate perfectly.
Are the positions of the bridge and of the soundpost anyway related?
I got a bridge stamped "Teller Germany" and it's stamped on the wrong side. For the E-string to go low and the G-string to go high, I have to turn the stamp towards the tailpiece. Looking at them on line, sure enough, the low side is to the right if you're looking at the stamp. Not a big deal, but I played with my bridge backwards for a week! Just sayin' not all bridges are stamped the same way.
Sir I want to purchase good violin from you so what can I do for
What about the curve of the feet of the bridge? last one I installed had adjustable feet. Now this one needs some adjustment to be fitted perfectly on "the belly of the goose".
From,USA..
thank you
Interesting!
gosh thank you for this i was tuning my g string and i was trying to see what was wrong with it.Suddenly,the bridge popped out.I was so scared,im a begginer as well💀
I'm having a problem with the intonation of my g-string when the bridge is directly in between the middle of the sound holes I offset my bridge to correct the intonation is there something wrong that I may be doing?
Like, comment and subscribe. All hail the algorithm.
Hello, Olaf! my violin does not have a bridge. how can i use it and is it playable?
Is the surface of the top plate, at the position where the bridge sits, exactly parallel to the base of the top plate? In other words should the bottom surfaces of the bridge completely cover the surface of the top plate/
Hello Olaf, I need help translating a violin label that its written in German "Kurrentschrift" font. Is it possible to email you a picture???
The nick of my violin are not in the same position so what can I do to place my bridge?
Omg, thank you for the information, bridge backwards the low string would not tune correctly,..now it does,😂
Where are u located at
What if the bridge maker put the stamp on the flat side? Doesn't the curved side of the bridge face the front.
Note my violin is cheap.
What is it peg ?
is that twosetviolin ?
Your bridge was cut than the usual bridge may i know what kind or name of cut technique?
The Olaf technique... 😁
But really... After many years of research I've come up with a model that really transfer a lot of the vibration energy of the strings on to the top plate of the violin. 🎻
I think I'd prefer to buy one of this man's violins and toss the one I got from Amazon!
Perfekt LG
I'm changing my strings and I noticed that I can see marks from the strings near the nut. When do I need to have my fingerboard looked at? And, do I need to invest in peg paste if I've had no problems with my pegs?
If you mean marks on the fingerboard, it may be that the fingerboard requires "shooting" (ie smoothing). A violin maker can do this easily.