A Short Post about Violin Bridges
I’ve seen a number of students with warped violin bridges lately so I thought I would just say a word about how to prevent this. Disclaimer: I am not a maintenance expert; when in doubt, see a professional.
Every time you tune the violin, the tension of the strings pulls the bridge ever so slightly forward. After a period of time, if it is not straightened regularly, the bridge will warp permanently. If the bridge is severely warped, there is a good chance that it will fall over-and if the bridge falls over, there’s a good chance your sound post will too. This actually happened to me once when I tried some heavy gauged strings. When I restrung the fiddle, the strings pulled my already slightly warped bridge very far forward and after a few days the bridge completely collapsed. Ever hear that sound? Very much like a gunshot! To prevent this, straighten your bridge regularly by gently pulling it backwards from the forward position until you see that it is perpendicular to the body of the violin. Ideally, I check for this every time I tune. I’ve included a youtube link with a demonstration of this, but if you are still feeling uncomfortable adjusting your bridge yourself, or if your bridge is already warped, take your violin to a shop and have a professional help you.