The Violin Bridge

by Joel B. Swett

As regards the height of a violin bridge it should not. as is too often the ease, be determined by the slant of the fingerboard. Upon any perfectly constructed violin a bridge should not he under a height of an inch and a quarter, nor over an inch and three eights, measured from its apex to the violin top. Where a better tone is obtained with a bridge an inch and three-eighths in height it may safely be concluded that the top is at least a little thicker than it should be for the best general effect and where the result is best with a bridge lower than an inch and a quarter it is evidence of a lack of material in the top. Therefore, instead of fitting a bridge to accommodate any pitch of a fingerboard have the latter taken off and fitted to accommodate the bridge. If too high to be lowered by any other means have the neck taken out and reset to a proper angle. The tonal effect of a violin bridge of a certain height, therefore becomes a positive index of the thickness of t'"o top. and a violin that sounds best with a bridge above or below the standard measurement is certainly faulty in construction. If the extremely low bridge gives best results on a certain violin, obtain another instrument. If it sounds best with a very high bridge it usually has material enough to admit of successful regraduation.