Fix a Warped Bridge with a Clothing Iron
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- Опубліковано 21 гру 2020
- Do you have a warped bridge on your instrument? This quick fix can get it back to normal and will get you by until you can visit your friendly luthier.
NOTE: this is not recommended for bridges on higher-end instruments.
Wow! Just when I had accepted the fact that I couldn’t make this repair on my own and was about to call my luthier, I stumbled upon this video and gave it a try. You just saved me so much money and time! Thank you so much!
Hello from the Memphis area! I still remember the baroque violin shop with fondness from working with you for six years in Russell, Kentucky. Paul was a great guy and I miss him still!
Student brought in a terribly warped bridge today and I fixed it easy peasy! Thanks for the tutorial :D
I've just aquired a second hand violin that needs a good clean and new strings. it also has a warped bridge which seems to be of reasonable quality, so I wan't to save it if I can. Your video will help greatly in making this violin playable again. Many thanks!
Excellent! It worked, you saved my bridge!
I am an orchestra teacher and this hack has changed my life! I have 4 cellos that need this "fix". Thank you! Is there a waiting period before putting the bridge back on the instrument?
Tks!
It is very useful. Would the moisture and hot iron destroy the wood structure and affect the sound accordingly?
Thank you for the helpful video.
Is there a memory effect in bent wood, as with some other materials, and if so, should the bridge then be deliberately bent in the opposite direction (beyond vertical) slightly; and will the bridge then come back to the vertical over time after having been put back onto the violin body and with the strings taut?
If bent wood has memory, that is.
Or just make it vertical...?
I have heard elsewhere that repaired bridges do not stay fixed, and will eventually become bent again.
Brian - sorry for the delay getting back to you.
The bridge will want to maintain its original shape, being flat on the tailpiece side and perpendicular to the surface of the top. Steam pressing the bridge will correct the warp, but will not resolve the issue that caused the bridge with warp in the first place. Either the bridge was leaning for some time and warped under pressure, the bridge material is too soft or the bridge is too thin.
Putting some pencil graphite on the string notches should help prevent catch n’ pull from the strings and adjusting the bridge back to vertical position when it starts to lean should prevent it from warping again in most cases.
Humidity and dry conditions in the area will also affect your instrument bridge.
what do you mean it has been "rejected" ?
customer was not happy with the tone on this one, we ended up getting her a new bridge and putting this one in our parts bin after straitening it. thanks - ben @ baroque violin shop.