Violin Forum/Message Board

Cliff Green · Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 8:58 pm Post subject:

First guess is that your finger board does not have proper scooping causing the string to vibrate against the finger board.
IMO you need to get some basic information concerning set up, construction etc. you could start by looking at violinmag.com as someone previously recommended. This, though incomplete at this time, was written by Michael Darnton, builder, violin building pedagogue, and one of our moderators. Or, if you can afford the investment $80 for Courtnal & Johnson, Art of Violin Making or $30 H Strobel, Violin Building Step by Step.

Franciscus · Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 1:21 am Post subject:

Spudchucker · Member Joined: 06 Feb 2014 Posts: 39

Good suggestion but I don't think its due to an instrument specific problem- It has happened with both violins I've used thus far (sorry I probably should have mentioned that before,) so it's likely due to my form and not the instrument (unless this string slapping is a common problem?) It literally sounds like someone is tapping the violin with each full cycle of vibrato until I fix my form

Looks like I'll be checking out the library soon with these book suggestions though, let's find out how well-stocked it is for a small town library

Franciscus · Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 1:49 am Post subject:

Scott S · Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 2:27 am Post subject:

Looking at your 1st picture on page one, at 400 zoom, your number one chinrest is sitting on top of the tailpiece. Could the tailpiece be knocking against the chinrest? You need clearance there. I've never seen this before, but it could be possible.

Scott
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As always, send lawyers, guns, and money

Scott S · Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 2:43 am Post subject:

At the underside of the tailpiece, are the fine tuners too close to the violin top?

Scott
_________________
As always, send lawyers, guns, and money

Spudchucker · Member Joined: 06 Feb 2014 Posts: 39

Good eye with that chinrest (I thought it may have been the issue at one point as well) but I've since bought another one with much better clearance, which does also hold the fine tuners well away from the top.. Still making the noise. It happens when instead of my hand rolling freely around the neck, I put a little pressure on it with each movement (not much) because the muscle memory isn't quite there yet. The tap sound happens when I'm rolling my hand back towards the pegs.

Could the string be sliding over the bridge and making a click like when you're tuning and a string suddenly moves a tiny bit? It fits, but I just don't see how it would happen over and over so consistently

PS.. Fransiscus- I'm a millenial, my wristwatch is a smart phone Very Happy

Scott S · Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 1:52 pm Post subject:

Does this happen on one string, all strings, some strings? Always at the same point up the fingerboard, or all positions? If it is at the same general position then mark the side of the neck at that point with masking tape, lay a straight edge on the fingerboard and give us a sideways picture of that. I'm a repair guy, I'm not that apt on fingerboard shapes. Rarely do the instruments that I get have FB problems, but I have found dead spots.

Scott
_________________
As always, send lawyers, guns, and money

Scott S · Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2014 2:17 pm Post subject:

Also, rule out, tailgut slipping, bridge creeping along plate and peg slipping. The only way to rule out the open seam is to fix it.

Scott
_________________
As always, send lawyers, guns, and money

Spudchucker · Member Joined: 06 Feb 2014 Posts: 39

I didn't have any masking tape, but the aluminum foil more or less marks out the spot that I get the tapping sound from. I don't recall it happening on the E string (though it could have) but it definitely happens on the D and A strings. I'm unsure of G as well. Sorry for being vague but it's not something I can just make happen on a whim, because I don't really know what I'm doing that causes it

Since it has happened in the same way on both violins I've ever used, I got a shot of both

Doesn't look like there's a whole lot out of place to my untrained eye, but both fingerboards do have a slight dip (+-1mm) between where the foil is and the instrument body.

Also, on the Hopf, there is one tiny spot that on the D string where the foil is that makes a different sound, which is seemingly the same thing that the person who started the "My B on my G" thread is experiencing (a random note jump on a highly resonant frequency, though it's very brief.) This is a different sound than the tapping though, so I'm pointing it out just in case something in the pictures would predict that happening.

If it was a peg slipping or bridge walking, it would be throwing the instrument out of tune in a hurry, right? If so that wouldn't be it because they both hold pitch pretty well. Can't rule out tailgut (I'm assuming that is the red string holding the tail to the body?) because I don't know what to look for, but it would be odd to have anything happening on two very different violins that isn't due to problems with my form

kjb · Super Member Joined: 06 Feb 2013 Posts: 385

from what I can see on the pic ( which may not be correct) it doesn't look like you have any scoop, that the Fb is flat from the nut to the end?

Spudchucker · Member Joined: 06 Feb 2014 Posts: 39

zmp2 · Junior Member Joined: 05 Aug 2012 Posts: 1

You should check the FB scoop with a metal straight edge; with some light from behind, it will show real good. The scoop should be gradual from nut to end with the largest part in the middle.

Spudchucker · Member Joined: 06 Feb 2014 Posts: 39