Violin Forum/Message Board

Dave Chandler · Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 5:33 pm Post subject: Light or medium strings?

I'm in process of completing a violin that has very soft and flexible maple backwood. Very highly figured, but soft. Using the calculations at http://www.platetuning.org/ flexibility scores low 80s despite being about 3mm thick all over and weight about 100 grams. The top on the other hand is red spruce and scores 109. By that system, I probably should scrap the back and ribs.

To compensate I've thinned the top down to about 1.8mm to 2mm in most areas, very light (about 60 grams with bass bar etc), but still scoring quite high on stiffness.

Is this too much of a mismatch?

Is it time to order some light strings rather than the mediums I usually order? Any opinions?
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo

actonern · Super Member Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 444

forgive me if I've misquoted him, but I believe Michael Darnton has said elsewhere that just about any instrument sounds better with light guage strings...

Best regards,

E

Dave Chandler · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 3:36 pm Post subject: Light or medium strings

And, If I wanted to make this a 5-string, what string would you use for the C? I presume using a violin G would be just too flabby.
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo

L P Reedy · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 5:53 pm Post subject:

Definitely a second G string won't work. I believe Supersensitive and D'Addario both make violin C strings but any Short scale (15") viola C string should work. Get one of similar type, if not the same brand, as the other three (excluding E).

Jack H. · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 4:31 pm Post subject:

3 mm all over sounds VERY thin for a back, and 1.8 to 2 mm for the top also sounds VERY thin.... I would start again from scratch.

Dave Chandler · Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 1:45 pm Post subject: Thickness

Jack, I was trying to achieve a certain flexibility number using the formula on the platetuning page rather than a particular thickness. When I say "all over" I did not mean the center of the plate, perhaps should have stated "over most of the plate". For the back, the center is near 4mm, most of the plate is at 3mm. For a harder maple I think this would have been a bit thick and heavy yet, but for this piece the flexibility unexpectedly (for me) dropped through the floor when I removed the last 10 grams of weight -- from 110 gr to 100 gr.

Yes its thin, but almost done so I'll start over on another piece, but will use this as an experiment of sorts and go ahead and finish it up. It gives me something to practice on, and is nearly complete in the white now, just needing to set the neck this evening. I've got some varnishing techniques I want to practice, this will be good for that.
_________________
Dave in the Blue Ridge
Southern Violin Association

"Success is the ability to go from one failure to the next with no loss of enthusiasm" Winston Churchill

"I took the road less travelled, and now I don't know where I am." Marco Polo

Jack H. · Posted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 2:13 pm Post subject:

well, at least it will be a learning experience for ya... I hope it come s out well, be interested to hear what people think of the tone.!