Bad Bridge vs Good Bridge

How much of a difference does a good Bridge and soundpost make?

Master Violin Maker and Restorer Olaf Grawert optimises the sound of an instrument by replacing the bridge.

Watch this video to discover the true difference in sound quality a good bridge can make.

00:00 Introduction
01:00 What's the issue?
06:00 Carving a new bridge
11:00 Putting the strings back on
12:00 Results!
12:30 Conclusion

#myviolinmaker #olafgrawertviolin #violin

[pmichael]

Nothing worse than doing a lot of practice and having an instrument that doesn't respond. Wonderful improvement!

[randolphpatterson]

Before watching each video in its entirety, I like to first listen to the instrument before any work is done, then I'll search forward to find the demonstration of the completed instrument. A 'before & after' comparison, as it were. It never fails to amaze me, how much of an improvement I hear! Thanks for doing all you do! I honestly believe you're making the world a better place, one rescued instrument at a time!

[KenIn_NH]

Proper setups are one of THE most overlooked parts of a new students equipment. Typically neither the student or parent (if purchasing for a child) just dont know any better and worse, many music stores either just dont do them or do them poorly and causes many aspiring musicians to stop learning..and we can't afford to lose any potential musicians at this point!.
Thank you Olaf for helping educate people! Love your work sir. 👍👍

[Robert-yks]

12:17 I have always thought of myself being rather tone deaf but even I could hear the before-after difference. What an improvement!

[phlosen]

You are just the best. You care so much for the Instrument and the Person playing it.

Grüße aus Stuttgart

[georgedobbs]

Planing the fingerboard for free? Olaf out here taking care of instruments AND people.

[yetanotherjohn]

Wow this is quite a revelation, I thought violins were held to a higher standard! Almost every new acoustic guitar is sold with no detectable care to properly set them up! The difference in the sound you got was fantastic.

[swordpandapanda]

such a change!
the sound is much richer and not muffled

[rohwermusicstudios]

I’ve been grateful to learn a lot about proper setup, and I’ve been able to help a lot of my students get a better setup. More recently, I’ve been able to set there instrument up better myself. It’s taken a lot of practice, research, and training, but it’s so great to help my students get the best sound.

[harrynking]

Always refreshing to see these clips. The precise fitting of the bridge feet was missed though.

[MichaelSuperbacker]

Good Morning Olaf!!! 😀 Hope you have been well!

[rikspector]

Olaf,
Not the same instrument, I play Clarinet for many years and
generally have a very good sound.
My sound has recently begun to deteriorated, the lowest and highest notes were almost
impossible to play well even with a good reed.
I am old 82, and figured maybe it was my age, but it wasn't.
Finally I discovered the problem, a key pad was not seating and covering the hole properly.
I took it to the shop, they replaced the pad and it was like a new instrument, I could play with ease on all registers.
When the woman who owned this violin got it back,
it must have felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders, that's how I felt.
Why would a reputable business do this to her?
Cheers,
Rik Spector

[randolphfriend]

💙 I'm glad that you are here to help.

[arvetis]

2:30 the awful noise is scaring away your ghosts in the upper-right

[sofiasanchez]

What are the more expensive bridges? What makes them different from a cheaper bridge.

[ChrisEbbrsen]

Working on Sibelius Thanks Mr. Grawert!😅

[gabrielsalomavelazquez]

Dear Olaf, why the bridge feet are not adjusted by sanding for a "better" precision? Thank you :)

[BeastOfSoda]

Gotta lick the bridge for ideal tone 😂 (I get that the purpose was to moisten the wood for shaping, but I still found it amusing. Especially when you think that the instrument may well still have the original luthier's spit on it, haha)

I understand why the bridge needs to touch the top plate with just the two small feet. But why does it have the holes in its body? Many other instruments, like pianos, have a solid bridge. Do the strings vibrate more vertically or more horizontally?

You talked about some of the carving being cosmetic. I'm curious about the carving that functionally changes the sound. Thanks!

[ThomasLecoq-bdqj]

I purchased the violin from Kennedy Violins, which was praised for beginners by Ray Chen. It was difficult to play so I took it to violin maker J. Brown, an older gentleman whose shop is located amid several colleges and a university. He lowered the nut, bored the slightly oval peg box holes, and adjusted the tailpiece. The tailpiece added 2 to 3 mm to string length. With my beginner discount, the cost was about $200, well worth it. Also switched to Tonica strings.

The result is a beginner instrument that sounds wonderful and is a pleasure to play.

I recently purchased a higher quality German bow which has much more hair and is wider. The difference in sound, the volume increase with the new bow is remarkable. The stick is Pernambuco. The frog is solid and clearly better built than the old bow. I selected it because it didn't bounce as easily as the one shipped with the violin. The cost was about $250.


Perhaps you can do a video on bows. As a beginner (at age 81), I had no idea the difference a "just right" bow would make. I'm sure you carry a variety of bows and have preferences.