I have inherited a fiddle whose f-holes are set further towards the tail end than usual, giving a nut-to-bridge length of more than 34 cm. Does anyone know whether the tailpiece should be shorter than usual to compensate? I assume that the bridge is placed according to the holes, not the distance from the nut, but judging by the wear and tear round the bridge area, the placement has long been a problem. The soundpost has also been moved. Your help would be appreciated, as this is a fine-looking instrument which at the moment sounds poor.
A scale length over 340mm is very long, and may make it awkward to play (unless you have huge hands!). I'd want to see the instrument before giving a firm opinion, but I would probably set it up with a standard 330mm scale length, and ignore the ff holes - 'align the bridge with the notches' is only rough guidance anyway, and a surprising number of old fiddles have the ffs in the wrong place.
If you do decide to go with the long scale length, the tailpiece shouldn't be a problem - you can do a fair amount of adjusting with the length of the tail-gut, and if that isn't enough you could use a 3/4 size tailpiece. The afterlength of the strings does make a difference to the tone - most people reckon 1/6 of the scale length (or about 55mm) is a good starting point, but afterlength is one of the things you have to fiddle with during setup.
One other thing to bear in mind is that as you move the bridge backwards the break angle (angle the strings bend through over the bridge) gets more acute, putting much more downward pressure through the bridge. If it is an old and delicate instrument this might not be a good idea.
> Your help would be appreciated, as this is a fine-looking instrument which at the moment sounds poor
To be honest, your best course is to show the instrument to a reputable luthier for advice on setup. Sorting out the relative positions, sizes etc. of bridge, soundpost and tailpiece is not best done remotely on a discussion board.
The wear and tear you describe around the bridge area is suitable testament to what can happen when someone unskilled is let loose on an instrument. If it's a decent instrument, then it deserves some proper care.
Special tailpiece.
Special tailpiece.
I have inherited a fiddle whose f-holes are set further towards the tail end than usual, giving a nut-to-bridge length of more than 34 cm. Does anyone know whether the tailpiece should be shorter than usual to compensate? I assume that the bridge is placed according to the holes, not the distance from the nut, but judging by the wear and tear round the bridge area, the placement has long been a problem. The soundpost has also been moved. Your help would be appreciated, as this is a fine-looking instrument which at the moment sounds poor.
# Posted on October 1st 2009 by gam
Re: Special tailpiece.
A scale length over 340mm is very long, and may make it awkward to play (unless you have huge hands!). I'd want to see the instrument before giving a firm opinion, but I would probably set it up with a standard 330mm scale length, and ignore the ff holes - 'align the bridge with the notches' is only rough guidance anyway, and a surprising number of old fiddles have the ffs in the wrong place.
If you do decide to go with the long scale length, the tailpiece shouldn't be a problem - you can do a fair amount of adjusting with the length of the tail-gut, and if that isn't enough you could use a 3/4 size tailpiece. The afterlength of the strings does make a difference to the tone - most people reckon 1/6 of the scale length (or about 55mm) is a good starting point, but afterlength is one of the things you have to fiddle with during setup.
One other thing to bear in mind is that as you move the bridge backwards the break angle (angle the strings bend through over the bridge) gets more acute, putting much more downward pressure through the bridge. If it is an old and delicate instrument this might not be a good idea.
# Posted on October 1st 2009 by skreech
Re: Special tailpiece.
> Your help would be appreciated, as this is a fine-looking instrument which at the moment sounds poor
To be honest, your best course is to show the instrument to a reputable luthier for advice on setup. Sorting out the relative positions, sizes etc. of bridge, soundpost and tailpiece is not best done remotely on a discussion board.
The wear and tear you describe around the bridge area is suitable testament to what can happen when someone unskilled is let loose on an instrument. If it's a decent instrument, then it deserves some proper care.
Sincerely,
Ed.
# Posted on October 1st 2009 by Presumin Ed
Re: Special tailpiece.
Thank you gents.
# Posted on October 1st 2009 by gam