Preliminary testing

Objective testing is part of the scientific method and you shouldn't skip it when messing with your violin. Here's how I tested mine before making changes.

1. First, I made notes using the Michael Darnton criteria for objective testing.
http://www.darntonviolins.com/violinmagazine/book/UnderstandingTone.pdf

I was doubtful of how objective this would be, but I played some scales and also noted down the things that have come to really annoy me in the past several months of playing. There are several annoying things.

2. I tried this method of evaluating tone in decibels. I made the chart and everything.
http://platetuning.org/html/trying_tone-it_takes_what-.html

My results show this violin is definitely wonky, with a strangely variable G string, a weak D string and a very weak E string. I was surprised that this corresponded to what I had written down in my playing notes.

3. I tested the modes using this web page.
http://platetuning.org/html/resonances_of_violin_body.html

My results were not that great. I looked for a consistent peak in the general area they said it was supposed to be in. I couldn't find the A0 mode at all, but otherwise everything was where it was supposed to be -- or rather, less than a hundred Hz away from where it was supposed to be. It would be a good candidate for regraduation, I think, if it survived popping the top! But the plates are already thin from refinishing and glued with wood glue rather than hide glue (I suspect.)

Some of this wonkiness is from my tiny over-thinned over-opened bridge. I read that less bridge wood = more resonant violin. I thought the limiting factor here was bridge durability so I said well, who cares if it warps after a year? Bridges are $5 a pop. BRING ON BIG SOUND! Unfortunately the truth is that there can be too much of a good thing. My sound is all out of balance.

My next step is to make a new bridge, tuned to Lars Silen's method, and reset the soundpost. I didn't really want to reset the soundpost, but when I took down the first bridge, guess what started clacking around inside my violin? Yep. Just be warned, folks -- don't mess with the bridge without being prepared to mess with the soundpost too.