hello everyone.
I just got my violin in september and the E string is cutting into the bridge. none of the other strings are doing that. is it bad?

it is not bad in the sense that that's what will happen if your e-string does not have a little piece of plastic tube around it where it sits on the bridge, it IS bad as if it cuts into bridge it will make your bridge snap in half eventually and you will need a new one. If it has started cutting into it you probably already need a new bridge anyway (won't brake the bank, take it to a luthier and have a new one put on).
E strings often come with this little piece of plastic (looks like a tube) which is put on the string and placed where the string will sit on bridge so to stop the e-string cutting into bridge. You don't need this protection for other strings. If you dont have this piece of plastic provided with your e-string you can make yourself one by getting some plastic/rubber lining from an electric cable maybe (does anyone know whether this would be resistant enough?) or maybe a small piece of leather which you can cut to fit under your e-string on the bridge (I've read about this somewhere).
Jo

This problem is very common indeed with a soft bridge. It won't snap in half but what it will do is make it difficult to play, eventually. Some E strings are provided with little sleeves or with bridge cushions and some are not. Another common solution used with better bridges is for a piece of vellum to be glued onto the bridge at the time the bridge is fitted.

Unless you can find a cushion (I have never heard of these being sold separately) I would suggest waiting until it really is cutting in badly and then getting a new bridge fitted. Probably this will be some months. Depending on the value of the violin, it might even be worth getting a full set up done at that time - the violin will have had chance to settle and it is a good time to start thinking about set-up. This will be uneconomic on a cheap violin and of course I am assuming the violin has not already been set up. However, be warned that changing a soft bridge for a hard one will also make the tone louder and brighter.

Liz

The problem with that plastic thing however, it makes the E string squeak more than usual. I don't have the plastic on and it has started cutting into the bridge. I think I'll go have a new bridge cut soon with some cushion thing (my teacher has it!) on the groove for the E string so that it doesn't cut.

My late father used to make stringed instruments as a hobby and always used to set a small wedge of blackwood into the E string slot when fitting violin bridges. I believe that it is possible to buy bridges like this now.

According to my luthier, the plastic tube thingy that you find on some e strings has nothing to do with protecting the bridge at all, but rather to suppress certain ringing sounds that would otherwise cause problems. If the bridge is hard enough and of good enough quality, the string won't cut in. Some luthiers put a piece of parchment on the e string part of the bridge to stop this happening too.

I think you should get a new, harder bridge fitted and have the violin checked out by a luthier at the same time.

Allan

It is true a better quality bridge will increase its longetivity and the parchment is a great bonus, but ALL of them eventually end up with the E-string cutting in, albeit perhaps over a decade rather than just a few months.

It's impossible to avoid this process enitrely because metal will easily cut through wood. When you play you are putting pressure on the string, which in turn exerts increased downward force on the bridge - hence the string gradually cuts into the bridge. Given enough time, even the A-string will go the same way.


I've seen one or two bridges like this, but, I'm not sure what effect it has on the resonance of the bridge in general. Two woods of very different densities and hardness (although only a tiny piece) may possibly create tonal changes (physics coming in here!). I can't say for certain because I've never played a violin that's had a bridge with the blackwood insert. It would certainly be an interesting experiment though.

Will this happen with the A string, then the D on my viola as well, or is it a mostly violin phenomena?

I have a little metal cup thing that sits on the bridge, all my strings came with them.

Very likely that the A string will cut to some extent, but the D string, being thicker, would take much longer. Depends on the quality of the bridge.

Thanks, Amanda!

I'll be collecting my rental viola on Weds and starting lessons on Thursday. I'll keep an eye on my bridge and ask my teacher should anything seem amiss. She's a pro violinist, like your good self, so she'll know her stuff. I suppose my viola being only a Stentor II won't have the best bridge in the world, but I won't even think about new strings etc until I decide to keep it, then I'll get the best set up I can afford to take me through to about G4 or G5 level. Then it's a Gliga, so look out Liz!

thanks for all the advice everyone.
I got a Stentor too (I just started playing in September) so I don't suppose the bridge is great quality anyway. I won't get a new bridge, I suppose it would probably cost as much as the violin!

Nah, my last bridge cost me £1.20, not very much at all!

Unfortunately it's the fitting of it that it is expensive part.

Liz

Yea, my teacher told me that it would cost $80 to for a custom made bridge. Lol. When I told my dad I would have it made in June, his jaw dropped onto the ground. He was like, "80 dollars?! For a piece of cut wood?!!"

i have a little bit of hard (don't know exactly what!) stuff and it's like built into the bridge maybe your tubie stuff has just slipped!x