New bassbar, how much can it make a difference?
To all respected makers/luthiers:
My daughter's violin ( by a well known American maker), has been serving her well since recently, higher position on G string developed quite a few wolf notes. After contacting the dealer we purchased from, they decide to send it back to the maker for diagnose, and turned out to replace the bassbar could improve the overall sound also fixing the wolf note ( this decision was made after several attempts changing the bridge, strings, and sound post).
Long story short, after the 2nd bassbar installed, the power of the violin significantly improved, hearing her playing in distance. However the G string is still having a noticeable "hiss sound," which I hope can be fixed by changing the strings, but still slightly concerned: this is a very well made instrument so I trust the maker's judgement, but does changing bassbar the only solution toward this matter? ( the wolf note problem has been improved, but seems bring out other issues)
Replies (7)
For hissing, have you also tried a different rosin?
The hissing may just mean that the violin is more responsive with the new setup.
Trying another rosin? Oh no - not more rosin rubbish.
I find the best way to stop hissing is to put a strong adhesive tape over the player's mouth.
New bass bar can make a huge difference for better or worse. That is why it is seldom done and not without a justification.
How old is the violin? If less than 10 years, it sounds very odd that the maker agreed to replace the bass bar (twice?).
Hissing sound usually comes from bad (old) string. It can also be caused by poorly repaired crack, especially along or in the vicinity of the bass bar or under the bridge.
Online forum is probably not the best place to raise or address your concerns; find a reputable luthier with no conflict of interest in this matter and ask for expert opinion.
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June 22, 2016 at 08:20 AM · Do you mean the bass bar was re-installed twice? Or does second bass bar mean the replacement of the original?
Other issues like hiss on the G are fairly normal but different strings may reduce this. It's also possible that she is playing into the G string too much, which we all do sometimes to get a big fat juicy sound.
Violins are prone to wolf notes high up on the G but we have to live with that and perhaps modify our playing somewhat. Life is never easy and we have to rise to the challenges, if other things don't work.