Bridge placement on asymmetric violin, Bass bar, and string angle

[dpappas]

I have a workshop violin that I like very much, but there are some issues with the bass bar placement and the symmetry of the violin (picture attached).  The bridge foot is 3.2 mm from the bass bar.  The sound post is 1.6 mm behind the bridge foot (North-South) and 1.9 mm inside the bridge foot (East-West).  The bass bar is further in I suspect due to the funky F-holes (this is a Scott Can 950 "copy" of the Ysaye).  The F-hole upper eyes? are 37.4 (bass) and 36.8 (treble) mm from the edge, but the neck is at an East-West angle, biasing toward the bass side (i.e. it's pointing to the base side).  

My bridge should probably nudge 1.5-2 mm to the treble side, to better balance over the bass bar.  The instrument is 2 years old, so it's varnish marks on the bridge are pretty much as is.  With the fingerboard already off, the string balance on the fingerboard will be noticeable.  I am not worried about playability, I'm more concerned with a balanced tone.

Would moving the bridge be a terrible idea?  Of course, if I don't like the sound, I can move it back.  I'm just wondering if this bass bar, which is further "in" than usual, is a long-term red flag.  

 

Thanks!

[Christopher Jacoby]

Find geometric center line of the top. Ignore the effholes. Choose a skinnier bridge blank if need be to get closer to the bassbar and get the soundpost in to match. Unless it sounds good. Then leave it alone!

[dpappas]

1 hour ago, Christopher Jacoby said:

Find geometric center line of the top. Ignore the effholes. Choose a skinnier bridge blank if need be to get closer to the bassbar and get the soundpost in to match. Unless it sounds good. Then leave it alone!

Thank you very much!  I wondered if the bridge could be trimmed, or a new bridge cut, to get the feet closer to the bar.  

it sounds okay now, but I can always put in a new bridge and see if it's better.  If not, the old bridge can go back anyway.

[dpappas]

Christopher it is dead center geometrically, it’s a weird bass bar I guess.  The bridge is 41 mm foot to foot, I guess a skinnier one might do the trick.