Jump to content
Maestronet Forums

Tuning the soundpost


violins88

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 120
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I haven't seen this before, and I don't recall seeing anything about tuning the frequency of the post before. Did I miss where he said what the goal of doing this was? 

I haven't messed with much with posts other than getting them to fit well in the right spot, but I have played with making them out of a few different materials. I didn't  notice as much of a difference as I had expected with a maple post or a Paulownia post 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Folks can get all kinds of crazy ideas in their head.  Tuning things to matching frequencies seems to be a big attraction; no theory or proof needed.

He's using a long length of soundpost material to tap a short piece.  What's to keep the long piece from vibrating?  In any case, there is no mode of a free soundpost that would be anywhere near 179 Hz.  Bonkers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll call BS on that! He's either got the SP in the violin, which couples it to the plates, and changes the composite frequency, or he's holding it in his fingers, which will also change the frequency. In either case, it's not a valid way to do things. Fit and placement make a lot more difference than any small tone change in the soundpost.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Don Noon said:

there is no mode of a free soundpost that would be anywhere near 179 Hz.

6 hours ago, Mr. Bean said:

Should be 432Hz! (the "ground frequency of the universe", according to the mystic circles and sources that tend to generate complot-theories as well!)

We will have to start using rubber toothpicks instead of the standard spruce soundpost.

I tested 2 soundposts, and the lowest bending frequency was 8400 and 9390 Hz.  Rough theoretical estimate shows that's about right.

And the air wavelength of 179 Hz is nearly 2000 mm, so even if the soundpost DID vibrate at that frequency, it wouldn't be able to radiate any sound that you could hear, since it isn't a monopole radiator.

And in the assembled violin, the only modes below 190 Hz are the B-1 overall bending mode (includes neck and scroll) and some tailpiece modes.

And the lowest played note is 196 Hz, so anything much below that is ignorable anyway.

This is like logically refuting statements yelled by the bum on the streetcorner.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, JacksonMaberry said:

I will agree that it doesn't make much sense to be, but I'm sure we can all at least be more civil about our disagreement. I think if the poor fellow found this topic he'd be rather hurt. 

If feeling hurt might deter him from spreading disinformation, could it be of greater overall benefit than fluffing him?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, David Burgess said:

If feeling hurt might deter him from spreading disinformation, could it be of greater overall benefit than fluffing him?

I guess what I'm suggesting is it takes rather little effort to say from a position of authority, which you enjoy, that something is misleading or wrong without being deliberately unkind about it. Really, it's easy. I'm not asking anyone to polish the guy's buttons. I've already agreed it seems more like magical thinking than anything else. At the end of the day he's entitled to it, and there's nothing to be gained by ridiculing him on a public forum. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Shelbow said:

Your tools have to be in tune as well. If your plane doesn't ring at A 440 when you bang it on a desk are you really a violin maker? Of course don't forget your 415 plane if making baroque instruments.

So reductive! Baroque planes will sometimes need to be a French pitch or Venetian pitch depending...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, JacksonMaberry said:

I guess what I'm suggesting is it takes rather little effort to say from a position of authority, which you enjoy, that something is misleading or wrong without being deliberately unkind about it. Really, it's easy. I'm not asking anyone to polish the guy's buttons. I've already agreed it seems more like magical thinking than anything else. At the end of the day he's entitled to it, and there's nothing to be gained by ridiculing him on a public forum. 

So comments must be formal, clinical and staid? No funning around allowed on your watch? :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, David Burgess said:

So comments must be formal, clinical and staid? No funning around allowed on your watch? :blink:

Not at all! It's plenty easy to have fun without being a jerk anyway.

You may disagree, and that's fine, but all I'd like to see is a kinder forum. It would be easy to ignore unkindness when I see it, and even easier to be unkind myself (God knows I am sometimes). But I'm trying to be better. Trying, at least. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...