Lutherie

Trade Secrets: Reinforcing a cello bridge

2021-03-23T20:55:00

TSMain

A method of inserting carbon-fibre rods to ensure the bridge retains its shape

If not properly treated, a cello bridge can bend. It happens because players do not tend to notice it – and if they do, they don’t know how to push it back to the right position. Worse, if it remains unnoticed or ignored for too long, the bridge can break under the pressure of the strings.

The thinner the bridge, the more likely this will happen. While for amateur musicians a thick bridge might just work well enough, this is often not an option for professional cellists. The thinness of a bridge can make all the difference between an instrument that sounds good, and one that sounds terrific…

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