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Really awful G string sound
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Dan-Hur

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July 7, 2015 - 3:11 pm
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I didn't see any cracks, the string was recently replaced, but I haven't tried a wolf eliminator yet

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BillyG
Brora, North-east Scotland
July 7, 2015 - 3:43 pm
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Hi - I posted on this earlier - and I have listened again, and again....  the more I hear it - I have to say - to me it sounds like something "bad".   

You changed the strings - and you tell us that with the new strings - it seems the point at which this occurs is slightly different from the previous strings - maybe by a half or full semi-tone - if I follow you correctly?

I just begin to suspect (as I may have suggested previously as one of the possibilities) that there is some unwanted "mechanical" vibration occurring  either on, or (worse) within the body of the violin..  If there is a visible crack ( and you will want to look REAL closely - it won't necessarily be an "open" visible crack - investigate top and bottom plates very very closely, as well as the ribs all the way round ) on the surface, or, more difficult to see, if some "internal part" has come loose / cracked / separated from its glued contact ( like the bass bar as @cdennyb suggests - has come loose etc maybe just at the end or whatever ) - at certain frequencies you might JUST be getting that "imperfection" to vibrate and rattle ----  very hard to tell.   And what makes me think about coming back to this point is that, although you say the point (frequency) at which it occurs with DIFFERENT strings is slightly different - different strings will likely have a different tension - pulling and straining the body under tension in a slightly different way...  that's what made me come back to this and comment again....   but - I am no luthier and I have NEVER taken a violin apart - I'm just interested in the science / physics of this...

I know that did not help.....  just thought I'd drop my 2 cents worth....

EDIT: I don't recall exactly - but the tension of a normally strung violin amounts to something like 16-to-20kg - and MORE actually - try lifting a 20kg bag of cement...  it's a LOT....  and the tension of different string types does of course vary a bit which may just account for the change at which the noise appears - dunno - just guessing...   the violin although appearing solid and robust is indeed a "finely tuned" ( excuse the pun ) mechanical device...  and EVERYTHING needs to be right for it to work and sound OK...

I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - guntohead.JPG

Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)

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Dan-Hur

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July 7, 2015 - 4:36 pm
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Thanks everyone for your advice and input. I have an interesting update. I took the mute I've been playing with off. Completely changed the sound. Now it just sounds normal bad. I don't know if that was the problem the whole time or what, but it appears to have at least been a contributing factor. I would not have thought it would have that much of an affect on the sound. Had anyone experienced something like this before? 

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fiddle chick
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July 7, 2015 - 6:47 pm
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Not so much with a mute, but I did experience the same problem with finger tape. The C note one the G string was terrible. I'm talking worse than terrible. I took the finger tape off and it solved the whole problem. 

Let the bow flow.

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cdennyb
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July 8, 2015 - 1:09 am
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Be sure to look carefully under the tailpiece. Sometimes a two piece front will have a seam that can start to develop a crack and look totally normal and ok.

"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein

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Fiddlerman
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July 8, 2015 - 11:09 am
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Good point, that is also possible. :)

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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Uzi
Georgia

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July 9, 2015 - 2:59 pm
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Dan-Hur said
Thanks everyone for your advice and input. I have an interesting update. I took the mute I've been playing with off. Completely changed the sound. Now it just sounds normal bad. I don't know if that was the problem the whole time or what, but it appears to have at least been a contributing factor. I would not have thought it would have that much of an affect on the sound. Had anyone experienced something like this before? 

Yes.  Once my G string was sounding really bad.  I was looking at the violin and noticed that there was a space, maybe the width of a human hair between the backside of the foot on the bridge and the top of the violin.  I pulled the top of the bridge back carefully until the gap was gone and it made a huge difference.  It's amazing how very tiny changes can have a huge effect on the sound of a fiddle.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. ~Herm Albright

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Dan-Hur

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July 11, 2015 - 10:01 pm
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It's interesting, but the difference is night and day in the sound. I'll post some audio to see what you guys think. 

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Dan-Hur

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August 4, 2015 - 10:25 pm
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Just an update: sent it in to Fiddlershop and had them take a look at it for me. Got it back real quick and it does sound much, much better. Thanks a lot guys!

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Fiddlerman
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August 5, 2015 - 6:55 am
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You are very welcome :) Thanks for the update.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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