I know you were probably just trying to be funny but in the interest of accurate information for Terry to use, the "theory" is based on factual design over the past 300 years or so and even the change in height between 5 mm for synthetic core strings and 4 mm is easily noticed by the listener. There are few 'tricks' involved, just basic tried & true shapes and densities of wood items, the shape and density of the wood used to make a bow for instance has a pronounced effect on the tone of notes produced.

You can buy a bridge for $5.00 USD or you can spend $50.00 USD and to you and me, they're probably the same for the most part, we just end up with less money for beer.

The hardwood used to make bridges is a specially selected and aged wood which usually only is found in Europe if I understand that correctly. I'm sure there are hundreds if not thousands made every day in China but the "real old world" bridges are made in Europe.

Here's a copy of a very good description I found on the net of making your own bridge. I couldn't say it better.

>Fitting a new bridge is complicated by the fact that not every neck and fingerboard is at the identical or correct height. SO....the new bridge must be fitted to match the fingerboard height. There is a simple way to do this. First fit the feet of the new bridge, getting them curved to match the violin top and parallel to the top. Once the feet are done, you are now ready to mark the bridge for the first trim. Get a wooden pencil. Hold the bridge in place between the notches in the F-holes. Hold the wooden pencil flat on the finger board and slide it up to the bridge to make a mark on each end of the bridge. This will give you marks that are approximately 3.5mm above the fingerboard. Use a ruler and put a new mark 2.0mm above the mark on the G-string end; this gives you a height of about 5.5mm (3.5mm + 2.0mm = 5.5mm). Take a pencil compass and set its pivot and the point 42mm apart (giving you a 42mm radius). Draw a 42mm radius on a 3x5 card and cut it out with scissors. Now take your card-stock 42mm radius and line it up with the two pencil marks on the bridge (be sure to use the higher pencil mark on the bass side). Draw a line using the card-stock to connect the two pencil marks. Cut a little bit high of this line to allow for notching and final trimming. With strings in place, measure the height of the E-string above the fingerboard at the bridge end of the fingerboard (should be 3.5mm or so) and the G-string (should be 5.5mm or so. If they are still high (which is probably going to be the case) note how much correction is needed an final trim that amount from the bridge. Use you 42mm card-stock radius if you need to move the line down a bit. That's it<

I suppose you could take a piece of old sugar pine from the hills out here and carve one that would work good enough for you and me but trying to duplicate that item later on would be near impossible.

Fiddlerman said

Thanks everyone for all the valuable information. This is all fantastic information and I would like to add Kevin's fantastic guide to cutting a bridge as well. A lot of the stuff discussed on this thread is also demonstrated here too.

Install a New Bridge on a Violin by: Kevin Healy

THAT was a very nice home brew example that included many of my suggestions. Well written and although brief of greater detail, it was perfect and highlighted all the 'key' points. I don't know if I'd ruin a perfectly good ruler by "gluing dowels" to it for a height measuring device though. LOL

Thanks for the included link FM. Should make this a "sticky" posting for future reference. (assuming that can be done with this software.)

sdsalyer said

I showed my violin to an "old time fiddler" and he is insistent that I sand my bridge down as much as 1/8 of an inch.  He says my strings are too far off the fingerboard.  I'm a little leery of doing this, but would it make it easier/better to play?   Is it something better left to a luthier?

If you have the strings any further than 5 mm for the G string and about 3 mm for the E string off the fingerboard as measured back by the bridge, then I agree. I would need to see the measurment to totally agree with him.

He's probably playing on steel core strings so my luthiers build bible shows they need 4 mm and 2.5 mm accordingly. My synthetic cores need more room, hence the 5 mm and 3 mm dimensions from the fingerboard.

You need to use your own judgment here. The facts and details have been presented to you. Goo back up thru this thread and you can see the work to justify the numbers.

Good luck.