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I play a 5 string fiddle, and recently put new Helicore strings on it, which in itself is nothing new since I have used medium Helicores for some years and like them very much. My problem is that within the past month, I get a tone from the G string when I play the A string open, or finger a Bb or B. The tone I get is the sound of the open G, and I can tell the G string is producing the sound. I live in Michigan and of course the weather has changed a lot over the past few months. Any suggestions? It is quite annoying to hear that G tone when I am playing. Thanks in advance. I have had this fiddle for almost three years and never had this happen before.
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Point of clarification: I get the G tone even when I dampen the G string, so it is not coming from that string, I would guess. Thanks.
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Update. Just thought I would share that, over on Fiddlehangout, someone suggested I check the length from bridge to nut, that it should be 330mm. He stated that this length is important regardless of the f holes, particularly on a 5 string, with the extra C string creating vibrations as well. And I had "adjusted" the bridge a little not long ago. When I get back home ( presently on the road) I will check that length, and hopefully that is the problem.
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First off, I should warn you - I don't have a great deal of experience with violins and certainly not as a luthier. This is guesswork on my part.
I doubt very much the new strings had anything to do with it, except possibly triggering an incipient condition because they were in better shape than the old ones (less give to a particular kind of stress for example).
If it does it with the G string muted, it pretty much has to be a resonance in the body of the violin. Maybe the bass bar shifted or came partially loose,or maybe the soundpost got shifted (perhaps while there was less tension during the string-changing?).
Another member mentioned certain notes on a violin being boosted considerably (it was a very cheap one. If it's been playing fine for years, that's not the problem, but something breaking/becoming maladjusted could cause a similar effect.
I'd say take it to a good luthier and let them figure it out.
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To me, it sounds a bit like a wolf tone. Wolf tones can be affected by making changes to the tension (perhaps your new strings) bridge thickness, sound post thickness, fingerboard length and shape.... and obviously the top of the instrument. However, changing the thickness of your instruments top (plate tuning) is not to be advised as you may destroy the sound quality and also weaken the top.
Working on the bridge, fingerboard and sound-post is an easy fix if you are indeed experiencing a wolf.
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