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Honorary advisor
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What can I do if my soundpost toppled over? I don't have any music stores that can do that sort of repair work near me, so I have to do it myself. Any suggestions before I start poking around?
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My soundpost fell off once when my tailpost cord broke, causing the pressure from the stings through the bridge to release simultaneously. Since I was playing at the time it scared the daylights out of me. I watched the luthier replace the soundpost and he made if memory serves me it took under a minute. He made it look so easy, but I suspect without the training that it's anything but. He used a tool that looked similar to a dental pick, grabbed the post, and placed it in the exact right place while re-applying pressure to keep the post from falling back over. I wouldn't try it myself, but I know of at least 4 violin shops in our area, not counting the general music shops. If there is anyway to take the violin to a shop in another city I recommend you do so. Whatever you decide to do I wish you good luck.
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You need a sound-post setter. 
then follow these instructions. I taught myself to do it a long time ago. It's a good thing to be able to do, though chances are you won't get it exactly where it should be. If it fell to begin with it probably was too loose. Either because the post is too short or it was not set right. Try to find the exact spot were it was by looking at the wear in the violin. It needs to be straight in all directions and slightly behind the foot of the bridge, usually the thickness of a bridge is about right, and in the center of the foot on the E-string side. The placement and tightness affects the sound tremendously. See the below diagram from the same site as the above link. Once you get the post up you can use the other side of the tool to push and pull one end at a time to the right position. Use careful and slow movements. It is easier if you tap the post gently with the bottom of the tool inside the violin. Do everything slowly and carefully. GOOD LUCK
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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This is nerve-wracking….wish I had a luthier within a 100kms of me who does that sort of work. I think I have to construct the tool myself, unfortunately. Thank you for your instructions!
PS: Could anyone post specs and/or overhead pictures that could help me construct them(or at least give instructions at a machine shop)
Finally done... and after 8 tries too! Thanks! btw, I didn't use the gluegun XD
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You must be very relieved. I think the instructions Pierre gave you are great, and I might learn this myself if I didn't live in the proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World (which I think Austin has trademarked for itself).
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Out of curiousity I took a look on Ebay and for around $8.5 and up (with shipping) you can own a sound-post setter of your very own. If I ever start to play professionally I'll invest in one (if I don't have a second violin).
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Funny enough, I am the only professional violinist that I know that has one or would dare do it. Lot's of pros are scared to do anything physical to their instruments. They all go to Luthiers for the slightest problem.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Daniel said:
Finally done… and after 8 tries too! Thanks! btw, I didn't use the gluegun XD
YEEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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I wouldn't want to commit to a gig and not be able to perform because of something like a fallen sound-post (although that's not exactly a common situation). Do many professional musicians carry a back-up violin?
Of course I don't play professionally so the point is moot, but I hate to let people down when they are counting on me, especially for something as fraught as a wedding.
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Good job Daniel!! :))
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LoopyLoonyLuna said:
I wouldn't want to commit to a gig and not be able to perform because of something like a fallen sound-post (although that's not exactly a common situation). Do many professional musicians carry a back-up violin?
Not only has it never happened to me, but I don't know anyone who it has happened to. Usually it can happen when a person changes all their strings at once and the post is too short or loosely set. Also when sending a violin or traveling when it can be dropped or bumped. I don't know of any violinist that carry extra violins with them. I do however always have extra strings even in my jacket while performing.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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The only time it happened to my was when the tailpiece cord broke. Of course you can probably reduce your risk by taking your instrument in for regular 'check-up', but I think my mine had been checked out less than 6 months before it happened. I've never heard of that particular issue happening to anyone else.
And I'm not suggesting that anyone else be as obsessively over-prepared as I am-I just plan things to the nth degree and imaging the worse case scenario.
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Thanks everyone! But I think I'll start saving for an actual setter...and be more careful when changing bridges. Hopefully the Aubert bridge lasts longer than the fernando one. Well, at least I'll be able to do it again when needed, and I can help my friends now. Good thing my mom doesn't mind the loss of one of her stainless steel tweezers 
It's completely bent out of shape
Oh yeah, if any of you does this...watch out for the varnish at the edge of the F-holes. Those chip easily.
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Daniel said:
Oh yeah, if any of you does this…watch out for the varnish at the edge of the F-holes. Those chip easily.
LOL Daniel. I like your ambition. Thanks for the warning. I neglected to mention this
On Ebay they can be bought from $6.50
Don't know about the quality. Looks like it could be the same.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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I also this interesting web site for anyone further interested in sound-post setting and other violin maintenance:
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Yes, and here is even another one. How to fix a fallen sound post
Good stuff out there
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Do violinist usually learn how to do all of the maintenance and repairs, like how some woodwind players start making their own reeds?, or is it more expected to send out a violin to a luthier?
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Professional violinists tend to bring their instruments to Luthiers. I don't know of many professional colleagues that would ever adjust their own sound-post, let alone raise a fallen one. We know that the Luthiers have the knowledge and training necessary to do it the right way and to even enhance the sound quality when possible. Most everything you do on the violin affects the sound. I'll set my post but never mess with the fitting of a new bridge or new sound-post or anything like that. We all change our own strings regularly but bring our bows in for rehairing and even our violins for cleaning and polishing from time to time. It would be fun to study violin making. Maybe something worth taking up in the future for me.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Same here, I'm interested... I think someone here was making a violin from kit 
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Fiddlerman said:
It would be fun to study violin making. Maybe something worth taking up in the future for me.
In my search for interesting violin-related finds I stumbled across a huge set of luthier's tools including the pieces of a violin waiting to be put together. I'm curious to about the story behind this lot, but I'm afraid it involves someone with crushed ambitions.
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