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Hello Fiddlerman 
I have one question regarding something I have no clue about what it is.
It's attached on the A-string right where the bridge is on this picture:
And on both A-string and E-string on this picture:
Thanks in advance 
Alexander.
It doesn't mean anything unless it's real
Being that those two string's are so fine, it's there to keep them from cutting into the bridge.
Some brand's of string's have them on the A and E string, but almost all brand's have it on the E string.
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Oh alright thanks. What difference does it make? Cause I have a very cheap violin and the A-string keep sounding like a door squeak from time to time, are those things there to prevent that sound?
Alexander.
It doesn't mean anything unless it's real
No, Alex, you are getting that sound because your string's are very, very, cheap. Those are there to prevent the string from cutting deep into the bridge.
A different type of string will help to change the sound and make it nicer.
Welcome to the Fiddlerman forum. There is another member who is also from Stockholm, Sweden.
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Hi there, Alexander! I see you've pierced the veil into the forum proper now! Nothing for it, you'll have to post an introduktionspresentation. 
Also, my semi-cheap violin doesn't have those little protectors either. But I'm wishing for better strings for Christmas, so those will probably have them. Good to know what they are so I don't get confused then!
~ Once you've ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true. ~
Alma,, you may want to check to see if that little sleeve hasn't slid down onto the cloth / winding's of the string where it plugs into the tailpiece. Sometime's it's there and could be the same color as the colored winding's, it's happened to me before. If it is, loosen the string, slide the plastic sleeve up the string onto the bridge, retune the E.
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I think it's kind of weird that the first picture only has it on the A string.. o_O anyone else find that kind of odd? Why would it not be on the E string too?
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As Fiddlestix said, it might have been slid down the lower winding. I usually don't use them, especially when the bridge has parchment skin over the E string slot. Someone could also have slid the plastic sleeve off the string all together because they knew that they wouldn't want to use is.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Alma:
Yeah well this is the only place I thought of might have an answer for my question, much easier than searching on google to be honest 
And yeah I'm thinking about writing an introduction on my profile and also add an adaptive picture since all of my pictures have too much height for this website so it keeps squeezing my pictures together which looks awful xD How are you doing btw? Are you healthy now?
Cheers.
And thanks Fiddlerstix, appreciate your answer!
Peace and Regards, Alexander. 
It doesn't mean anything unless it's real
If there is no (as FM say's) parchment over the bridge, I use them because when the string vibrate's, it work's like a saw, cutting into the wooden bridge, especially if it's a really cheap soft wood. Believe me, they do vibrate a lot.
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Oh by the way Alma, I mean that I'm writing an introduction on the forums, NOT on my profile. Wrote it wrong :p
It doesn't mean anything unless it's real
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I have bought strings sets that only have the sleeve on the A string... I thought that was kinda weird because the E string is the one that cuts the easiest into the maple bridge.
Another set of strings had only the E string sleeved.
I promptly took it off and then cut a nice circle of parchment hide to attach to the finished bridge I was making and eliminated the need for it all together.
Some bridges will have a bone or ebony insert at the E string location and I've never seen on at the A string spot.
I think the higher end gut strings also use them on occassion to prevent the fatigue of them vibrating against the bridge edge. I've seen some gut strings with a sleeve on all strings... can't remember the name of them but I saw it in a post over on the String Academy board.
"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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Hey, thanks cdennyb!
I'm definitely going to cut out a circle just like yours since that's the quickest and only available thing to do in my case
thanks again!
Alex.
It doesn't mean anything unless it's real
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NoneOfTheAbove said
Alma:Yeah well this is the only place I thought of might have an answer for my question, much easier than searching on google to be honest
You're right about that! This forum has a collective knowledge that quite possibly surpasses Google. And they're much more fun to learn from! 
~ Once you've ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true. ~
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What are they called?
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I call it a "E string reinforcement hide patch" for the bridge
"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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cdennyb said
I call it a "E string reinforcement hide patch" for the bridge
Okay, but what do most people call it? 
According to google, you may be the first one on the planet to use the term "reinforcement hide patch". 
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Well, if you are looking for some to do it yourself, you could look up "natural drum skin" or something like that. If you have any friends who are drummers, I'd ask them before Google.
If you're looking to have it done by a luthier or music shop, probably "funky little parchment thingie" will do well enough, and they should know what you mean.
I don't know of anyplace that sells the teeny pieces one wants for a violin bridge, or what they'd call them.
Denny's name is clear and descriptive. But Google can be dense sometimes, maybe Google doesn't play violin?
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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