How to straighten a violin or viola bridge

[RoswellMcLovin]

honestly... this terrifies me... I've been very skiddish about this sort of thing ever since my bridge snapped and sent my fine tuners down into the top plate o_o I might try this method as it doesn't appear to be near as scary as my past way of just pulling back on it... always felt a bit like defusing a bomb x[

[fishwithoutwings]

Thanks this was very helpful!

[Nijiyume]

omigosh im always afraid im going to pop

a string or two!! my bridge is leaning forward about a whole 1/2 an inch!

wont doing this without loosening the string hurt them!? please help me. :( lol

I even googled this! Oh by the way the strings are very new and still keep un tuning themselves. not sure if this matters when straightening the bridge..

if anyone knows please tell me!!

[theviolinstudio]

It helps if you put Graphite in the string groves. That is just using a pencil to "Colouring in" just the String Groves with it. Try not to draw all over the bridge, just looks unprofessional. You could also take the string tension down one or 2 tones if you are really scared.

[onzkicg]

i was tuning my violin.. and the bridge snapped! whew.. why didn't the maker just fixed it? I'm a guitar player and just new to violin..so can't help but compare it with guitar's sturdiness.. especially with tuning knobs.. violin's knobs/strings are difficult to tune..it swirls back every time it tightens..:(

[theviolinstudio]

Because of the way the Bridge carries the acoustics down to the top plate, it has to be that thin and that shape to get a good tone. Streightening the bridge is a good way to make your bridge last for longer than 15 years if it is good quality...

[lVlagneto]

If you lubricate the bridge slots with graphite, it will help the strings slide over the bridge instead of gripping the wood and warping it. Granted, some straightening is always required... depends on the cut of it - the wood - and the thickness.