Perceptual thresholds of violin soundpost length variation
Lei Fu, Claudia Fritz, Gary P. Scavone · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 2018
The soundpost of a violin is an essential component of the instrument, providing structural support and a mechanical coupling between top and back plates. Subtle changes made by a luthier to the soundpost dimensions or position can result in significant variations in sound and playing qualities. A study was designed to investigate the perception of sound quality associated with changes to the soundpost length, making use of an adjustable carbon fiber soundpost. Violin excerpts were recorded with different soundpost lengths. Violinists and luthiers were invited to listen to the recordings and provide perceptual feedback using a computer interface. Tasks included pairwise comparisons and free sorting. Perceptual thresholds in detecting soundpost length changes were characterized, as well as possible groupings according to soundpost lengths that might be considered too short, too long and optimal. Bridge admittances were also measured and analyzed for different soundpost lengths.