Why is it that some violins have fine tuners on only the E string and others have them on all four? Is it a particular style or just personal preference?

The weight & length of fine tuners added to the tailpiece can ruin the tone of some sorts of strings. Steel strings are usually fine with all 4 tuners, with gut strings they should not be necessary below the E.

Theoretically all tuning can be done with the tuning pegs, but as most violins don`t need much retuning if they`re not moved around a lot, fine tuners are very handy for us fiddlers.

I`m used to having them, so I have all four. There are various options like tuners built into the tailpiece, short tuners etc. to minimise the weight difference.

It is really a matter of personal preference, like so many things on a violin.

It`s very difficult to tune steel strings on the pegs alone, and since every beginner`s violin has steel strings, beginners need adjusters ....

Liz

Fine tuners add weight to the tailpiece. Most of the time, four fine tuners weigh more than the tailpiece itself. That can mess with the sound. But me? I don`t hear any difference, but maybe I`m just stupid.

Furthermore, the string with a tuner isn`t attached in the same spot as it is without a tuner, unless you have one of those tailpieces with built in tuners. (Wittner has some.) That can mess with the string length.

Most expensive violins use only 1 E string tuner. Alot of strings (and violins, for that matter) dont sound good with fine tuners becuase it decreses the quality of sound being produced (because of the extra weight, and the shorter string length required). If your a beginner, you should tune with the fine tuners (or, use the pegs and have ALOT of spare strings lying around ), but if you`ve been playing for a while, and can manage the pegs, then use them.

Personally, I like to use the pegs, but its too hard for my teacher to tune us very carefully before a concert in an orchestra with only pegs (especially this giant, but amazing, viola), therfore I`m using fine tuners. Right now, my violin isnt that good anyway, so produce a diserable sound isnt really a factor (though, a good sound always helps ).

thanks for all the input. Martin, especially...when you get into some serious fiddling it`s a pain to try and peg tune after every third song

For a 1/16th size violin will the addition of fine tuners have a more noticeable sound degredation than full size violins?

Tiny violins with adjusters are a real pain, and without adjusters they are virtually unusable. Get one with a tailpiece that has built in adjusters. Even if you have to buy a Wittner tailpiece it will be well worth it.

Liz

My full size Gliga violin only has one fine tuner on the E - I bought it online from the violinslover guy. I didnt know I could ask for tuners to be fitted onto the rest. I`d like to buy my own fine tuners and install them myself (as it will be cheaper), but I`m worried it may be different than the one that`s already on my violin?

Should I:
(a) get 3 black ones in the shop as the ones on my violin now is black - would the length or whatever be different or is it all the same size?
(b) get 4 so that it will all be the same (in case it happens to be diff from the one i have already)
(c) Get a Wittner tailpiece with tuners in it and readjust it myself. I`m not too confident with this one coz i think it will be hard to do this, and I like the ebony one that is on my violin already!

Your help will be very much appreciated!

Hi Ashlee,

I think you will find the adjuster you have fitted is a Wittner (you can check easily enough by just taking it off, but our Gligas come with Wittner adjusters)

If you still have the factory strings on, or some string such as Helicore which has a nice thin part that fits in the adjuster, then you need Wittner adjusters code ADJ 854B from

http://www.howardcore.com/Catalog/Accessories/Acc-home.htm

If you have dominant strings then you need the wide slot adjuster ADJ 904044

You can`t buy direct from howard core but this will give you an idea of what to look for anyway.

A Wittner tailpice with built in adjusters is a popular option and is not difficult to fit, but if you like the tailpice you have on now, then keep it.

Liz

Liz - thanks so much! I forgot to ask how about for viola? I might as well change the ones on my daughter`s since we bought our Gligas together. Then should I get the ADJ 857B ones like in the Howard Core website (I`d prefer to stick to the factory settings I think!) They have wide and narrow slots like the violin ones, dont they?

Thanks a lot!!

Right, the viola ones are bigger, and unless your daughter`s viola is 14 inches or smaller you should get viola adjusters. Bad news: they don`t come with wide slots (goodness knows why not) so you will have to prixe them open if you need to.

The viola adjuster code on the HC site is ADJ 857B

Liz