The soul of the instrument

Inside every violin, viola, cello and double bass there is a piece called the soundpost — in many languages, the “soul”: a spruce dowel held only by pressure between the top and the back.

It carries vibration between the two plates and supports the pressure of the strings. Moving it by half a millimetre already changes the brilliance and response of the instrument.

That is why adjustment is a work of patience: adjust, play, listen, and adjust again.