For Subscribers

Trade Secrets: Set-up guidelines for the five-string violin

2026-08-07T09:22:00

66

Jennifer Halenar shares some tips that take into account the differences in bridges, strings, dimensions and fingerboards

The five-string violin is perhaps not something that most luthiers have often encountered on their workbenches. That may soon change, though, as five-string violins are becoming increasingly popular with musicians across many playing styles. For quite some time, these instruments have found a home in genres such as Bluegrass, jazz, folk and rock. The advantage of the fifth (or ‘low’) C string gives players more options for duet and multi-octave playing, allowing them to carry fewer instruments to the gig if they tend to switch between violin and viola. As with four-string violins, one still desires an even and open tone across all the strings, which can be affected by its set-up…

Already subscribed? Please sign in

Subscribe to continue reading…

We’re delighted that you are enjoying our website. For a limited period, you can try an online subscription to The Strad completely free of charge.

  • Free 7-day trial

    Not sure about subscribing? Sign up now to read this article in full and you’ll also receive unlimited access to premium online content, including the digital edition and online archive for 7 days.

    Free trial

    No strings attached – we won’t ask for your card details

  • Subscribe 

    No more paywalls. To enjoy the best in-depth features and analysis from The Strad’s latest and past issues, upgrade to a subscription now. You’ll also enjoy regular issues and special supplements* and access to an online archive of issues back to 2010.

    Subscribe

 

* Issues and supplements are available as both print and digital editions. Online subscribers will only receive access to the digital versions.