Measurements of the Antonio Stradivari 'Messiah' 1716 violin, in millimeters
Back
Belly
Misc
LENGTH taken from the side of the button
356
356
Upper bouts
167.5
167
Middle bouts, taken at the narrowest point
108.3
108.9
Lower bouts
208
207.5
Arching height, across arch, includes averaged edge thickness
15.4
13.8
Stop length
bass 196.5
treble 195
Corner width
upper 6.7-6.9
lower 7.0-7.2
Purfling distance from edge
3.75
Purfling width
white 0.6
black 0.4
total 1.4
Purfling depth back only
bouts 1.1-1.2
corners 0.8-1
Overhang
bouts 2.4-6
corners 1.8-2.3
Button
height 14.5
width 17.1
thickness 3.8
String length
328.5
Neck length
129
Average Measurements of the Violin in millimeters
1/4
1/2
3/4
7/8
4/4
CORPUS
length
285
320
335
345
355
width
upper bout ca.
133
145
156
162
168
middle bout ca.
91
97
105
109
112
lower bout ca.
163
182
195
200
206
SCROLL
length ca.
85
94
101
104
108
RIBS
height - uniform
26
28
29
29.5
30
thickness ca.
1.0
1.0
1.1
1.1
1.1
MOLD
thickness
12
LININGS
thickness
1.5
1.5
1.5
1.7
1.8
width
4
5
5
6
6
BLOCKS size
upper
41/13
44/13
47/14
48/14
50/15
lower
36/12
39/12
42/13
43/13
45/14
upper corners
14/7
15/8
15/8
16/9
22/10
lower corners
16/8
17/9
17/9
18/10
21/11
ARCHING HEIGHT
back ca.
13.2
13.7
14.1
14.3
14.5
belly ca.
13.7
14.3
14.9
15.2
15.5
BACK average thickness at:
sound post
3.2
3.5
3.9
4.1
4.3
upper and lower bouts 2
2
2.2
2.3
2.5
sinking (in general)
1.8
1.8
2
2.1
2.3
sinking at center bout
2
2
2.2
2.3
2.5
edges
3.1
3.2
3.4
3.7
3.8
BELLY average thickness at:
sound post
2.5
2.5
2.8
2.9
3
upper and lower bouts
2.2
2.2
2.4
2.5
2.7
sinking (in general)
2
2
2.1
2.3
2.4
sinking at center bout
2.3
2.4
2.4
2.6
2.7
edges
3.2
3.3
3.5
3.9
4
EDGES
overhang from ribs
2.2
CORNERS
width
7 - 7.5
thickness, back ca.
4
thickness, belly ca.
4.2
PURFLING
distance from edge ca.
3
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.5-3.8
width ca.
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.1
1.2
FF-HOLES length
between ends of wings
62
68
71
73
75
between upper eyes
35
36
38
41
42
lower eye to edge
10
10
11
11.5
12
MENSUR: 2:3 proportion
belly
159
171
183
189
195
neck to edge
106
114
122
126
130
addition for mortise
6
BASSBAR after fitting
length ca.
215
240
255
267
276
thickness ca.
4
4
4.5
5
5.5
height at center ca.
8
9
10
11
12
FINGERBOARD
length
215
238
255
262
270
underside hollowing
60
70
78
90
100
width at nut
20
21
22
23.5
24
width at bridge end
35
38
40
42
43
radius of curve
32
35
38
39.5
41.5
thickness: end of neck
7
7
8
8.5
9
thickness:edges
4
4.5
5
5
5.5
projection (at bridge)
27
ht over belly at bridge end
16.5
17
19.5
20
21
string angle at bridge
156°
156°
157°
157°
158°
NUT
thickness
4
4.5
5
5
5.5
SCROLL
width at eyes
42
PEGBOX
width at nut
see fingerboard width
width at throat
14
15
16.5
18
19.5
length ca.
60
65
68
72
72-76
thickness of walls
5.5
PEGS distance
a - g
40
46
50
53
55
e - d
12
13
14
15
16
protrusion, pegbox to collar
9
10
10
11
12
NECK, foot
overstand*
5.5
6
6
6.5
6.5
angle
87°
87°
87°
87°
87°
thickness including fingerboard
15/17
16/18
17/19
18/20
19/21
BUTTON
width
17
19
20
21
21
height
10
11
11.5
12
12
SADDLE
length
32
33
34
35
36
STRINGS
spacing at nut
13
13.5
15
16
16.5
spacing at bridge
26
28
31
33
34
vibrating length: nut to bridge
267
287
307
317
328
height over end of fingerboard
steel/gut
e
2.5/3.0
g
4/4.5
SOUNDPOST
thickness ca.
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
BRIDGE
width at feet
32
37
38
41
42
thickness
4.5
height ca.
30
30
32
32
33
1
2
ʕʘ̅͜ʘ̅ʔ
I have to scale the templates to factor 1,0665068. - 2022-09-21 14:45:55
Hi, I am a school orchestra teacher who has to learn how to cut bridges (long story, but basically our repair person in the district does not do strings and we can't outsource due to budget restrictions, so I have to do this work myself).
Are the measurements for fractional violas the same as the violins? For example, an 11" viola would be the same as a 1/4 violin, and so on? Are there specific measurements for a 15" viola? My largest students will only be on a 15", so I don't have to worry about the bigger ones at this point.
Also, on International Violin Co, the bridge files they have say measurements different than what my luthier showed me. His are the Hosco brand, and say E = 0.20", A = 0.26", D = .032", and G = .040. The ones on IVCo say .4mm, .6mm, .8mm, etc. Are these the same? - 2021-10-02 20:55:42
Hi, i print the planes in 107 scale. - 2021-06-03 17:30:46
Hello, svg plans are not 1:1. You should scale down apr. 80%. - 2021-04-06 12:02:47
Hello, you need to print out the template in the Templates section. The measurement of 112mm is for a general violin not necessarily the one in the plans here. You should always print out from Inkscape for the correct aspect ratio. - 2020-06-09 09:19:31
hello, i'm reaally struggiling with measurements. I printed it out and it was 350mm top to bottom but the bout widths don't seem to add up. Am i measuring the bouts wrong asumming it's width. For example, it says that middle bouts should be 112mm so half 56mm. Whereas I've got 63/126mm, Since hieght is right I would have thought width would be correct. Should I go into inkscape and mannually adjust hieight and width to get correct measurements? Locking template and stretching it to 350mm does not have correct coresponding widths. - 2020-06-07 13:34:46