Thursday, July 21, 2011

The Art Of Violin Repair And Daily Maintenance

By Wendy Salas


An instrument, such as the violin, that makes such an exquisite and finely tuned sound is bound to be sensitive and delicate. Because of this, they require daily maintenance and sometimes professional violin repair.

Proper everyday care is the best way to avoid needing a repair. Daily violin maintenance that can be done by the musician at home includes cleaning rosin off the strings and the face of the violin. When rosin dust builds up after a period of time, it can become impossible to remove without damaging the varnish.

If the tuning pegs on the instrument are sticky or they slip easily, one may apply peg drops, which is a solution made from rosin and alcohol, or just some regular chalk. A violinist must be sure to wind the strings around the pegs so that they do not stack on top of each other. If they do, they may break easily.

A home repair that can be done on the instrument is replacing a string that has snapped. Strings can be bought individually and threaded with care through the pegs. The peg is then wound away from the musician, advancing slowly so as not to repeat the problem of breaking a string. Strings are sensitive and require a little bit of practice to wind correctly. For this reason, it is recommended that beginners use fine tuners that will allow tension to be applied to the string little by little.

A bridge is a small wooden object that supports the strings on the surface of the instrument. Sometimes it breaks or warps from either tension or humidity. If this occurs, the bridge may be replaced by the owner. This small repair and the replacement of strings are the only adjustments that the musician is recommended to do himself.

Adjustment to the sound post is one of the most important repairs that can be made on the violin. This is because the size and position of the post has a startling effect on the sound quality of the instrument. One should seek out a skilled luthier to perform this task. If the wood is cracked in any way, a skilled professional can also take care of this.

Although violins are fragile instruments, they are made to last for centuries. The sound quality actually improves and opens up with age. Nonetheless, great care must be taken to ensure that it does live a long life. Regardless if there is an obvious need for restoration, every musician should take their instrument to a professional from time to time for violin repair.




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