Violine & Viola Care

Violine & Viola: Instrument Care

7th Chord Musicals is committed to helping our customers find the greatest potential in their musical investment. For your convenience, we have put together this special care guide for your violin family instrument. For the best use from your instrument, it is important that you give careful attention to the following recommendations.

General String Care for Violins, Violas, Cellos, & Double Basses

1. Always keep your instrument in its case when not in use.
2. Avoid rapid temperature changes. If you bring your violin from a cold area into a warm area leave it in its case, to change temperature slowly, because cracking of the finish or wood can occur. A good rule-of-thumb is not to leave your violin any place that you would not like to be. So don’t leave it in extreme hot or cold environments.
3. After you are finished playing remove any rosin and hand oils from the instrument with a soft cloth. Don’t let rosin buildup on your violin. Remove it after each time you play. It is very difficult to remove if left on your instrument for any length of time.
4. Keep an eye on the bridge. As you tune the instrument the strings tend to pull the top of the bridge toward the fingerboard. If the bridge tips too much it will fall over. This can break the bridge or even crack the top. If the bridge falls the soundpost inside the violin may also fall over. The back side of the bridge (side toward the tailpiece) should be at a right angle to the top and the feet of the bridge should touch the top uniformly. If your bridge tilts take your violin to a shop and have them show you how to straighten it. Its not hard to do but unless it is done correctly you could break it.
5. Be sure that your pegs turn freely with minimum pressure toward the peg box. Over time the pegs will go out of round and start to slip. If this happens they will need to be refitted for proper operation. During dry conditions they may shrink, causing slipping. In humid conditions they may swell causing them to stick. Never force a peg into the peg box if it slips and if it is stuck don’t force it either. You could break the peg or the peg box under these conditions. Take your instrument to a repair shop and have them correct the problem.

Bow Care

1. Be careful not to bang the head or drop the bow as this can break the head.
2. Keep the bow away from extreme heat. This can warp the bow.
3. Always loosen the hair when you are not using the bow. Over time this can warp the bow and stretch the hair.
4. Keep the bow stick clean by wiping off excess rosin and any perspiration after each use.