Fall Cleaning and Instrument Maintenance

By Joanne Garcia

It’s that time of year again, there’s a nip in the air, the humidity levels are dropping, and the leaves are starting to fly.  The heat in your home has kicked on and your instrument is not enjoying it.  Dry weather and low humidity will influence your instrument’s tone as well as lead to potentially costly repairs.

Musicians come into our shop and tell us how surprised they were to open their case and find out that their bridge had warped, a seam had opened, or a crack had run right up the front of their instrument.  To avoid repairs, it is critical that you provide a good environment and proper maintenance. 

Rosin Build up

Every time you put your instrument away, wipe off the rosin.  Start at the nut and wipe your strings all the way down to the bridge.  This will remove oil from your skin as well as rosin, which can degrade your strings.  Wipe down the varnish.  A microfiber or flannel cloth works best for this job.  Rosin will build up and harden into a sticky substance that will be difficult to remove. 

Polishes and cleaners are designed for occasional use.  We recommend our own Long Island Violin Shop Polish, available in our shop.  If you do use any polish or cleaner on your instrument, use it sparingly!  A very small amount goes a very long way.  Rub the entire surface of the instrument, then use a clean cloth to remove any residue.

Your Bridge

Check your bridge.  Look at your bridge from the sides and the top.  The feet should be sitting nicely on the belly of the instrument, without any gaps.  A bridge viewed from the side should appear as perpendicular to the belly of the instrument.   A change in weather, new strings, a drop in humidity, and other factors can cause your bridge to move out of position or even warp.  The pressure of the strings pushing down on a warped bridge may cause it to break.  A warped bridge is likely to worsen, and we recommend that you bring your instrument into the shop for us to examine.  Oftentimes, we can reposition your bridge, free of charge.  A broken bridge can be costly to replace.

Your Strings

Frequently, musicians come into our shop and ask if they should replace their strings.  Sometimes, they have no choice.  We’ve seen strings so worn that none of the winding remains, just the core of the string, almost the entire length.  Fortunately, those cases are few and far between!  Recently, we rented an instrument to a mom of two violinist sisters.  The mom called the next day stating that her first daughter wanted to switch her instrument to one like her sister got yesterday, which sounded far better.  As it turned out, she hadn’t had her strings changed in nearly three years!  If you’re renting an instrument, please bring it in for maintenance so that its sound is optimal.  A general rule of thumb is that the fatter the string is, the longer it will last.  Bass and cello strings last far longer than violin strings.

For the average musician, strings last between six months to a year.  Their life is determined by how much you play, the chemical make up of your skin, and their material.  Look at your strings for signs of wear, unraveling, changes in color.  Look at them in the light and check for smoothness.  Old strings will show signs of wear.  Most importantly, listen.  Are the octaves in tune and do the notes ring nicely?  Do your harmonics match the open strings?  If you are working very hard, practicing 30 or more hours a week, you will need to change your strings much more frequently. 

Your Bow

Pay attention to your bow as it also needs to be properly maintained.  We rehair bows with natural, high- quality horsehair.  Horsehair is an organic material and just like your hair, subject to changes in humidity.  It will shrink and stretch based on the amount of humidity in the air.  Loosen your bow every time you put it back into the case so that there is no stress on the stick.  Look at the base of your bow.  Hair breaks from time to time.  Look at the bow on the left and notice how the hair doesn’t span the full width of the ferrule.  Worn hair has broken off the edges so it’s time for a rehair.

Humidity

A very inexpensive way to pamper your instrument is to ensure that proper humidity levels are maintained.  We cannot stress this enough.  Placing a device with water in your case or inside of your instrument is never ideal.  We recommend Boveda, available online or in our shop.  Simply placing one of these in your case will ensure the proper levels of humidity are maintained throughout the year.  That’s right, it will add humidity during the dry winter months and remove humidity in the moist summer months.  A refill pack is only a few dollars and lasts about nine months.  

A quality case seals tightly, trapping the humidity in.  Your Boveda will last longer and function more effectively if you close your case when you remove your instrument.  When you finish and pack up, your instrument will be returned to its cozy, properly humidified case. 

This small investment can save you hundreds of dollars on repairs.

Conclusion

Get used to looking things over, this way you will immediately notice a change.  If you see, hear, or feel anything odd or different with your bow, or your instrument, it’s always best to bring it into the shop.  We don’t mind taking a look!  A rattle, a buzz, a bump.  We’ve removed paperclips, gum, candy wrappers, dust bunnies and gummy bears from cellos.  Better to be safe than sorry!

Following these steps regularly will help you spot a potential problem immediately and ensure that your instrument is kept in top playing condition.