Index | History of the Fiddle | Fiddle Styles | Maintenance of the Fiddle | Re-hairing the Bow | folklore and superstitions | Fiddle of the Month Award | Links
Now comes the dreaded part of owning a violin. Try to keep the instrument in a good, clean, working condition.
Wipe excessive rosin and dust from the body of the fiddle with a soft flannel cloth when you are finished playing.
Wipe away excess finger oils to increase the life of the strings
When changing a set of strings, do not remove them all at once. Change each string separately.
Change the strings as needed to help maintain the best sound possible from your instrument.
Keep the threads of the fine tuners lubricated to avoid sticking during play.
Avoid touching the bow hair with bare hands.
Use small amounts of graphite (pencil lead) to lubricate the slots in the nut and the slots in the bridge. This allows the strings to slide freely while tuning.
Unless you have many years of experience in repairing violins, allow professional repairmen to do major repairs to the violin.
In extremely dry conditions, use a humidifier. They are rather inexpensive and can in some cases enhance the sound of the instrument.
Avoid Leaving instrument in direct sunlight or next to heaters. This can bubble the varnish and un-glue the instrument
Index | History of the Fiddle | Fiddle Styles | Maintenance of the Fiddle | Re-hairing the Bow | folklore and superstitions | Fiddle of the Month Award | Links