Top 10 Violin Repairs

We have 54 violins. They were all in some state of disrepair. Some just needed to be polished and set up. Others need to be reconditioned. That means they needed to be repaired and then polished. Others needed to have a minor reconstruction as they had major cracks and previous repairs had been improperly done. I was shown some violins that needed major reconstruction. One of these had been the recipient of abuse by an angry player and another violin was crushed when the owner slipped and fell on it. Out of all of this and going through the bills I will share the top 12 reasons to hire a luthier.

-Violin cracks in old violins are very common. This can be the result of time but more often it is simply a matter of maintenance. A violin needs to be properly humidified. It should be in an atmosphere of 50% to 60% humidity as constantly as possible. So this is a challenge for those who live in a cold or dry climate. There are products available to address this problem. Once the crack has occurred. Then it must be repaired properly. That is why you do not do a DIY repair with some epoxy glue on a violin crack. To a trained luthier, seeing such work is a "HORROR"!!!! Violin cracks on the top or bottom of a violin must be properly repaired using the proper materials, tools and techniques or you can ruin your violin. If there are places where the top or bottom is separating from the sides, the site must be repaired properly. That is why all cracks should be repaired by a qualified luthier.

-Strings were the most common issue with our violins. If a violin has been stored or not used for decades, chances are the strings need to be replaced. There are several other issues with strings. They must suit what you want to play. Steel strings are good for beginners and for fiddle music. For beginners they are good because they are inexpensive. For fiddlers, steel strings add to the sharpness of the sound that is compatible with fiddling. For classical music you can go up a scale in price from Dominant String to Obligato and beyond if your instrument is of compatible quality.

-Fine tuners are a nice addition to a student violin. It definitely makes it easier to tune and saves a lot of wear and tear on the pegs.

-Pegs are another common issue as they are worked and worked. Often they are overworked and under maintained. This results in the peg holes being bored out by the constant pressure and the pegs being worn down. The nice thing about replacing the pegs is that there is selection and you can shop for ones that not only do the job but make your violin look better.

-The fingerboard is another part where issues develop on old violins. The most common issue is that of wash boarding. The top surface literally gets lumpy. It either needs to be sanded down or replaced. Often the wood is not the best so while doing such a replacement it is nice to upgrade to an ebony fingerboard. The cost is not that much more and you are paying the same for the labor.

-The bridge is very important to the sound of the violin. It is at the center of the sound production in the violin and it must be done properly. Because it is at the center of the sound, if done improperly, damage can be done to the top, the bottom and the sound post of the violin. If you want to DIY in this area, get proper training as the damage you can do may not be able to be repaired. The other interesting thing about the bridge is that it is the distinction between a fiddle set up and a classical set up for a violin. The fiddle bridge is a little lower and the skew is a little different and that is the only difference other than string choice.

-There are 3 major problems that happen where the neck joins the body of the violin. First is that the neck angle is off. This can be on the top/bottom plane and this puts off the whole technical dynamic of the playing process. The strings will be set at the wrong angle and there is nothing you can do at the bridge to correct this. The other neck angle problem is that the neck may be slightly off center to the left or right. Look down your violin from the tail as you would look down a bow to check for straightness. This may be a small problem or a real challenge depending on how far off center the neck is. The third problem is that this is an area of the violin that may have been repaired before. Few luthiers do this repair properly and the DIY repairers often ruin violins with their generous application of epoxy at this point.

-A part that is often worn or was never made properly in the first place is the nut. Old violins were made by hand or in cottage factories. In both cases they were made by one guy by hand. I have a small collection of nuts we replaced on our collection and not one has the same shape. Out of our collection 30% to 40 % needed to have the nut replaced.

-Another hotbed of damage wreaked by DIY repairmen is at the F-Hole. They poke around inside of the violin thinking they are fixing something but they damage the delicate edges on the F-Holes. This is extremely difficult and time consuming to repair. It is not just cosmetic. It does affect the sound.

-The final repair that is commonly needed on old violins is that the old hardware can be upgraded and renewed. I am talking about the chin rest, the tailpiece, the saddle and the end pin. These can often be bought in matching sets with pegs and it shows off you old violin beautifully.

All of these repairs should be done by a qualified luthier. To do it yourself is simply foolish. You can destroy more value than you create.

Top 10 Violin Repairs
The article will tell you what need to be repaired and the link will tell you where to get it repaired.