COMMON PROBLEMS (continued)
Loose joints and seams, cracks: Cracks can occur for a variety of reasons, and they often get bigger if they are neglected. In addition, cracks can affect an instrument’s value and sound. Loose seams and joints are often easier to repair than cracks, but still must be taken care of immediately. Do not attempt home repairs. Proper technique is important, and a hot hide glue is needed. This glue is not generally available, and experience in its use is required. Cracks in the sound post and bass bar areas are particularly dangerous.
Buzzes: These can be attributed to a number of causes. Fine tuners may be loose. The bridge or nut may be too low, causing the strings to touch the fingerboard. The fingerboard may be loose, or have grooves worn in it, or the chinrest may be touching the tailpiece. Occasionally, even loose ornaments on pegs have caused buzzes. If the source of the buzz isn’t readily apparent, bring the instrument in and we’ll investigate. Remember, though, that if you wear jewelry when you play, you may be the cause of the problem!
Damaged varnish: Varnish can vanish from a number of causes, including wear. Older instruments often have areas where, over the centuries, hands have worn away the varnish. Do not attempt to replace or fix damaged varnish! This is a job for a professional, as violin varnishes are multi-layered, built up with repeated applications of special concoctions. Varnish is an integral part of the instrument and its value, so it is never stripped and replaced. Retouching of varnish is an art in itself, and previous home “repairs” make this work more difficult. In many cases, but not all, we can make varnish damage vanish.
Tuners: Fine tuners may cause buzzes, or may damage varnish. Be sure they are not screwed down all the way, nicking the varnish under the tailpiece. Also, make sure they aren’t loose, causing buzzing noises. We often recommend Hill-type miniature tuners, which are much less likely to damage the top of a violin.
Tone quality: Many string players ask how to improve the tone of their instrument. Tone quality is an inherent property of the instrument, to a great extent, attributable to various factors including the quality of materials and the skill of the maker. A cheap fiddle will never sound like a real Stradivarius. However, it is possible to improve tonal quality within the range of the instrument. Better strings can help, as well as proper fitting and adjustment of the soundpost. Another important factor is the proper fitting and adjustment of a high-quality bridge. A cheap bridge with rotating feet, slapped onto the instrument by an untrained salesman, will hurt its tone, volume, and responsiveness. The neck angle, overstand (height of the fingerboard above the edge of the top) and height of the saddle all affect the tone and response of an instrument.
(Page 4 of 5)
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