Good Care of your instrument: some advises

	This page content is full of advises on daily care of your instrument. Visit also the "Never do" page to avoid the most frequent mistakes committed by string lovers. If you don't find what you are looking for, visit the page "FAQ". Then, if you are not yet satisfied, put your question in the form. I will personally answer you by mail.

How to put a string?

• Rub the string-grooves on bridge and nut with dry soap (keep a nearly worn-out bar of house hold soap). It is lubricating string grooves.
• Place string knot (or ball) in the tailpiece (or adjuster).
• Place the other end of the string in the peg so that the end of the string enters the full depth of the peg but does not go over. Do not make a knot, a cross-over.
• Turn the peg clockwise keeping a slight tension in the string and leading it against the peg box cheek (on peg head side). Properly done, it should give the result as showed in the following picture.

The string should form a nice and regular coil ended against the cheek of the peg box. That way, the more the string is rolled on the peg, the more the peg is pushed in its hole . The more tension in the string there is, the more the peg holds! Magic, isn't it?

Cleaning, or not cleaning? This is the question.

Wipe your instrument with a dry soft cloth. Do not forget to wash the cloth regularly because the dust and dirt it contains is abrasive and will scratch the varnish surface. Do never use any cleaning product, NOT EVEN THOSE SOLD FOR VIOLIN VARNISHES: they contain solvents or oils which, with time, will have disastrous effect.

Travelling with your instrument.

Travelling safely means having a good case. Soft padded bags for cello only protect against scratches but not against shocks.

In a car, always fasten a safety-belt to the case (if possible through the handle). In case of accident or emergency breaking, it would flight across the car !

Never leave your instrument in your car : heat (it can reach 60° Celsius in full sunny days) , freezing or theft are common accidents !

How to choose a case ?

There are three types of carrying protection :

1. Soft bag: usually made for cello or bass, it is a light weigh carrying bag. It is the less expensive but also the less protective of all means of carrying an instrument. It protects against scratches and light knocks. It is useless in all other circumstances! The difference of price between a soft padded bag a real case is less than a repair ... If you read me well, a word to a wise musician is enough
2. Half rigid : Some times called "Gig-Bag", they are light and less expensive than real case. They protect against scratches and most of usual knocks. They are mainly used by students because of their price. See the page in french "coups de coeur". Note: Some rectangular (oblong) cases for violin or viola are sold pretending that they are rigid shell cases. Some are just extruded medium density foam, in fact half rigid cases . They are not permeable to vapour (moisture is trapped in with the instrument) and shocks are transmitted to the back or the top plate of the instrument inside. You can easily spot them by their low price and by the fact that they are fastened only by a zip.
3. Rigid case:

• made out of cellulose covered by plastic : To be avoided because they deteriorate quickly and do not resist to dampness.
• made out of plastic ABS : Shaped or oblong, they are shock resistant and are reasonably long lasting. However, they don't stand heat which distort them (beware of sun exposure in cars!). Heavier than wooden or natural fiber cases, they are not permeable to vapour: do not enclose your instrument just after playing. Allow moisture from sweat and breathing to disperse for a while before closing your case.
• made out of Plexiglass or Perspex : Lots of cello and bass cases are made of Plexiglass because they are cheap and easy to make that way. But Plexiglass do not stand aging,. UV light and cold makes it brittle. Locks and handle are riveted : rivets come loose after a while and it is not easy to repair. Plexiglass cases are less expensive than wooden ones.
• Made out of high density flax : They provide a very good protection against heat and cold. They are protective against shocks. Light and well balanced, they are good value for money. In the low price range , you can have a shaped violin case for 3/4 size and full size violin, with a place for shoulder-rest and with real locks. These are made in Germany by Jacob Winter GmbH.

		Made out of wood and covered by a special nylon fabric : strong and protective, they absorb variations of hygrometry. They are made of plywood. The cover (usually made of fabric but sometimes made of leather or crocodile skin !) can be replaced. The wooden cases can be basic or luxurious (natural velvet finish, gold plated hardware, ...). The important thing is the quality of the plywood : the resistance of the case will depend on it. Some plywood are specially designed to leave the instrument "breathe" trough. They stop water from coming in, but they leave moisture to get out. The wooden cases have a very long life because they are sturdy and strong, and because they can be repaired. In the long run, they are less expensive than the other type of cases. Beware that some cheep wooden cases are of bad quality : hardware and screws are of poor quality, zip fasteners tend to fail early and plywood is weak. The price will guide you in choosing ...

The little "plus" make the difference :

• Two shoulder straps to carry the case like a "ruck-sac": it keeps you hands free and it is easy in buses and trains or in the subway. It is the safest way to cycle with your instrument.
• A little hygrometer in the case : it prevents from nasty surprises.
• A little damping device in the case : small and discrete, it will avoid costly repairs.
• A music sheets pocket : no need to carry other bags any more!
• A leather handle : it is really comfortable.

Bridge caring

Keep your bridge at right angle from top plate to avoid its bending. The bridge tends to be pulled by the strings when you tune. After a while it will bend and become weak or even break!

To put it back in place, hold it by the top and pull it back.

François louant uses a special process to straighten bend (even strongly bend) bridges.

Never put anything between string and bridge, not even the little plastic tube sold with some strings: they stick to the string and to the bridge. The bridge will be pull by the string and will bend. You won't be able to straighten it with string tension.

François Louant inserts a minute piece of ivory in the top of bridges to prevent the string from cutting in the bridge. It is acoustically neutral and will last as long as the bridge.

Pegs

If your pegs tend to slip :push them deeper in the peg hole. If they still turn loose after that, take ONE string off its peg. DO NOT TAKE ALL THE STRINGS OFF AT THE SAME TIME : the bridge and the sound post would fall. Take the peg out of the peg hole. There should be two shining rings at the place where the peg is in contact with the peg box cheeks in the peg hole.

1. If the shining rings are irregular and discontinuous, your peg is oval shaped or badly cut. Contact your luthier. Correcting peg requires special tools and good hand craft.
2. If the shining rings are regular all around the peg circumference, use simple blackboard chalk on the shining ring which is the closest to the peg head. Put the peg back in place and turn it several time. Repeat the process until suitable result is obtained. Put the string back in place and retune it before taking another string and another peg out of the instrument.

If your pegs tend to stick : Tune the string down and pull the peg slightly out. If the peg doesn't turn correctly, take the peg out of the peg hole. There should be two shining rings at the place where the peg is in contact with the peg box cheeks in the peg hole.

1. If the shining rings are irregular and discontinuous, your peg is oval shaped or badly cut. Contact your luthier. Correcting peg requires special tools and good hand craft.
2. If there is only one shinning ring AT THE END OF THE PEG( away from the peg head), contact your luthier: the taper of the peg is faulty and should be corrected. Correcting peg requires special tools and good hand craft .
3. If the shining rings are regular all around the peg circumference, rub dry hand soap on the end ring (the one away from the peg head). Put the peg back in place and turn it several time. Repeat the process until suitable result is obtained. Put the string back in place and retune it before taking another string and another peg out of the instrument.

Preserving your instrument

• Your instrument is played : Played, your instrument is kept tuned and watched regularly. Keep a balanced air moisture, travel with a good quality case. See your luthier as soon as you notice a drop of power ( it often means that an edge is coming loose).

• Unplayed instrument : If you don't play your instrument during a long period, you expose it to several risks :
  • Wood worms love well seasoned wood. The destruction inflicted to musical instruments by wood worms are the most difficult to restore. In the northern hemisphere, adult insects lay their eggs from April to august. After a while, worms start to eat their way through the wood without leaving any sign of their presence. After two or three years of quite destruction, they make their way out leaving a small hole at the surface. The all process starts again. When you notice the little hole(s), it is too late. Never use chemical insects killers! : they content very nasty solvents which would damage the varnish of your instrument. Seek advice to a well qualified luthier.
  • Ungluing : Left alone, your instrument will have to support strings tension 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without any correction of tension. Tension tends to augment and not to diminish when strings are not tuned regularly. If any part becomes unglued, it might induce distosion or even destruction of parts of your instrument. The safest way to keep an unplayed violin during a long period is to keep it bare fitted : No bridge, no strings, no tail piece, no sound post nor end button. It helps to avoid sound post crack, neck comming off and other damages. Keep the instrument and its fittings together in a proper case at constant temperature and air moisture. Before and after a long period without use, seek advice to your luthier.
  • Hung up on the wall : it is the worse thing for a musical instrument: air and wall moisture will condensate on the instrument at the point of contact with the wall, damaging varnish surface and causing the center joint to come open. Instument are made to be played, not to be hung...

Which string and how are they made?

There are several types of strings and each type are made to suit the different size of instrument (full size or 4/4, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8).

• Metal strings: a core of metal (often chromium steel) is wrapped inside one or several coats of flaten metalic wire (copper, chromium steel, soft alloy, ...). This type of stings is easy to play but limited in tone. They are very stable. Specially designed for low budget or beginners, these strings are at the lower end of price list. Some makes are uneven in quality. The Chromcor chromium steel strings made by Pirastro are of good quality and available from 4/4 size to 1/8 size.

  	A metal core in a copper wire is wrapped in a flat chromium steel wire.

• Synthetic strings:

  	A synthetic core is made of a bundle or a braid of synthetic material ( nylon, perlon, carbon fiber, kevlar, ...). it is then wrapped in several metalic wires (aluminium alloy, chromium steel, silver, ...). This type of strings are thicker and softer than the metalic strings (thez are more comfortable under the fingers). They are rich in tone and some (Evah strings made by Pirastro) are very close to good quality gut strings . They are easier to tune than metallic strings and stay in tune longer than gut strings. Their price ranges from medium to high depending on make and quality.

• Gut stings, wound :

  	The core is made of lamb gut (and not cat gut!). The gut is first hand cut in fine stripes and then braid. It is then sheathed in silk. It is then threaded with a flat metal wire (aluminium alloy, silver, tungsten, chromium steel or even gold !). Those strings are hand made and hand controlled. They have long been the richest tone producing type of strings. Now, some synthetic core strings are very close to them. Gut strings are expensive and have a short shell life. They are sensitive to temperature and moisture variation.