Violins Fiddles: Maintenance Care & Feeding

Subject: Old Fiddle - New Interest
Date: Sat, 11 May 2002 22:55:31 -0700

I have an old fiddle that was my Great Grandfathers and has not been played in approximately 60 years. I have never played but I thinking I might want to investigate what would be involved to learn. Therefore, I was looking into different Websites to learn a little about the instrument and picked your site out of about 118 different sites. I was very impressed and found it very interesting and informative.
This leads me to several questions - Would I be able to play this old instrument with just replacing the strings and bow hair? It seems to be in good condition although it does not have a chin rest that I learned is a must. Where can I find the books that will show me step by step how to begin and care for the instrument? Is it hard to learn the basics on your own without an instructor? Is it possible to restore the instrument and hard wood case to the original condition?

Thank you for your help and the website!!!
D. Grimes, Anaheim, California

Greetings Dan,

This sounds great! To restore a family heirloom and bring it to life through discovering a new interest, is a timeless endeavor.

Thanks for the kind words regarding our website. We hope to add many more violin lessons in the future so please stay tuned.

In answer to your questions:

Would I be able to play this old instrument with just replacing the strings and bow hair?
Your old violin may only need minor set-up and restoration. This should be relatively inexpensive to do...no doubt, you'll want to take it to a recommended repair shop for evaluation.

Where can I find the books that will show me step by step how to begin and care for the instrument?

There's one book available titled:
Commonsense Instrument Care: How to Look After Your Violin, Viola or Cello, & Bow -- Mary Vanclay (Editor), James N. McKean; Paperback
Available through Amazon.com

Mainly, do not attempt to clean your violin until you've read this book...chemical-based cleaners can have a detrimental affect on your violin.

Is it hard to learn the basics on your own without an instructor?

Today, there are many informative videos available that teach proper violin positioning and violin fundamentals. I highly recommend starting out with instructional videos and graduating to books. An instructor would still be the ultimate choice...a video is the next best thing.

Is it possible to restore the instrument and hard wood case to the original condition?

Most definitely...however, it's best to have someone knowledgeable to perform the task. You don't want to take a chance of devaluing your violin...or even damaging it accidentally. Violins are the most fragile instrument I know of and require an impeccable attention to detail whenever modifying in any way.

Hope this helps somehow...and, best of luck to you with your newfound journey! Mickey

Subject: bow maintenance
Date: Tue, 7 May 2002 17:26:44 -0230

The rosin which i was using on my bow was an old block which came with the bow. After reading that the rosin should be replaced every year i decided to go out and buy a new block of rosin. i also read to clean your bow to wash it in water with a mild soap. i have a bow with synthetic hair a bottom of the line bow. Do i need before putting on the new rosin or just apply the new on top of it. Found your site helpful for postioning of fiddle and holding of both. thanks, Chris

Greetings Chris,

I would be extra careful about cleaning my bow with any kind of detergents/soaps. The safest way would be to carefully apply a damp cloth to the hair in small steps and in small areas...additionally, be sure not to use any kind of polish on the bow hair since it will be next to impossible to apply the rosin to a oily hair...

Allow the hair to dry thoroughly before applying your new cake of rosin...and be sure to check out our violin lessons section on how to prime a bow and how to start a new cake of rosin.

Hope this helps...Mickey