Book an Appointment
Why Do String Instruments Require Regular Servicing?
Like many things with moving parts (a car for example), violins, violas, cellos and basses need regular servicing and maintenance to keep them in good playing condition.
String instruments are quite temperamental, and things like small knocks or bumps, changes in temperature and humidity, or even too much rosin build-up can affect their overall performance.
A professionally trained Luthier will be able to address any issue you have with the sound or playability of your instrument, and fix any minor issues before they become bigger problems.
When an instrument is purchased from The Sydney String Centre, regular servicing is free for the time that you are the owner of the instrument (pending our instrument servicing terms & conditions) as we like to know that your instrument is performing at its best at all times.
We recommend that your instrument be serviced 2-3 weeks after your initial purchase, and every 6 months after that.
What's included in a free service, and how long does it take?
A regular service of an instrument purchased from us, will generally take around 15-30 minutes to complete. It includes a clean (strings and body of the instrument) and adjustments made to the fine tuners, pegs and bridge.
Our Luthiers will check that the entire instrument is operating correctly, and will bring any issues to your attention. They will also assess the condition of your strings and bow hair and let you know if anything needs replacing.
Replacement parts such as strings are not included, however if you need your strings changed we will do the fitting of the strings for free providing that the strings were purchased from us.
If your violin, viola, cello or bass wasn't bought from us or hasn't been serviced in a while, then we may need to do a repair assessment to give you an accurate quote and timeframe for completion. More info on workshop services and pricing can be found on our workshop page.
Our team of Luthiers always take special care with every violin, viola, cello and bass, so you can rest easy that your instrument will be in good hands. Our workshop team, lead by David Glanville include luthiers that have trained both here in Australia and abroad at violin- making schools such as the Chicago School of Violin Making.
1. Cleaning
If you've ever purchased a violin, viola, cello or bass from us, you'll know that wiping the rosin off your instrument after each use, is on the top of our list of care instructions! Click here to watch our care instructions video.
Rosin dust is very easy to get off in it's fresh powder form, but becomes very sticky and very difficult to get off if it has been left to build up on your instrument for a while.
Rosin that is left on the strings and belly of your instrument will not only dampen (and dull) the sound, but it will also degrade your strings faster and can cause irreversible damage to the varnish of your instrument.
Sweat and grime from your hands (and makeup) can also build up on your instrument and decrease string longevity, so when you wipe down your instrument with a dry dust cloth after you play, don't forget to wipe down your entire fingerboard and the area around the chin rest as well.
One of the hardest things to remove from a violin, without damaging the varnish is makeup, so we would suggest either not wearing makeup whilst playing or perhaps putting a cloth between the instrument and your chin.
When your instrument comes in for a service, our Luthiers will give it a thorough clean with special instrument cleaning products to remove any excess rosin, dirt and grime that couldn't be removed with a dry cloth.
 |
Cleaning At Home |
2. Unwinding the fine tune adjusters and checking that the pegs are running smoothly
Fine tune adjusters are located on the tailpiece of a string instrument and are used for small increment tuning. If you turn them clockwise, the strings become sharper, and if you turn them anti-clockwise, the strings become flatter.
 |
If your strings continue to go flat (which they generally do, especially new strings that are still stretching out), and you continue to turn the screws clockwise, you will eventually turn the screw so much that it hits the tailpieces and can't be turned any further. |
From here you have no other option but to unwind the fine tuners and bring each string up to the correct pitch using the pegs. This is quite simple for a seasoned professional, but can be challenging for inexperienced players.
Because most beginners exclusively use the fine tuners to tune, they often need our help to reset the fine tuners once they have wound down completely.
Our Luthiers will wind out the fine tuners for you and bring the instrument back up to pitch using the pegs. They will also assess whether the pegs are running smoothly and if they require peg paste.
Peg paste is a specially formulated substance that is applied to the pegs of a violin, viola or cello to make them run smoothly and stay in place. *If you have applied peg paste to a peg, but it is still slipping, it may mean that your peg has not been cut correctly and you may need a new peg.
 |
Pasting Your Pegs At Home |
3. Assessing the condition of your strings and bow hair
Violin strings last on average between 3-12 months and viola, cello and double bass strings a little longer, depending on how much you play. A professional violinist might change their strings every 3 months, while a beginner, every 12-18 months.
The exception to this rule is your body composition, and how well you look after your instrument. Those who naturally sweat more, will have to change their strings more frequently, as sweat causes your strings to corrode and rust. Likewise, if you do not clean the rosin off your strings after each use, your strings may also need to be replaced sooner.
Bow hair also has an expiration date based on use and correct care. The hair eventually wears down and looses its grip, and/or stretches out so far that you can't get enough playing tension.
A professional will usually have their hair replaced every 3-6 months, while a beginner bow lasts around 12-18 months. This is only true if the bow has been kept in good condition and not overtightened. We give an example of correct playing tension in our care instructions video.
During your service we will assess the condition of your strings and bow hair, and let you know whether anything needs replacing.
*If your instrument requires a full string change, we ask that you leave it with us for 24 hours. New strings take a while to settle and can cause your bridge to move. In the morning we retune your instrument with the pegs and double check the position of your bridge.
4. Checking the bridge height and position
The bridge of a string instrument should be sitting at a 90 degree angle to the top of the belly, and spaced evenly between the wings of the f holes.
It is only held in place by the pressure of the strings (it is not glued down), so it can easily be moved with a slight knock.
 |
Even tuning with the pegs can cause the bridge to move. |
Leaving your bridge at an angle for too long can cause the bridge to bend or fall over and this may result in the added cost of having to get a new bridge cut.
Experienced players know to check and adjust their bridge as they tune, however inexperienced players are often too scared of moving their bridge themselves (rightly so! as they can be a bit finicky).
During a service our Luthiers will ensure that your bridge is put back in the proper position and that your bridge grooves are lubricated with graphite.
They will also check the height of the bridge.
When a string instrument is setup, we cut the bridge to a specific height so that the strings feel both comfortable under your fingers, and do not buzz against the fingerboard.
After a few weeks however, you might find that your instrument feels different and more difficult to play. This is because string instruments can take a few weeks to completely settle. The pressure of the strings can cause the neck to pull forward, which increases the gap between the fingerboard and the strings, making it harder to press your fingers down.
To compensate for this, we lower the bridge. This is why we ask you to come back in 2-3 weeks for your first service.
5. Tuning
Last but not least, we double check that your instrument is perfectly in tune, so that you can go home and start practicing right away!
If you have any questions, please give us a call or get in touch via the web, and for service or repair bookings, please fill our our online booking form.