CONTACT | HOW TO ORDER - TERMS & CONDITIONS | FRONT PAGE
THE HOBGOBLIN INFO SOURCE
HOBGOBLIN INDEX PAGE HOBGOBLIN INFO INDEX
 CATALOGUE & ONLINE SALES HOBGOBLIN SHOP PAGES ABOUT HOBGOBLIN

Stringed Instrument Care

  1. Tips on Basic Setup
  2. Climate Problems
  3. Cleaning and Polishing
  4. Everyday Care
  5. Harps in Particular
  6. Violins in Particular

Tips on Basic Setup

Tuning Up

Take care when first tuning any stringed instrument to turn it away from you. The most likely time for the strings to snap unexpectedly is on their first tuning, and it is important to keep your eyes out of the way. Tune up slowly, and make sure you have a pitch pipe or tuning meter handy, and that you know the correct tuning so you don't over tighten the strings.

Harps should be brought up to pitch gradually, in stages as the wood of the front needs to take up a slightly curved shape with the tension of the strings. First week tune up a tone and a half flat, then increase the tension a semitone at a time over the next week or so. Another useful tip when tuning harps, hammered dulcimers & zithers is to first tune roughly to a diatonic scale, then get the Cs right, then go round in the circle of 5ths, first playing the Gs with the Cs, then the Ds with the Gs etc.

Before you tune a hammered dulcimer you need to get the middle bridge in exactly the right position. Tune just the top and bottom courses so you can still move the bridge. Then move the bridge until you get a perfect fifth by sounding the strings either side of the bridge. Do this both top and bottom, then check the middle too before continuing with the tuning on the rest of the strings. You can't move the bridge once it is tuned.

Buzzes

On cheaper mandolins, banjos etc. you may find there is a metallic rattle on the odd string when you first tune them up.

First: check that the cover on the tailpiece is not touching the strings, if it is, bend it up. On better quality instruments where there is a separate cover plate a piece of felt stuck to the underside will cure it.

Second: It is common where there is a zero fret (i.e: the strings pass through the nut slots straight on to a fret) for the the slot behind the fret not to be cut deep enough for the string to touch the zero fret. The slot can be deepened with a penknife or a needle file.

Third: The adjustable bridge may be too low. First check that it is in the right position (see intonation), then slacken the strings, turn the adjusting screws to raise the height a little, tune up and re check.

Intonation

Mandolin and Banjo bridges move! They should be placed so that the note fretted at the 12th is in tune with the harmonic at the 12th fret, usually at a slight angle with the treble end closer to the nut and the bass end closer to the bottom. Check all 4 strings to get the best compromise of bridge position, perfection is not physically possible.

Climate Problems

Cold

The only really dangerous element of cold for stringed instruments is sudden temperature change. When going from warm to cold or cold to warm, your instrument needs to be insulated. If you have a padded case, use it. If not, wrap the instrument in blankets or towels. Once you arrive at your destination, keep the instrument cased or wrapped until the outside of the case has been at room temperature for several hours. If your instrument is still icy when you open the case, zip it back up and wait a while longer. If you take your wrapped instrument from your warm house, to the inside of your warm car, to the warm inside of a building, do not worry at all. It is only when the instrument is left in the cold for a long period that you need to go through a warm-up procedure.

Heat

Heat joins sudden change as the other serious menace to instruments. Luthiers purposefully use wood glues which soften when heated (to 145F) so that an instrument can be disassembled for service when necessary. Direct sunlight is hot enough to soften the glues in your instrument and weaken or destroy the joints in the piece. Do not display any instrument anywhere that will be exposed to sun as the light moves across your room during the day. Never leave any of your instruments in the car on a hot day. If it is too hot for you to sit in the car, with all the windows closed, in the direct sun, without sweating - it is too hot for your instrument. When you turn off the air-conditioning and leave the car, take the instrument with you if you cannot park in the shade.

Damp & High Humidity

Never store your instrument in a damp place, eventually the neck or other parts will warp as they soften up. In extreme cases the glue may be affected too. If you live in a very humid climate, silica gel in the case can help to absorb some of the moisture.

Dry Conditions

This is the main enemy of most stringed instruments. Wood will shrink in very dry conditions, and cracks may appear in your instrument. Particularly in softwood parts such as the top. In very dry weather always keep your instrument in its case, and in extreme conditions you can keep the case in a cupboard, and a bowl of water next to it to keep up the humidity.

Cleaning and Polishing

The strings will last at least twice as long if you wipe them each time after playing. This will also reduce the amount of residue that builds up on the fingerboard.
The neck & fingerboard can be wiped with linseed or almond oil to prevent drying and cracking in the wood.
Commercial polishes are generally OK, but make sure they are appropriate for your instrument finish. Handmade instruments often have a natural finish which needs special care.

Everyday Care

Don't Drop it!
Keep the strings up to tension all the time, unless you are leaving it for several months.
Keep it in a case or padded bag if at all possible to avoid minor knocks
Never check it in as luggage on an airline flight. Always carry it with you wherever possible.

Harps in Particular

  1. It is very important that your new harp is brought up to pitch very gradually over a period of at least two weeks, to avoid damage to the instrument.
  2. The tuning pins should only be as tight as is needed to stop the strings from slipping, which means that the treble tuning pins do not need to be as tight as those for the bass strings.
  3. Always tune your harp from the bass to the treble end and de-tune it from the treble to the bass end.

Violins in Particular

  1. When you're not using it, the hairs on the bow of your violin should be slackened (the metal end of the bow acts as a screw). This protects the bow from losing its curve and tension.
  2. Avoid touching the hairs of the bow, the grease from your fingers will spoil it. In order to play, you will need to put rosin on the bow hairs. Most violins come with rosin. Before you use it for the first time, it helps if you roughen the surface of the rosin with sand paper. Rub the rosin against the bow hairs until you feel some friction between the rosin and the bow hairs. Repeat whenever necessary.
  3. Sometimes the tuning pegs on a violin are loose. This is fairly normal, even on hand made violins. To solve this problem, you can acquire some 'peg paste' (stocked in most music shops), and with this you simply draw a few marks on the peg to create the friction you need.