Music Instrument > Care and Maintenance of Stringed Instruments

[Brief Introduction]

Stringed instruments are handcrafted arts. They are very fragile to shock, temperature and humidity, and need care and maintenance in order keep it in the best possible condition to perform to their maximum capacity. Never leave the instruments under extreme temperature or dry conditions. Never leave the instruments in the trunk of a vehicle outside under the sun, or being exposed directly to sunshine.

Bow:

• Tighten the violin bow before playing by gently turning the tension screw clockwise. Do not over tighten the violin bow. The proper tension can be achieved by the following method: place the bow on the violin string with the middle of the bow touching the string as if you are playing. Then gently pressuring the bow onto the string. If the stick of the bow does not touch the string, you have tightened the bow well enough.
• The bow should be loosened when it is not in use.
• Rosin needs to be applied to the bow. It will not be too much when apply rosin the first time to a new bow. Hold the rosin with your left hand, place the bow hairs flat on the rosin and then slowly move the bow back and forth very evenly on the rosin. Apply rosin to the point and the bottom part of the bow a little bit more by moving the bow back and forth in about 4 or 5 inches to both areas to be sure that entire bow has rosin evenly. You do not need to apply rosin every time when you play the instrument. Apply rosin as needed—when the bow does not produce sound easily.
  

Care After Playing Each Time:

• Rosin dust and finger grease should be removed with a soft clean cloth from both instrument and bow. Rosin dust is very difficult to clean after staying on the instrument for an extended period of time. Use a soft and try cloth to gently remove the rosin from the four strings, fingerboard, bow and the body of the instrument to avoid the rosin buildup. Gently remove the fingerprint from the instrument.
• Frequently check the bridge to make sure that the bridge is not twisted or tipped out of square by the frequent timing of the strings. Bridge should always stand 90-degree up.
• After playing, please be sure that you always loosen the hair of the bow by turning the tension screw counter-clockwise then place it back in the case.
• Keep it in a place with constant room temperature.
• Try never placing your instrument and bow on the floor, chair, sofa or bed. During the break always try to put it on the table or somewhere higher so that no one can accidentally step or sit on the instrument.