• Start by checking the top-plate. First the varnish, is it polished, are there chips missing, can you see any slight cracks?
• Look at the back for the same things as the top-plate
• Look at the sides and especially the joins between the top and sides and the back and sides. Also look at the top right that your hand touches often. It is important to make sure that area is retouched by a violin restorer whenever the varnish wears. If the area isn't kept varnished, it could cause the are to be affected by perspiration, which can do irreparable damage
• Look at the scroll. again look for worn varnish or cracks coming of the peg holes
• Carefully tap around the edges of the instrument with the knuckle of your middle finger and listen for slight rattles. When there are open spots in your instrument you can usually hear a slight buss as you tap.
• If there are any varnish problems, open cracks or joins, they will have to be repaired by a fully trained violin restorer (not just a music shop). Make sure you don't touch any of the open cracks or joins because you will damage the gluing surfaces. A good repairer can repair cracks so they are mostly invisible! You can make an appointment online now if you need to book in a repair. The sooner cracks are repaired the less lasting damage there will be.
• Instruments usually need to be professionally cleaned and polished once a year to 2 years depending on the varnish and rosin build up. You can do a lot to keep your Instrument clean using a soft cloth after every time the instrument has been played. Try to avoid using polishes you can buy, because they often contain oil that will penetrate repaired cracks on older instruments and that will later cause you headaches. If you have a bigger build up, a slightly damp cloth can help. Do not over-clean though, because some softer varnishes can wear off, also it is worth asking your reputable maker for advice on your specific instrument.

• Do you find it hard to press the strings down? The nut could be too high. The gap between the nut and the fingerboard on a violin needs to be the thickness of a business card (approximately. it is an easy guideline) and a little bit more on a viola. If it is much higher, playing in the lower positions can be difficult.    It could also be the string height at the bridge. If it is higher than 3.5 mm on the E-string on the violin or more than 5.5 mm on the G, it is too high. for viola it is 5 mm on the A-string and 7 mm on the C-string.  If your strings have been getting higher on the bridge side of the fingerboard, watch out that the neck is not sinking.
• Do you find your pegs hard to turn? Maybe your pegs just need a little peg paste. you can purchase the "hill" peg paste from most music stores (if not, just hassle them until they stock it). To put on peg paste, do one peg at a time! Take of one string, find the shiny areas that take the friction and carefully apply some peg paste on the two shiny rings that show on the peg. Try the peg and see if it turns smoothly. If it doesn't, turn it a few times and apply some more until it does. When you put the string back, make sure you carefully wind it onto the peg that it sits in neat windings flush against the side of the peg box that the peg handle is on. this stops the string from slipping. If the peg turns unevenly, it could have a slightly oval shape and needs to be refitted by a professional repairer.
• Do your strings buzz or rattle? Check if your fingerboard has groves worn into it. this means your fingerboard needs planing by a professional repairer. The fingerboard should be slightly hollow from end to end (only by 1 to 1.5 mm) to compensate for the stronger vibrations in the middle of a string. If it it totally straight or even bowed the other way it can cause a buss as well. (see Article)On the right there is a picture of a fingerboard in dire need of planing.
• Your Bridge can last up to 15 years!!! That is if you keep it straight. Usually as you tune your instrument, over time the strings stretch and pull the top of the bridge towards the fingerboard. If you don't push it back, it will start warping and before you know it you need a new bridge. The bridge needs to be checked regularly (usually 1-2 weeks). For the strings on the bridge to move easily you need to make sure there is some graphite (pencil) in the string groves. You can carefully do that one at a time, by loosening a string and carefully rolling the tip of the pencil in the grove sideways then tune the string again and move onto the next one. Try not to draw all over the bridge. To straighten the bridge, place your violin or viola on your lap while sitting down and carefully hook one index finger around the front of the fingerboard near the bridge and the other one around the top of the tailpiece. Now place the tips of both thumbs either side on the top of the bridge. Now you have the bridge firmly between both thumbs on the top of the bridge and should be able to be moved slightly either towards the fingerboard or the tailpiece. The tailpiece side of the bridge needs to be at right angles to the top plate at the base.
• A Bridge has a huge influence on how an instrument sounds. At The Violin Studio we have done a lot of research on what kind of bridge to put on an instrument for the best possible acoustic effect. A lot can be improved by changing a bridge and the soundpost.
• Every now and then very carefully put a tiny little bit of Bicycle grease on the end of the screw that goes into the fine tuner. This will make them work much better. Also make sure that you sometimes loosen them and tune with the pegs.

3. Annual Maintenance
What do I need to do to keep my instrument in good playing order and maintain its value?

• Professional instrument cleaning and polish: Between 1 and 2 years for professionals and students

• Retouching varnish chips: same as cleaning and polishing

• Planing Fingerboard: Between 1 and 1 ½ years for professionals and 2-3 years for students

• Bridge can last up to 15 years if looked after and kept straight

• Setting soundpost: When the instrument sounds a bit "off colour"

• Rehair: between once and twice a year for professionals and between 1 and 3 years for students. You can tell when no matter how much rosin you put on the bow just doesn’t sound right. That means that the hair is worn. Soloists usually need a rehair every 1 to 2 months.

• General check over: Every year. (This is Free at The Violin Studio)

A little bit of background:

- A fingerboard should fit seamlessly to the neck.

- The fingerboard curve is related to the Bridge curve.

- From top to bottom it is slightly hollow (more on lower strings) to accommodate for the vibration of the string.

- The perspiration on the fingers wears the fingerboard on each note.

- The vibration of the string creates groves lengthwise.

Often you can hear when the fingerboard needs planing. The sound might have become a little bit fuzzy or there is a light "buzz". If the fingerboard hasn’t been fitted by a professional it could be that it is not hollow and might have bumps which cause a "buzz" on certain notes. Most student instruments come out of the workshop with un-planed fingerboards (at the Violin Studio we make sure that every violin for sale has the fingerboard planed).

How often do you need to have the fingerboard planed? Professional players and University students need their fingerboards planed between 1 to 1 ½ years. It makes sense to do it. Because the instrument will sound clearer which will have an effect on your performance. Other students can last up to 3 years depending on the amount of practice, perspiration and the hardness of the fingerboard.