Category: violin repair

Hi. How much would it cost to repair the strings and bridge on a violin, roughly, in NYC?

I am trying to figure out if it is a better idea to repair my violin (I need a new case too) – or just a new "beginners" one on eBay…

Thanks!

It depends on the quality of the violin.
You will have to get the bridge propaly fitted….
The bridge it self wont be very expensive.

And if you get good quality strings it would be around $50 us dollars.
I recommend the brand dominant.

You can probably get a second hand case but It will also have to be good quality too protect your violin…

If you are a full size violinist you wont need to buy a new violin ever.
SO get a good quality one from the start.

If your old violin’s body is good quality just get the repairs.

I just repaired my violin,
but it’s so out of tune now and I can’t for the life of me get it right. I lost both my pitch pipe and my tuner, and I can’t really do it by ear very well.

Are there any tips to tuning by ear, or should I just go out and go buy another tuner?

Online Tuner (Interactive!)
http://www.seventhstring.com/tuner/tuner.html

I have a seam crack in a violin and my parents don’t want to go to the store and get it fixed. So my dad suggested that he glues it. He doesnt know much about violins, but we can get the right glue and instructions. Should I let him glue my violin or take it to the store?

I’m not a musician, but I know a little bit and I am a woodworker. I also saw a very interesting documentary about why a Stradivarius is a Stradivarius from a woodworking perspective and it stuck with me.

How the repair is done will effect the sound of the violin. The instrument is all about how the vibration of the strings reverberate within the instrument and how it reverberates the wood itself. (A Stradivarius is made with a very particular wood that can’t be obtained anymore, btw. Very interesting stuff!)

I won’t even attempt to suggest how it should be fixed because I don’t know how particular glues & methods will affect the violin’s tone. I just know it needs to be done correctly or it can severely lower the quality of the instrument.

I guess the real question is what level of quality is this violin? If it is just a run of the mill, not great violin then let him try to glue it. How much worse can he make it. But if it is a better to high quality violin, take it to someone who knows what they are doing! It will make a difference.

i have a fairly old violin that i have purchased and i want to fix it up because it sounds nicer that the violin that i am using now. i would like to know what i should replace/ fix.

i am definately getting a new bridge for it
ill replace the strings myself.
im not sure if i should get it re varnished because the varnish does look a bit thin

other that this, im not really sure what else might need fixing. i know you cannot see the violin itself, so any suggestions are appreciated.

Refinishing and new varnish will alter the sound of the instrument. Especially if it is a thicker coat of varnish over the top of what is there. Whatever repairs to the finish are required should be done by a professional instrument repairer.

My friend chiped my violin, it’s my full sized, so my violin for life, and it’s very precious to me, so of course I was a little bit upset to see the damage, but I heard you can get chips repaired, and I was wondering how good they are? It’s a chip around the edge, and the varnishing has a few different gradients in lines through it. Would a repair make it un-noticeable that it was chipped? or just fill in the shape? Also, how do they do it? is it with a filler, or do they actually put a piece of wood in?

Chips, dings, dents, and scratches are unavoidable, and they give character to the instrument. Unless it is a seriously large chip, the repair will probably consist of blending color into the wood and sealing the surface with wax or varnish. Unless there is a significant damage and structural reason to make that sort of repair, it’s best to leave it as is. Using filler, wood putty, or gluing in another piece of wood would alter the tone of the instrument.

Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I had to leave some of my stuff in an unkind person’s garage. These items included my violin that my father bought for me a decade ago. It wasn’t used much, I only played it lightly in school, but while it was in the garage it suffered a little bit of moisture damage and some freezing temperatures. The violin stayed in a hard sided case, there’s no visible cracking or warping but the sound post has come loose inside and the bridge has gotten damp and needs to be replaced. Are these repairs easy and affordable? The violin is not a pricey violin, so is it cheaper to just buy a new one? Is there any other signs of damage I should look for on a fiddle that has been through what it has been through?

Appreciate anyone’s advice!

It doesn’t sound like that would be a very costly repair. Then again, instrument repairs can get expensive very quickly.

Most of my experience is with woodwind instruments, so I wouldn’t be able to give you a very accurate estimate. Your best bet would be to call up a few places and ask for some quotes. I would suggest that you go to someone who’s recommended, though; I found my guy through my middle school band teacher and have used him ever since because he does such good work.

in school i accidentally knocked over a stand. It fell on my teacher’s violin and she said that there is a crack above the f hole. She also said that part of it is chipped and it is scratched somehwere near the fine tuners. Im very worried and i want to know about how much i would have to pay to repair these damages. Please help and thankyou!

Better hope it’s not a Stradivarius… they’re $3,500,000+

my mom broke my violin bridge so uh, is there anyway to repair it? like getting some special glue or whatever or should i go to a place so they can do their thing and hit me up with a new one?

New bridges are cheap and don’t take that long to fix I would just take it to a place to fix it properly or ask your orchestra director…he/she may have an extra one and have probably changed more than a few in their career. Good luck

Hello,
I have a violin that is about 50-60 years old. I think it is a Czechoslovakian violin but I can’t find any luthier’s name or label in it. It was given for a repair to a local instrument maker in 2005 and while doing a good repair job, he also "painted" the violin in a darker shade! Now I find that the paint is flaking off the neck and other places, exposing the bare wood. Initially I wanted to get the original colour back, but I suppose that is impossible. What can I do about the paint flaking off? Can I get a professional luthier to attempt a restoration? I would greatly appreciate your comments.
Thank you.

Sure it can be restored. But I would have it evaluated first to find out how much it is worth, because the restoration will cost you. A good violin maker could do both.

Best of luck.

In a pinch… you can always send it to me although I would prefer a viola.

Honestly, I want to learn how to play this instrument, and I found a relatively inexpensive one that is supposed to be good for beginners, but all the reviews say it needs some work. The reviews are pretty consistent on what the problems are with the 2 instruments I have in mind, and there is a 3rd that doesn’t have any sort of customer review with it so I might want to get that one looked at if I buy it. I am reluctant to do any of the work myself for the simple fact that I have never done anything like it before. Please help!

Since I am a harpist I have no idea where you could get an electric violin repaired. HOWEVER!! You could go over to Beethoven &Company (or call them) and ask if they know anyone who does that kind of stuff. They are really nice – I even found my past Harp teacher through them, so who knows what you might find out!

Sorry I couldn’t be more of a help.
PS. Beethoven &Company is in the phone book under the Music section