Regular maintenance is recommended to ensure that your instrument is always in optimum playing condition and can develop its full sound.
I will check the fit and position of the soundpost and bridge, the condition of the strings and inspect the instrument for any open glue joints. Minor damage to the varnish is retouched and any rough edges are treated.
A carefully set up fingerboard is important for perfect intonation. If the instrument is played a lot or has not been for a service in a long time, grooves and dents will develop in the fingerboard over time, making it difficult to play in tune.
The bow hair made of high-quality Mongolian horsehair gradually wears out as the bow is drawn across the strings and needs replacing from time to time. How often a bow should be rehaired depends largely on how much you play.
A professional musician will have their bow rehaired every six to twelve months. If you don’t play quite so much, the hair will last considerably longer. In general, the horse hair is worn out when you feel that the bow is not gripping the string well, even after applying a lot of rosin.
A rehair is also due if the hair has become dirty and greasy or a considerable amount of hair is already missing.
There seems to be no natural material without its own pest! You haven’t played for a few weeks and when you open the case you find “torn” hairs messily hanging about your bow?
Then the larva of the carpet beetle (Anthrenus scrophulariae) has most probably made itself at home in your case.
This small, winged beetle lays its eggs where animal hair is present. In the larval stage, the approximately 6 mm long insects feed exclusively on the quinine contained in the hair. They love a quiet, dark, dry environment and prefer to sample every single hair! Extraordinarily they do not need water.
The best insurance against infestation is daily playing. If you take a longer break, it is advisable to put the bow in a light, airy place outside the case.
