Instrument Care « The String Academy of Wisconsin

Winter Instrument Care

by Scott Sleider

The winter season can pose some dilemmas for the violin family instruments. The main concerns are extreme cold temps and low humidity. Once we start heating our homes and schools the hair on the bows shortens and the softer spruce tops will shrink laterally (across the width) at a greater […]

Bow Maker Steve Haas Visits String Academy

Steve Haas, bow maker

Steven Haas, a bow maker now living in Milwaukee, visited the String Academy on November 16, 1991, to describe to students how bows are made and how they should be cared for. Mr. Haas also demonstrated how he rehairs a bow. He studied with Anton Smith in Spokane, Washington […]

Care of Your Instrument

By Darcy Drexler

Take good care of your instrument!

In our previous article we dealt with maintaining healthy bodies to insure many wonderful years of playing. This time, let us concentrate on remembering a few basic points that will keep our instruments healthy and beautiful.

Always wipe rosin off strings, fingerboard, and the […]

Care for Your Most Important Instrument: Your Body

by Darcy Drexler

Your Body: Your MOST important instrument

Today I would like to take a close look at a very precious instrument- the human body. Dr. Rosalie Pratt, music professor at Brigham Young University writes, “Musicians, like athletes, are susceptible to the hazards of a ‘no pain, no gain’ mindset. Too many […]

Care For Your Instrument: Strings

by Darcy Drexler

There are several ways to tell when an instrument needs new strings. Of course, the most obvious is when a string breaks. However, new strings are required when the string’s wrapping starts unraveling or it becomes “false.” A “false” string is old, will not hold tuning well and changes pitch while being […]

Care For Your Instrument

by James N. McKean

James N. McKean, violin make

String instruments are designed to be very sturdy, but remember they are made of very thin wood and delicate varnish. One can never forget that they must be treated with care. Observing the following points will help insure a long and healthy life for […]

Shopping for an Instrument

Shopping for an instrument can be daunting.

Bein and Fushi Representative Tells How to Shop for a Violin, Viola or Cello

On September 22, Joe Overmeyer of Bein and Fushi, a well-known violin shop in Chicago, discussed with String Academy families the process of shopping for a violin, viola or cello.

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