Claire Curtis is a renowned music maker in South Berwick, Maine. According to wmtw.com, Claire started making violins more than a decade ago, but only after years of hard studying.
Claire loves to play the violin. However, all the time supposed to be used in practicing, is all used in making violins.
Claire’s handmade violins take about 11 weeks to make. This is because Claire puts a lot of effort and love into making her beautifully crafted violins. Claire makes many violins. However, she is a strict critic and not all the violins she makes meet her expectations. Claire aims to build quality violins as she wants to be proud of the violins she make. Moreover, she hopes for her violin continue making music after she has passed on.
The sound of a violin comes from tone sticks, which seem like thrown away wood. Despite this, they still cost $500-600. According to Claire, they make a huge difference between a good-sounding and bad-sounding violin. Even a tenth of a millimeter matters.
Besides building violins, Claire’s business mostly focus on restoring and repairing violins. Claire clearly is the veteran in crafting violins.
Restringing your violin step-by-step
Tuning your strings for the right pitch is the way to go to make good tunes. Sometimes a fix that easy won’t be available. Violins need properly pitched set of strings. Every string is vital to make every set of notes playable. Some of your strings could have gone broken accidentally. Sometimes you may not have a properly pitched string. In worst case, it just cannot be tuned right. When there is no option possible to preserve your violins finest condition, restringing is your only option. Restringing when simply put would mean, replacing your broken string.
Listed here are the steps in order for restringing you violin:
- Understanding the components: Your violin has many smaller parts that need to be handled gently with care. Try not to miss a screw since all parts are needed.
- Loosen your broken string: Loosen your string by twisting your peg in corresponding direction. Peg holds one end of the end solidly and that’s where it can be loosened.
- Remove your broken string: Pull the broken string out from the hole beneath the peg. Remove string’s other end at fine tuner or simply the hole beneath its tailpiece.
- Mount the new string: Insert string’s metal ball end into tailpiece hole or right fine tuner. Insert the opposite ball less end to the hole under corresponding tuning peg.
- Check for proper placement: Ensure the string sits at the proper notch at the bridge. When its looks to be placed properly, try tuning your string through tuning peg.
- Tighten the new string: Tighten the string till you feel like getting the right amount of grip. Loosely set strings are vulnerable to get broken and are badly tuned.
- Checking the bridge: Check again to ensure the string sits in groove on bridge. Things must be pitching perfect at the bottom of the scroll.
- Tuning and testing your new strings: Tune new strings repeatedly through pegs and fine tuners. Follow it up by stretching the strings till it gets flat and don’t stretch anymore.
Lastly, check if your new strings are tuned properly, else read our article on tuning your violin.