This is one of the best articles re: summer care that we have read.  It is from the Connolly company’s blog called String Ovation.

From providing protection from temperature fluctuations and humidity changes, to advise on how to travel with your instrument, the following are all the tips you need to ensure your instrument weathers (literally) the summer months whole, unscathed, and in great shape to pick up the practice-rehearsal-performance schedule when school starts again.

 

REPLACE OUTDATED INSTRUMENT CASES

Are you using a hand-me-down or an ancient case you found at a flea market? While cost-efficiency is a priority, it’s important to remember that – after your own attentiveness to its care – the case is your instrument’s greatest protection from harm.

One of the best things you can do to care for your instrument this summer is replace an outdated or dilapidated case with one in better condition. Used-but-still-high-quality cases abound both online and at music stores.

Newer, innovative cases do a better job of providing more durable protection, with lighter-weight materials, and with better-designed interiors that make room for all the little extras – like humidification accessories.

 

GUARD YOUR INSTRUMENT(S) FROM HUMIDITY FLUCTUATIONS

Your instrument is just like your body – it prefers consistent humidity levels between 40% and 60%. Depending on where you live, summertime humidity levels will rise well above that – and that’s no good for your instrument. Wooden instrument and their parts soak up water like a sponge, causing it to swell.

Then, in the presence of drying air conditioning, humidity levels can drop much lower, shrinking those swollen parts. All that swelling and shrinking, moistening and drying leads to a myriad of problems – including cracks, poor sound quality, deterioration, temperamental tuning pegs, wonky bridges, seam separations, mold and mildew issues – and the list goes on.

In addition to keeping and storing string instruments in environments with more stable temperature and humidity levels, we recommend using humidification accessories such as Boveda’s 2-Way Humidity Control Kit. These amazing kits store and release moisture, as needed, so your instrument is kept safe from extreme fluctuations. It’s a one-size-fits all way to keep humidity consistent.

 

KEEP STRING INSTRUMENTS STORED INDOORS

We understand that lugging instruments around can be tiresome, but its worth it if it means preserving their integrity. The temptation to leave your instrument in the backseat or the trunk of your car “for convenience” puts it at risk for overheating and for humidity fluctuations that exceed what even the highest-quality Boveda accessories can account for.

Use your body as a gauge; never leave your instrument stored in an environment you wouldn’t want to spend countless hours in yourself. Instead, keep it tucked away in a comfortable spot when it’s not in use.

 

NEVER ALLOW EXTENDED EXPOSURE TO DIRECT SUNLIGHT

Perhaps this is an area where you and your string instrument digress. While you may love soaking up the sun, long-term, direct exposure to sunlight is harmful for your string instrument. In addition to making it too hot, and drying it out, sunlight damages the exterior finish, causing it to fade, crack, melt or bubble up – and certain types of finish damage are very difficult to repair.

 

GIVE IT EXTRA LOVING CARE

If you’re currently a music student, your instrument may not be used as often over the summer as it is during the school year. This gives you the chance to give it extra loving care. Clean it regularly to keep it free of dust (summer often creates dryer, dusty environments) and mold spores (common in more humid climates). Give it a good polish to protect it and help it look its best. Summer vacation also provides the time to get it into a music shop for a once-over if it needs to be repaired or adjustments are needed to address minor problems.

 

If you suspect your instrument sounds “different,” like you hear a buzz, rattling sounds, it sounds too tight or too floppy, get it into a music shop or to a luthier for a check-up. This is a sign it could have a weather-related structural issue.

Being proactive on the summer care front yields long-term benefits in terms of reduced instrument repairs and higher-quality sound. After a nice vacation, and a little TLC, you and your string instrument will be ready for the fall flurry.

 

Blog originally posted by: StringOvation Team on Jun 4, 2018

Is it time to get my bow rehaired? How can I tell?

As you consider the best ways to keep your instruments and bows sounding and playing their best, you may wonder, how will I know it’s time to get my bow rehaired? Recently, we had a chance to ask our Givens Violins in-house full time bow restorer Annelisa Guries and here is what she had to say:

How often do I need to get my bow rehaired? Annelisa suggested about every 6-12 months. It really depends on how much you play. For an entry level student, once a year is enough. If you are a player who practices and plays daily, twice a year or about every 6 months is recommended. You could easily combine your instrument check up and your bow rehair at the same time. We recommend 6 months checkups for both instruments and bows. This would be a great way to have your instrument and bow sounding and playing their best.

1. What are some of the signs that my bow needs a rehair? There are many things to look out for when trying to determine if your bow needs a rehair.

• One of the main visual cues would be yellow or darkened hair. This often occurs near the frog on the player’s side- where the players hand meets the hair. The oils from the skin begin to darken this area of the hair over time.

• Another hint is a lot of missing or broken hairs, either at the tip or at the frog.

• Additionally, if your bow refuses to tighten up to playing tension, if the hair seems very stretched out and droopy.

• If the hair feels slippery despite constant rosining, then a rehair is necessary.

2. What’s the turnaround time for a bow rehair? A typical turnaround time for a bow rehair is 1-2 business days. Please keep in mind our business days are Tuesday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm. It is always best to call and schedule this appointment ahead of time to ensure that we can rehair your bow in the timeframe that you had in mind.

3. I live out of state, how can I get my bow rehaired? We have a lot of experience carefully packing and shipping bows back and forth for rehairs and repairs. You can call or email us anytime to make these arrangements and ask any additional questions about turnaround time.

At any time, if you just want the bow restorer to take a look at your bow to determine if it’s time for a rehair, stop by and our workshop will check it out for you. For your convenience, we offer free loaner bows while yours is in for a rehair, so you can continue practicing and participating in rehearsals, concerts.