Atmosphere
Wood has an affinity for moisture. Don't place your violin too nearradiators or in sun-baked cars. Avoid sudden changes in humidity andtemperature. Store the violin in a room where the relative humidity isbetween 45-55 per cent. In the winter months, the wood begins to contract.In summer, when there is an excess of humidity, the wood begins to swell.With moisture is the ebony fingerboard and the maple neck swell differently,and distortions can occur.

Bridge
The bridge supports the strings and transmits vibrations. Depending on thecut and shape and the nature of its wood, variations of flexibility orstiffness are adjusted, which influence the timbre and resistance to the bow.The strings should not be allowed to dig deep into the wood on top of thebridge, it muffles their sound. A thin sheet of parchment under the e-stringis a good idea. It does not dampen the string.

Cleaning
It is very important to keep the surface of stringed instruments free ofcolophony, dirt and dust. Colophony is acidic and over long periods canattack the varnish. In extreme situations where the rosin and dirt havebuilt up to a considerable extent, it can even damp the freedom of vibrationof the belly, as it often does when it gets built up on the stringsthemselves.

The musician should restrict his cleaning of the violin to the daily wipingoff of the rosin and sweat, and leave the serious cleaning to an experiencedviolin maker. Please don't use commercial "cleaners" on your instrument.They may contain solvents and abrasives that can seriously damage theinstrument. The most beautiful examples of varnishes are those that havebeen spared constant polishing.

Cracks
There are two major ways in which wood ruptures. Splits or cracks, which areparallel to the annular rings, and shakes, which are perpendicular to them.These splits and shakes are caused either by shocks and blows, or bycontraction of the wood. Shakes are rarer, and happen in the seasoningprocess before the instrument is made.

Cracks are a more common enemy of the musician. When a crack forms or opens,it is very important not to touch it. Fingers (even clean ones) are coveredin grease and sweat, which can easily get into the crack and ruin the glue'schances of making a strong bond.

Fingerboard
The fingerboard is traditionally made of ebony. Ebony is extremely resistantto wear and takes a beautiful finish without polish. Although its primaryfunction is to provide a surface to stop the strings against, it has quitean effect on the vibration of the whole instrument due to its weight andshape.

If the fingerboard ever comes loose, even if it doesn't fall off,immediately release the tension of the strings to avoid warpage anddistortion of the neck. The neck is really very flimsy without thefingerboard.

The pegs
The pegs keep the strings taut at the correct pitch, but are at the sametime capable of being adjusted by means of their conical shape. Ill-fittingpegs are a nuisance and must be adjusted by a skilled workman.

The pegs and/or holes become worn and distorted with continual use and theholes enlarge through constant abrasion. There are three techniques forreadjustment. Lightly re-ream the peghole and fit a larger peg. When thepegholes haven't become too worn, a light reshaping of the peg shank issufficient. Or you could bush the peg holes with new wood.

Saddles/nuts
The saddle can easily become too tight when the belly shrinks with time, andas it will not give way, it will cause nasty cracks in the belly. If thesaddle becomes too tight, it must be removed and shortened by a violinmaker. It matters to the comfortable playing of an instrument that the nutis well-rounded and doesn't have annoying protrusions. It is also importantthat the grooves are well shaped so that the strings will be able to slipover the nut easily and that they don't buzz. Graphite is the preferredlubricant for the grooves of the nut.

Set-up
These factors have a direct influence on the sound of the violin: the cut ofthe bridge, the position tightness and fit of the sound post, the stringheight above the fingerboard, and the choice and condition of the strings.

-- Courtesy www.centrum.com