A TVS Blog Post by Steven Bowman
As we enter another winter season, it’s important to take time to educate ourselves about cold-weather care for stringed instruments. Violins, violas, and cellos are particularly sensitive to cold, dry conditions because they’re made of wood. While it’s always important to care for our instruments, that need becomes even more crucial as the harsh realities of winter set in
Here are a few of our DOS and DON’TS for taking care of your fiddle during the winter:
DO...
- Keep your instruments indoors if at all possible. If YOU are cold, so is your fiddle.
- Store your instruments in a temperature controlled environment. (Sorry, no attics or storage units!) While an attic, basement, or shed might seem like a good place to stash an instrument, they can still drop to unsafe temps and humidity levels.
- Use a humidifier to help regulate the humidity in your case. Dry environments can cause seams to open up, or even worse - cracks! Many companies (including The Violin Shop) sell instrument humidifiers or humidity control packs that can keep your instrument healthy.
- Err on the side of caution. If you are concerned your instrument is getting too cold, go ahead and move it to a safer spot.
DON’T...
- Don’t leave your instrument in the car, or outside - even if just for a short time. (It only takes a little bit of exposure for the cold to start negatively affecting your instrument)
- Don’t forget that your fiddle is sensitive, and needs the same kind of treatment that you would give a pet or a child on a cold winter day.
Let us know if you have any questions! We are always glad to help however we can in matters of instrument care.
Remember, if it feels too cold for you, it’s definitely too cold for your fiddle!
Steven is the marketing director at The Violin Shop. He has been playing violin most of his life, and loves helping students and fellow players keep themselves and their instruments healthy.