I have just had a wee girl in for her violin lesson. When she arrived, the violin was badly out of tune, and didn't seem to improve when I tried to tune it! Then, looking at the back, I noticed that where the neck comes out of the body, the back is parting company from the violin. There is a split of about 3 inches from the neck spreading out sideways. It's a Windsor violin, bought from a charity shop (not much money around in the family just now), and I'm wondering if it would be possible to repair it, or whether it would be better to scrap it.

Mum did confess to dropping it yesterday! - but only from a coffee table onto a carpeted floor. But I guess that would be enough for a not very robust instrument.

I'm trying to picture what you mean...

Has the neck come away, or is the seam around the back open?

Either of those would be easily repairable, but I'm not sure if that's what's happened.

In fact, pretty much anything is repairable in the right hands - it's whether a repair is economically viable!

I was wondering if I'd actually explained myself properly!

The seam around the back is open (near the neck). I have taken the tension off the strings and given her the telephone number of a local luthier; hopefully he can fix it!

Oh that's OK then!

Seams are supposed to open if anything goes wrong. Precisely because they are much easier to glue back together than a crack down the front or back of the fiddle. Has to be the right sort of glue though, so don't let the family have a go at it with superglue!

To be honest, if it's a charity shop Violin-Shaped Object, I'd superglue it.

Well yeah - there is that - but the last time a pupil of mine got her dad to have a go with the superglue, she came back very proud that he'd discovered the bridge wasn't glued down, so he'd had a go at that too.

Yes I've had a dad superglue a bridge too. And one years ago that 'fixed' slipping pegs this way..
But I agree - in this instance, superglue/no more nails..

Good point, letting DIY enthusiasts attack it is a different matter.

I did once hear of a parent waxing bow hair...

NO NO NO - PLEASE NO SUPERGLUE!!!!!

Not even here, with a cheap instrument. It makes future repairs so much more difficult. And if for instance it gets dropped again (quite likely with children), instead of the seam 'absorbing' the impact you could end up with much more expensive damage.

What you described is dead easy to fix and I very much doubt if it would cost much. I have done this repair myself - I have the clamps and hide glue - and would be happy to do it for you if you are coming to Glasgow anytime soon.

Thanks for the offer - and the advice. As it happens, I won't be in Glasgow again until July, so I have given the mother the number of a local luthier, and phoned him myself last night to explain the problem. He agrees that it's easy to fix, so the accident should have a happy ending! (And maybe mum might learn a lesson from it about dropping violins, too!)

Presumably this was having already shampooed, conditioned and blow dried it first?

For added bounce, volume, and a silky smooth glissando...

Mmmmmm......

It was archery wax for one of mine last year ......

Which part of Scotland are you in? If it's a cheap instrument I can do you some hide glue, I've done this repair on cheap instruments as it's been more than the instrument's cost to have it repaired in some cases. I don't spend much of my time gluing violins so the glue is just going to sit there.



Now this is usually a reference to rosin. Do not ask me why, maybe it's a translation error which has persisted for years, but check out 99% of cheapo violin auctions and you will find that it comes complete (more usually "compleat") with "bow, case and wax". Who on earth is buying violins which come with "wax" and yet believing that it is a "proffessional" [sic] quality instrument, but they sell like hot cakes.

I'm in the outer isles. Thanks for the offer - but actually I have never attempted a repair like this, and think it's best left to someone who has!! There is a retired chemistry teacher here who does some work on violins, and has done this kind of thing before. Better in his hands than mine!

They obviously got their types of bow confused.

Hope you can the the violin sorted, Misterioso.