I played viola about 20 years ago very briefly. Now that my daughter has taken up the violin it has inspired me to try the viola again. When i got it out from the top of the wardrobe the bridge was leaning over so i took it to have a new bridge. and a general sort out. i got it back today, but it rattles, especially the G string. Do i need to adjust something to stop this happening, or do i have to take it back to the repairers (which is a bit of a trip) - i don't know anything about stringed instruments and don't want to look a fool if i take it back and there is something obvious I could do myself!

Don't mind looking an idiot on here, obviously........

Is it a rattle or a buzz?

Rattles include fine tuners that are loose, whereas if it's more of a buzz when a string is bowed, then it could be the string itself - although unlikely if the strings were changed when a new bridge was fitted.

Buzzing tends to be frequency dependent, in that I mean certain pitches will be what sets the buzzing going. Apart from strings, buzzing could be caused by all sorts of things: seams coming unglued, the tailpiece itself, the fingerboard slightly lifting etc. etc.

To be honest, if the instrument has sat in a case on top of a wardrobe for a number of years unused and is now only just being played again, then the rattle/buzz could be one of many or a number of things, but if you really are stumped on what's causing it, take the instrument to a luthier and have them check it over.

EDIT: one word of warning, musical instruments don't like central heating. Never leaving them near radiators or in any direct source of heating. Not only is the extreme of temperature bad for them, central heating makes the air very dry and dryness in the air drys out the wood of the instrument causing cracks, warping and glued parts to come unglued. If you've got a room where the ambient temperature is lower than the rest of the house, that's the ideal place to keep musical instruments.

The other day my violin was rattling and i couldn't find the reason ANYWHERE... i was starting to really panic, was about to email my luthier, when... i realised that one of the plastic bridge protectors off the strings wasn't on the bridge, it was between the bridge and the tailpiece, rattling around the strings when i played

Also maybe the bridge is too low, because my violin buzzes especially on the G string and my luthier said it's because the bridge is too low (i'm getting a new bridge fitted over xmas )

Two more causes for rattling I've noticed are that the chinrest isn't done up properly (particularly noticable on the lower open strings), and that the bottom of the violin was vibrating against buttons on my top.

Problem solved by my dear husband who looked and listened, put a finger on the fine tuner for the A string, and said 'Is this it?', tightened the tuner slightly and it's fixed.

Thanks to everyone for their help - it's good to have people to ask about stuff when I know nothing about it at all.

Men are great liie that, aren't they? Specially technically minded ones.

Don't let the men take all the glory. Some of us girlies are technically minded as well