To all string players, can i just say without question it is worth every penny to take your string instrument to a qualified luthier to have your instrument 'set up'. My UDB sound 10 times better now that i have had some basic work done to it, really if you have the spare cash and want your instrument to play at it's full potential get it set up!

Thanks TenorCleff what is a UDB? and what are the costs involved. I have been thinking of having a new tailpeice fitted with built in adjusters. The adjuster I have at the moment are the common type that reduce the length of the string between the tail piece and the bridge. I have been told that the distance from the bridge to the tailpiece should be one sixth of the distance from the bridge to the nut.

UDB Upright Double Bass. Yes i thought about buying a new tailpiece too but my luthier said 'you can't reinvent the wheel'. The things he did were fitting the bridge, sound post, fileing and shapeing the nut and 'dressing' the fingerboard as well as correcting the tailing piece fitting. He may have other stuff as well but thats what i remember of the top of my head.

We had eldest DD's (darling daughter's) 3/4 violin set up properly and it really made a difference - so I agree completely with TenorClef.

But when DD#2 dropped her 1/8 violin the day before an audition, broke the A tuning peg and had the bridge ping off to the far corner of the room, I'm sorry to say it was me who stepped in and did his best to get things back to normal. Luckily I like to believe the quality of playing with her is often more down to mood rather than set-up on such a small violin where there is probably less scope for achieving perfection !

Yes, I am hoping to find one (luthier) too, for my violin. But I do not know how to locate one in my area... particularly I am not learning from a teacher for violin at this moment.

Yellow pages.................