The art of restoration
A good maker is not always a good restorer. Indeed, besides great skill,
infinite patience and specific knowledge of restoration techniques are needed. Many instruments have been damaged
irreversibly by inexperienced hands. A restorer follows very precise rules so as not to take away the originality
and authenticity of an instrument, whether recent or old. The work must always be studied very carefully before starting so as to
be as little invasive and as reversible as possible while at the same time being strong and reliable. A restoration can take months
and cost a considerable amount. A wrong intervention and the instrument loses half of its value.
For instruments of certain value, whether financial, sentimental or historical, repair is always worth it even
if the cost may exceed the real value of the instrument.
A violin must in any case be in perfect condition to sound its best. And in this regard, if you are no longer
satisfied with the sound of your instrument, think about checking several things:
- The hair of the bow wears out quickly and must be replaced regularly, depending on how much you use the bow.
If you play several hours every day, the hair will be replaced more often.
- The strings wear out in the same way as the hair and so must be changed regularly.
- If the problem persists, the bridge and the soundpost must be checked: the bridge may have bent and no longer
be rigid enough; the soundpost may have moved or become too short.
- The work may also be more substantial, replacing the bass bar, which is a reinforcement that weakens over time.
- If the instrument has never sounded good, the thicknesses can be adjusted, but with great care, or the
angle of the neck can be modified.
There is a wide range of possible restorations to bring a damaged instrument back to new, from the neck graft,
which consists of making a new neck while keeping the original scroll, to the complete doubling of the edges, which will have been
worn down by poor techniques used to open the body, necessary to repair fractures or change the
bass bar, to the localised patch under the soundpost in case of a break in this delicate spot, or a larger patch
between the f-holes when the top has given way under the pressure of the strings.