| Violin and Viola Cello | $60 and up per crack/joint $80 and up per crack/joint |
|---|
What causes a cello to crack?
When humidity is under 40%, solid-wood, acoustic instruments dehydrate, shrink & crack
. The soundboard, generally made of softer woods, is both weaker & more prone to dehydration and cracking than other parts of an instrument. Therefore, the soundboard is likely to crack first.
How much does it cost to refurbish a cello?
Your luthier said that it would cost
about $1000
to fix what ails it, and you would then have more into it than it is worth. But you love the sound: in fact you played some new cellos in the local shop and you hated all of them, and they cost $4000 – $7000.
How do you fix the cracks?
Can a cracked cello be repaired?
When your cello has a crack, it might be because you bumped it against something, or dropped it. If this happens,
you need to take your cello to a luthier to have it fixed
because a crack can eventually make your instrument collapse. It's very hard to try to fix it yourself, so don't try to attempt it!
Why do wooden instruments crack?
If the moisture content of wood is forced down rapidly, there is uneven shrinking from loss of moisture content
. This can cause cracks and open joints. As humidity increases, the moisture content of wood also increases, causing it to expand and swell.
What is the top of a cello called?
Typically the top (
the instrument's soundboard
) is made of quarter-sawn spruce, bookmatched at a strongly glued joint down the center, with two sound-holes (or “f-holes”, from their resemblance to a stylized letter “f”) precisely placed between the C-bouts and lower corners.
How much does it cost to replace a string on a cello?
| Restring, including tuning $5 per string (strings not included) | Replace and fit bridge $65/$100 deluxe fit and carve (bridge not included) | Re-hair bow (horsehair) $65/$45 for Glasser (to be paid in advance) | Re-glue fingerboard $60** and up | Install fine tuners (without restringing) $5 per tuner (tuner not included) |
|---|
Can you Revarnish a cello?
Nomenclature is important; you've used the term “revarnish”, but “retouch” is the better term for what your cello needs. Revarnish implies removing all the old varnish and doing the entire instrument over. That's something that
almost never should be done except in the most extenuating circumstances
.
How do you value a cello?
The simplest way to get your cello appraised is to
take it to your local music shop
. Local music shops deal with instruments every day so they have a good idea about how much your cello is worth.
How much does it cost to fix a cello sound post?
Cleaning and retouch: $25-50 violin/viola $50-100 cello. Soundpost adjustment:
$10-35
. New soundpost: $50 violin/viola, $75 cello.
What is best to patch concrete?
Vinyl Concrete Patcher
is ideal for making smooth repairs to crack or chipped concrete floors, sidewalks or steps. It has strong adhesive properties allowing it to be applied down to a featheredge. Quikrete 10 lb. Vinyl Concrete Patcher is made of a special blend of vinyl resin, fine sand and Portland cement.
How do you fix cracks in cement?
What is wall crack?
A cracked wall is
a wall with an elongated gap that isn't natural
. If a hole is punched in the wall, it isn't a crack. But if the wall splits, then it's a crack. Smaller cracks can be caused by any number of reasons. Wider cracks often represent serious structural damage and can cause serious issues.
What is a Soundpost crack?
Almost without exception, a soundpost crack is
the result of a sharp jolt, when that sharp-edged, hard dowel turns from a piston into a spike, cracking the wood it rests against
. As substantial as the cost of the repair will be, it's easily dwarfed by the loss of value.
How do you fix the bridge on a cello?
To adjust a tilting bridge, first slightly loosen the cello strings, then grasp the top of the bridge at its upper corners with the thumb and index fingers of each hand and gently pull or push the top of the bridge until a 90° angle is achieved.
What is the best room temperature for guitars?
Guitars are made mostly of wood and that wood can be affected by temperature and humidity. Extreme temperatures and changes in humidity will cause the wood to shift and change, sometimes dramatically, which affects the sound and shape. Ideal temperature is
66-77 °F (19-25 °C)
.
Is heat bad for music equipment?
Don't leave instruments in a hot car.
Exposure to heat for long periods of time can permanently damage your instrument, causing it to become warped and impacting tension in strings, keys, valves, and other key components
.
What does humidity do to string instruments?
Overall, in an environment that is too humid,
the instrument and bow will become sluggish and uncomfortable to play
. Excess humidity can also cause the seams of an instrument to open, which is not a major repair issue, but will necessitate a trip to the violin shop.
What is the spike at the bottom of A cello called?
Endpin rod
: An endpin rod (or spike) is a metal rod at the bottom end of the cello. It allows the cello to stand on the floor. It is adjusted using an endpin thumb screw. F-holes: Two F-holes are carved into the top of the cello to improve its resonance.
What is the f hole on A cello?
The sound holes of stringed instruments such as fine cellos, violas and violins, also known as F-holes, are
openings in the top plate
. The holes allow the plate to resonate more freely and let internal air resonance to travel outside the instruments, enhancing their lower pitches.
Where does cello rest on body?
Body position
The cello is played while seated. Its weight is supported mainly by its endpin, or spike, which rests
on the floor
. The cello is steadied on the lower bout between the knees of the seated player, and on the upper bout against the upper chest.
How long do cello strings last?
For the cellists: It is generally recommended that you replace your strings every
8-12 months
to get the maximum quality out of your strings. This avoids any build up of sweat, rosin and just general germs from affecting your sound, fingers and instrument!
How tight should cello strings be?
For cello, you tighten your bow to the point where there's about a pinkie fingers distance between the middle of the stick and the hair.
Roughly a centimeter and a half
. It can be a little different for each bow so pinkie works. Loose enough the hairs go a bit slack, but not so loose the screw comes out.
How much does it cost to restring an autoharp?
Changing Autoharp Strings can look very intimidating at first glance, but if you take your time … quite a bit of it if you are inexperienced, you can do the job yourself. Strings can run you (including shipping in Jan. 2011)
between $80.00 and about $135.00
depending on where you shop and what you are looking for.
