Rules for storing, using and transporting Laubach string musical instruments.
Careful handling of a string instrument should become a habit!
Any stringed instrument made of wood, due to their physical properties, are highly susceptible to environmental influences!
To preserve a stringed musical instrument, the following rules must be observed:
1. It is recommended to store the stringed instrument in a room with a temperature of + 10 ° С to + 25 ° С and with a relative humidity of 40% to 60%! In the room where musical instruments are located, air humidity must be controlled by a hygrometer.
2. Store the stringed instrument at a distance of at least 1,5-2 meters from windows, doors, radiators or other heating devices. It is necessary to protect the instrument from direct sunlight! Do not direct powerful light projectors onto a musical instrument or place them under the air stream from an air conditioner.
3. Always use a warm cover or case to move and store the instrument. It is not recommended to carry the stringed instrument in the trunk or in the car body. During transportation, mechanical impacts on the instrument are not allowed.
4. Protect the violin, viola, cello, double bass and bows from sudden changes in temperature and humidity!!!
Proper handling of the bow instrument during the heating season and winter colds is of great importance. If the violin cools significantly, sweating it when hastily removed from the case in a room can cause great harm to it.
5. In winter, when the instrument changes from the cold into a warm room, it is covered with perspiration, and moisture leads to swelling of the wood, cracking, and tearing of the main parts of the tool. In this case, before playing the instrument, it is necessary to allow it to acclimatize and warm up to room temperature, without removing it from the case or cover for about 25-30 minutes, and then wipe it with a dry soft cloth.
We highly advise against playing your stringed instrument in direct UV-light during high heat, snowfall or rain while being outside. Not following our advice will most certainly cause damage to your stringed instrument.
6. To prevent the formation of microcracks and sticking up the instrument body (cello, double bass, violin or viola), especially in the winter heating period, use a special device - a Dampit or Humitron humidifier.
It is necessary to pre-wet the humidifier tube and let it absorb water. Squeezing and patting it with a paper towel, make sure that excess water does not drip from the humidifier. A moist humidifier is placed in the f-hole of your instrument on the opposite side of the sound post! Do not forget to place the instrument with the humidifier in the case and close it overnight, otherwise the moisture will quickly evaporate and there will be no proper moisturizing effect.
This simple procedure must be performed every day, especially if the dryness of them room is below 30%. If the case is opened several times a day, the moisture instantly evaporates and the microclimate in the case is disturbed! In case of severe frosts from -10 ° С and below and relative humidity in the room less than 30%, at the same time use 2 Dampit humidifiers.
If you need to play in such a dry, heated room, leave humidifiers in the instrument. Do not be afraid to look ridiculous. Many prominent musicians who value their instrument play solo concerts in dry, non-acclimatized rooms with humidifiers in the instrument!
In music stores, there is a wide selection of different humidifiers for cello, violin, viola and even double bass. We recommend our customers the use of a DAMPIT or HUMITRON tubular rubber humidifier. It is convenient, practical, effective and affordable.
Please remind yourself that a qualified repair of stringed instruments can be much more expensive than acquiring an ordinary humidifier!
7. During long-term transportation or long-term storage (over a month), the strings must be loosened!
8. Make sure the bridge is correctly positioned on your instrument.
It should rest firmly against the deck with the base of the legs, the smallest distance between the deck and the legs of the stand, the formation of gaps - is unacceptable! The correct inclination of the stand is 90 ° relative to the deck and stand from the side of the tailpiece.
9. Use only manufacturer recommended strings for your specific instrument model. Strings with a different tension can significantly affect the deformation of the deck.
10. Be sure to monitor the correct position of your instrument inside the case.
No part of the instrument should be subjected to pressure and tension from the side of the case.
In improperly selected, or in an incorrectly sized case, many parts of the instrument are clamped, which always entails a gradual deformation of the neck, lowering or deformation of the fingerboard, sticking, cracking or deformation of the instrument body, etc.
We pay attention to the fact that plastic and carbon cases are suitable for the use only at outside positive temperature, and in winter - only for storage of the tool indoors.
For transportation of the instrument at sub-zero air temperatures, only insulated cases or cases with special insulated winter covers are suitable! In winter conditions, a plastic case does not provide protection to the instrument from the cold, as a result of which the instrument immediately freezes, deforms and cracks.
If you live in a harsh climate with cold winters at low freezing temperatures, be sure to take care of a reliable insulated case equipped with a special insulated winter cover! Your instrument will avoid freezing and cracking of old, already glued cracks and glue joints, and you will avoid multiple trips to the violin master for the next gluing of your instrument.
11. There is hardly any more gentle and easily amenable to the slightest destruction, both physical and temperature-humidity, than a classical violin and requiring constant and reliable protection with the help of a violin case and an obligatory cover - a bag made of natural silk.
12. If repair is necessary, carry it out only in a workshop certified by the manufacturer.
The Laubach workshop will not be responsible for non working stringed instruments and bows, if this working is the result of any technical changes or unqualified service of personals. This also includes disregarding the rules for storing, using and transporting Laubach string musical instruments.