photo #442238

Cooler weather making your instruments cranky? Here are a few tips to keep them happy:1. Younger instruments (less than 5-10 years old) are often still changing. The wood, even well aged wood, changes after its carved and assembled more in the first few years than it will later on. Regardless of the age of your instrument, have a reliable luthier do a check, he or she should check the soundpost location and adjust if necessary, double check the bridge location, and look for any open seems.2. The pegs arent staying put (or won't move)? Temperature changes can cause some shifting of the pegs. Different types of wood expand and contract at different rates, pegs are usually ebony, and the scroll and pegbox are maple. A little peg dope or peg drops can help make things stay where they belong (or move if they're stuck). Pro tip: every time you change strings, lubricate the pegs!3. Strings that won't stay in tune probably need replacing. If you've checked the pegs, and your instrument still won't stay in tune, how old are those strings?? Most professional level players change them at minimum twice per year, often more frequently than that. Bottom line is this: strings wear out, and even the student who pulls out their instrument 3 times per week needs a new set more often than every 3 years.