Should violins be shipped with bridge down or up ?

June 15, 2012 at 01:56 PM · I split the difference and tune the strings a step or a step-and-a-half down, after which I wrap the bridge with soft foam and slide a piece of foam under the tailpiece. If the case fits, and you can tell if it does by looking inside the case where the fabric under the top will show marks if it has been resting on the bridge, you should be able to ship safely. If you can see marks of the strings, which will show up as white streaks of rosin, then either the case doesn't fit or the suspension is inadequate. Most damages are caused by having the force of blows transmitted directly through the case to the bridge, rather than whether or not the strings are up to pitch.

June 15, 2012 at 08:58 PM · Which risk is acceptable (neither is zero risk) will pretty much come down to the way the instrument is supported and packed. A violin with the strings and bridge removed will tolerate a lot more banging around. On the other hand, I've never had a strung-up violin damaged in transit. But I always use a special suspension shipping case which makes it close to impossible for the bridge to impact the top of the case (same for the back contacting the bottom of the case), and float the case in the center of a much larger cardboard box to provide additional impact cushioning.

What a shipper needs to be prepared for, at the least, is that the parcel will go from riding on the belt to being the first package dropped into a 4 foot deep bin.