Crooked End Button?
Hello, while I was looking at the end button on my viola, I noticed that it was crooked (Facing like "\" instead of "-") and that its very slightly pulled out. Would I have to have my luthier fix this or should I do it myself? Thank you
Replies (4)
Does anyone know approximately how much time is involve in one of repairs. One of my student's violin has this problem.
I'm not sure about the "crooked" part, since most end buttons are round, but if the hole is not too large and the button is not glued in it would take me about 15 minutes to install a new one. If it has just slipped out a little, almost no time at all.
The button should not be like that under normal circumstances.
I agree that going to violin doctor is a better idea; it may be just a detail (button made of a soft material, bad fit, etc) or symptom of a bigger problem (such as distortion of the block and ribs).
If you do it on your own, the sound post may fall or moved slightly, the bridge not exactly where it was.... not worth the trouble.
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March 31, 2016 at 09:46 PM · It's safer to get a luthier to look at it sooner rather than later just in case the button is starting to break up or something equally disastrous. Meanwhile, let some of the tension out of your strings (down a tone will do) and don't use the viola until it's been seen to.