Viol Care: A Short Guide
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This mini-manual covers some of the most important aspects of viol care. If a problem/question is not addressed here, ask your teacher or a luthier (maker/ repairer of stringed instruments).
PARTS OF THE VIOL
The parts of the viol and bow are known by special terms. You'll need to know certain things about certain parts to take good care of your viol.
Pegs. Experience will teach you exactly what kind of pressure to apply to make pegs stay where you want when you're tuning. If a peg keeps sticking or slipping, take the string off, take the peg out, apply peg dope (available in a lipstick-like case at most music stores) to the two shiny circles where the peg contacts the pegbox, and then replace both peg and string.
Nut. Rubbing a soft pencil in the grooves of the nut may help strings move more smoothly when tuning. (Loosen strings slightly and take them out of their grooves first!)
Strings. The lower strings on a viol may last for years, but the upper ones, especially the thin top string, tend to break and will often have to be replaced. That's a fairly simple operation that you should try to master. You should also change strings when they become hairy or frayed. It's a good idea to keep extras on hand.
Frets. It's fine to move frets to facilitate tuning. If a fret eventually loosens, don't worry; that's common. The best "quick fix" is to slip a matchstick or folded slip of paper between the fret and the neck. A broken fret must be replaced. You can use an old string of the correct weight or new gut or nylon to tie a new one. WARNING: Replace your first few frets under supervision!
Bridge. The normal stress of tightening strings and playing tends to tilt bridges forward, which affects the viol's sound and tuning. Check the bridge regularly to make sure it's straight; the back should be perpendicular to the belly and the feet should fit the belly perfectly. You can straighten a tilted bridge yourself. This is British gambist Alison Crum's advice: Hold the viol firmly between the knees and, using both hands, grasp the top of the bridge between thumb and fingers. Carefully shift the bridge back to a vertical position. (Some people loosen the strings slightly first.) WARNING: Get someone else to do this if you're at all nervous about it. If the bridge falls, it can damage the instrument and/or bring down the soundpost.
Soundpost. The soundpost is a stick of wood wedged precisely between back and belly inside the instrument. It is crucial to the viol's resonance, and moving it changes the instrument's sound for better or worse. An instrument with a fallen soundpost is unplayable. Only a luthier should adjust or reset the soundpost.
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