"Hopf" Violin Purchase

[Rue]

https://store.bovedainc.com/collections/boveda-for-wood-instruments

Humidity control.

[MaryS]

Hello everyone, I am once again asking for Violin advice.

This is in regards to the violin above. When it was finished being restored (to the best of my ability) it played fine, no buzzes or anything. Now, however, it has a pretty aggressive buzz on the E string. Specifically when playing F sharp. It goes away when playing G or A, but is present when playing open E and that F.

I have checked the scoop and it appears to be correct and I'm not seeing any obvious bumps. Should I plane the fingerboard again or what other options do I have?

I also checked the nut to see if maybe the string has too much wiggle room and that is in spec as well.

Thank you in advance!

[chiaroscuro_violins]

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[Brad Dorsey]

1 hour ago, MaryS said:

…When it was finished being restored[,]…it played fine, no buzzes or anything. Now, however, it has a pretty aggressive buzz on the E string…

Winter dryness could be shrinking the body wood in a way that raises the fingerboard, making the bridge too low.  I’ve been seeing this recently as a cause of cello buzzes, but the same thing can happen to violins.  If this is the cause, you need a higher bridge.  What are your G and E string clearances at the wide end of the fingerboard?

[GeorgeH]

Check your index finger fingernail for the F# problem.

[MaryS]

On 1/24/2022 at 1:27 PM, Brad Dorsey said:

Winter dryness could be shrinking the body wood in a way that raises the fingerboard, making the bridge too low.  I’ve been seeing this recently as a cause of cello buzzes, but the same thing can happen to violins.  If this is the cause, you need a higher bridge.  What are your G and E string clearances at the wide end of the fingerboard?

The G is at 5 and the E is at 3.8.

[MaryS]

On 1/24/2022 at 4:05 PM, GeorgeH said:

Check your index finger fingernail for the F# problem.

I cut my nails to basically nubs (no white), so we are good there. That is a valid suggestion though, I've known many girls who have long nails and wonder why their violins do not sound good.

[Rue]

Just on the fingernail topic...I actually don't know anyone who plays the violin with 'longer' nails - because...you can't! 

And since I started learning guitar...I have developed 'guitar fingers' on my left hand as well.  The calluses have altered the way my fingertips look...and they are obviously different now when compared to the right hand. 

[pyrola_asarifolia]

My cello just developed an absolutely atrocious buzz that had me pull my hair in frustration. It does have an open seam, which apparently I'm going to glue myself with my luthier giving me a walkthrough (!) (closest luthier is 350 miles away, and I'm not going there during the Omicron spike). But just today it turned out that the problem was not there. It was an accumulation of re-solidified rosin dust that attached the tip of the wing of one f-hole to the opposite bit of wood of the belly. Wow. I took it out with a pair of nail clippers (as a spear) and a bit of sandpaper and buzz is gone. 

[MaryS]

19 hours ago, Rue said:

Just on the fingernail topic...I actually don't know anyone who plays the violin with 'longer' nails - because...you can't! 

And since I started learning guitar...I have developed 'guitar fingers' on my left hand as well.  The calluses have altered the way my fingertips look...and they are obviously different now when compared to the right hand. 

I've dealt out some heartbreaks with having to tell students that they have to take off their acrylic nails or that they have to cut them. I have found those students don't last very long.......