Storage for several months

[dpappas]

I sustained an major injury that will prevent me from picking up a violin, let alone play it, for 2-3 months.  I intended to leave it in its case tuned properly and check on it weekly.  Will that be sufficient?

the instrument will be kept in the same climate controlled room as before.  It will just sit idle.  

[Mark Norfleet]

Yes, but tune it once in a while if you can in case there a big humidity change so your pegs don’t become stuck.

one of my violins spent 30 years in an unheated horse barn in Michigan.  Besides a few open seams, it was fine.

Best of luck with your recovery!!!

[GeorgeH]

I am sorry to hear about your injury. I do recommend twisting each peg every week when you check on it. While it should not hurt it to be tuned to full tension while in storage, it would not hurt it to tune it down a bit to take some tension off the top and the bridge. 

And, of course, be sure the table is cleaned of rosin dust.

[Rue]

Sorry you're injured. 

Yes to what the other posters said.

FWIW...I've ignored some instruments for, well, er...hmm...

...let's just say for a long time...and *knockonwood* all that's ever happened is that they've detuned themselves.

[dpappas]

Thank you for the replies everyone. I may loan it out to a talented highschooler or two to play their concerts on, since it's significantly better than anything they would have, just to let it get played while I recover.

 

 

[GeorgeH]

1 hour ago, dpappas said:

I may loan it out to a talented highschooler or two to play their concerts on

Some folks here have suggested that is good for antiquing.

[Mark Norfleet]

2 hours ago, dpappas said:

Thank you for the replies everyone. I may loan it out to a talented highschooler or two to play their concerts on, since it's significantly better than anything they would have, just to let it get played while I recover.

 

 

I would suggest having a look at the instruments they play before doing so.  That will give you a decent idea about how carefully they handle instruments.  Also, I don’t personally think that an instrument not being played is a bad thing.  It saves wear and tear and I don’t believe the popular opinion that the sound suffers when not being played.  Apart from my own mentioned above, I’ve known a few instruments that were not played for decades, or possibly longer, which sounded well when returned to active duty.  Mine of course is the only one I had any experience of before it was stored.

[scordatura]

My personal approach is to bring the strings down about a whole step for long term storage. Watch gains in humidity because the pegs will swell and become stuck.

[Rue]

Two-three months isn't very long. Lending it out for such a short period of time isn't worthwhile:

1. It's not really enough time for a student to fully adjust to a different instrument...and then they'd have to give it back just as they're getting used to it.

2. Students are never as careful with borrowed stuff as they are with their own and students aren't all that careful to begin with.

[dpappas]

Good points , all, thank you!   I’ll just check on it weekly while I recover.  My surgeon wants me to bring it to physical therapy so they can work playing into my recovery in a few months.  

[Don Noon]

23 hours ago, dpappas said:

I may loan it out to a talented highschooler or two to play their concerts on

22 hours ago, GeorgeH said:

Some folks here have suggested that is good for antiquing.

For 2-3 months, the only antiquing you might get are dents, scrapes, missing corners, and soundpost cracks... not a very desirable look.  Longer would be worse.

I'd suggest de-tune it a bit, and check every week or so to make sure the pegs haven't popped loose or gotten stuck in humidity changes.  I don't do that with my own instruments, though... I just leave it tuned, don't touch it for many months, then deal with whatever happened the next time I feel motivated to play it.  No biggie.

 

[dpappas]

Thanks, all.   I’m happy to report that I’m out of my sling and in physical therapy.  I have limited range of motion and even less strength.  I can now hold a violin, at least.  
 

playing is exhausting and I sound terrible, very poor bow control.   But I, and my instrument, survived.  

[Rue]

I am very glad that the two of you have reconnected!

Happy update! 

[Wood Butcher]

19 hours ago, dpappas said:

Thanks, all.   I’m happy to report that I’m out of my sling and in physical therapy.  I have limited range of motion and even less strength.  I can now hold a violin, at least.  
 

playing is exhausting and I sound terrible, very poor bow control.   But I, and my instrument, survived.  

Best wishes for your continued recovery!
I am sure it is very frustrating for you right now, but with each week there will be improvement.