Dry air can play havoc with your violin. In too dry an environment the wood can warp. Cracks can develop that harm your violin's sound and appearance. Any crack that develops in you instrument needs to be looked at by a luthier immediately. Do NOT try to fix it yourself.
The key here is to prevent cracks and warping. Make sure you do not store your violin where warm air from a heater (or for that matter an air conditioner) will blow directly on it. Keeping your violin in a stable environment is a great idea.
But the question is how to maintain that stable environment. Folks with high-end instruments frequently have a device in their case that monitors the humidity in the air. They also use a device to humidify the air.
A violin humidifier is a worthwhile investment. There are effective, inexpensive models available that can go a long way in preventing damage to your violin.
By the way, the same problems can occur with ANY wooden instrument. Guitars, clarinets, recorders, bassoons, even pianos can be harmed by dry air. My piano tuner even talked about a humidifier that you can install inside the piano! That might be a bit much, but for less than $10 you can go a long way toward protecting your instrument in dry environments! Sounds smart to me! |
