REPLACING VIOLIN STRINGS
When a string breaks, do the following:
Check what kind of string end should go at the tail piece. If
you use a fine tuner then you need a string with a loop end, otherwise
you need a string with a ball end.
Replace the string with one having the same kind of end. Mount the
string at the tail piece first. On a tuner, it's pretty
easy. But with a ball-end string, you feed the peg-end of the
string (without the ball-end) up through the bottom of the hole in the
tail piece, pull the string almost all the way through the tail piece,
then slide the string into the narrow part of the hole. Put a
pencil in the large part of the hole to keep thestring from flying out
of the hole while you tighten it later.
With the violin on its back and its top facing up on a table, push
the peg end of the string through the hole in the peg for that string,
far enough so about 3/8 inch of the string projects through the other
end of the hole. Then turn the peg so its top surface moves
towards the violin scroll. Turn the peg one half turn and catch
the free end of the string under the part of the string that is
wrapping around the peg. Turn the peg another full turn and catch the
free end of the string under the second winding. Do this a thir
again with a third winding. For A and E strings, the windings
should move cgradually closer to the E string side of the peg box
For D and G strings, the windings should move gradually closer to the G
string side of the peg box.
Finally, tighten the string slowly. Steel and synthetic
strings won't take too long to stabilize, but gut and steel-wound gut
strings wiill take several days to stabilize.