Repair log: saving an exam violin one week before the test

The month before exam season is our busiest time. Parents walk in with the same first sentence: "The exam is next week and the violin suddenly doesn't sound right." This is a full record of a recent exam-violin repair, as a reference for parents in Foshan. Most "sudden" problems are not serious — but leaving them unfixed really can affect an exam. ## What was wrong A 1/2 size violin, two years old, never dropped. The parent's description: "Muffled sound, tight and edgy in high positions, the bridge wobbles on fast bowing." ## What the inspection found 1. The soundpost had fallen over. A one-millimetre shift changes how the whole top plate vibrates — the most common cause of a muffled sound. 2. The bridge was worn thin and leaning forward about 2 mm, which straightens the string angle and makes high positions tight and edgy. 3. Slight sag in the middle of the fingerboard, from the heavier left-hand pressure of grade-4 repertoire. It affects intonation. ## What we did - Reset the soundpost through the f-hole, positioning by ear and tap-tone, without touching the varnish. - Fitted a new bridge from stock, carved the feet to the top plate's curve, set thickness and after-angle, then tuned the bridge position by interval. - Planed the fingerboard flat and restored the curve; lowered string height at the nut end to a comfortable exam setup. - Replaced the full set of strings — the old ones were oxidised and fuzzy. - Final setup and a before/after comparison on a passage from the exam piece. ## The question every parent asks "Why not just buy a new violin?" — After this set of repairs the instrument got its own sound back, for a fraction of the price of a new one. At exam stage, stability matters most: a sound the child has lived with for two years is more reliable than a stranger's new violin. ## Notes for parents in Foshan - One month before the exam, get four things checked: soundpost, bridge, string height, strings. - After any drop, crush, or direct air-conditioning blast, bring the instrument in even if it looks fine — a fallen soundpost is invisible from outside. - The studio is at Shop 83, G/F, 18 Kehai Rd, Chancheng, Foshan (200 m from Ludaohu Station, Metro Line 2), open daily 8:00-22:00. The price list is public on the website's repair page; for anything marked "depends", message us on WeChat (18676560708) with a photo and we will assess and quote — no obligation.