Cricket Violin/Viola Care and Setup

Bridge Setup – Your Cricket was shipped detuned but with the bridge standing up. If the bridge has fallen or is out of place, it can be easily repositioned. Its proper place is standing up with the feet in line with the notches on the crescent sound holes; numbered side facing the tailpiece, perpendicular to the top. The strings may have to be loosened slightly to get it to stand up. All strings should be placed in the appropriate grooves on the top of the bridge with a sleeve under the E string as shown in the picture. Center the bridge so that strings are equally spaced on either side of the fingerboard when looking straight down on the top. Each bridge is numbered according to size and must be referenced when reordering. Make sure the sound post is visible standing up inside, behind the treble foot of the bridge centered on the marks on the back.

Tuning pegs – Standard friction tuners will need periodic tightening to maintain tightness as the seasons change and the wood dries. Using a Phillips screwdriver at the end of each tuner, tighten until the tuner begins to get difficult to turn. Tightness of the Peghed geared tuners can be adjusted by pressing in while the peg is rotated to tighten, or pulling out to loosen.  An E string fine tuner is only included with friction pegs.

Violin tuning is GDAE, viola is CGDA It’s very important not to exceed these pitches by over tightening the tuners. Violin strings stretch very little and will break if over stressed. Using a tuner for reference, take the tension up gradually working your way across the strings, checking to make sure the bridge maintains its position – the numbered side perpendicular to the top as you tune. 

Chin and shoulder rest is removable and adjustable. One thumb screw attaches it to the body. There are three different height position settings using the different holes in the rests. Make sure it is always reassembled as shown in the picture below with the chin rest on the outside.

Rosining a new bow – Sand or scrape the glaze off the surface of new rosin. Rub along hairs of tensioned bow for 3 or 4 minutes in short strokes. First application on new bows may take longer so be patient.  


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