Why did my instrument arrive out of tune?

Because it is a string instrument, and that is what they do. We tune every instrument before it leaves the shop, but strings stretch and settle, wood moves with temperature and humidity, and the instrument travels. By the time it reaches the school it will need tuning again. That is the nature of a string instrument rather than a sign that anything is wrong.

New strings settle the most. A freshly strung instrument goes out of tune repeatedly for the first week or two while the strings stretch to their working length. It settles on its own. Tuning it more often during that period is the answer, not a repair.

Weather does the rest. Wood expands and contracts, and pegs are held by nothing but friction against wood. A cold car, a heated classroom, or the first week of the winter heating season will all move an instrument’s tuning, and in dry weather pegs may slip while you are turning them.

What to do. Ask your teacher first. Tuning at the start of class is part of an orchestra rehearsal, and most teachers will either do it or show your student how. Fine tuners handle small corrections without touching the pegs at all. If the pegs are slipping constantly rather than occasionally, bring it in, because that is a peg fit we can correct rather than something to live with.

We will always tune it for you. Free, for as long as you rent, and whether or not the instrument came from us.