The winter months can be particularly hard on wood instruments as the air becomes extremely dry from home heating and cold weather. Wood responds to moisture loss by shrinking and this may cause your violin to develop cracks, open seams, and undesirable sound and tone changes. Some musicians advocate the use of instrument or case humidifiers, such as the Dampit, Humitron, or Planet Waves. Others believe that acclimating your instrument to the current conditions is the best way to go.

Here are the two approaches:

Humidifiers: Case and instrument humidifiers have a spongy core that soaks up water and releases moisture into your instrument or case, helping to alleviate the stress put on your instrument during dry conditions. However, in order to be effective, the humidifier must be constantly monitored to keep it from drying out. In addition, removing the humidifier will cause the instrument to experience drastic humidity changes that may also cause negative effects.


Acclimation: Some people believe that it is best to acclimate the instrument to the current climate conditions so that the instrument is not constantly experiencing changes in humidity. If this is your approach, have the soundpost checked and adjusted by a local luthier (repairman).

Our own violins are primarily adjusted and acclimated for the dry Southwest climate and we almost never use a humidifier. This works for our violins and getting to know your instrument will help you to find a solution that works best for you. If in doubt, have your instrument checked for potential problems by a local luthier or e-mail us with any questions you may have.

Traveling from home to school or a gig creates another problem during winter. Even in a case, your instrument will still be somewhat exposed to the elements, especially while waiting for the bus or sitting in a cold car. To prevent cracking, keep from opening the case until it has warmed up to room temperature. This will allow the instrument to warm up gradually and keep it from being exposed to extreme temperature changes that could damage your instrument.