Thread by @stimmyskye

apparently this is what the little note inside the body of the violin. I don't know what any of this means lmao except that this thing is definitely older than me

this is it.

wow.

I haven't even put strings on yet and I'm already in love. I got her for an unbelievably low price.

it's ancient. apparently one of the broken strings is an actual gut string.

it smells really good too. gonna try to put on strings now

I am very anxious about this procedure but I guess I've got to learn it sooner or later and I can't make it much worse than it already is 😬 one string still holds so unless I fuck it up I won't need to mess with the whatever the english word for the little standing wood piece is

she was priced really low because "the varnish isn't really good" lol.

I relate to this thing so hard.

my varnish isn't really good either. I'm also a bit older now and I've been repaired before as well, though I don't think the surgeon left a note in my belly

oh wow okay it was not me being useless when I didn't manage to get the pegs to stick on the electric one.

I wanted to tighten the other string and I just pressed against the peg a little and it holds o.O no bedpost necessary

I love/hate the construction of violins in general.

like the pegs only hold by friction. if they're not pressed in hard enough, you can't tighten the strings because the tension just turns the pegs backwards.

the bridge only holds through the tension of the strings.

and the bridge has to be in a very specific position and basically if it falls over you have to either know exactly what you're doing or find someone who does.

and then. THEN.

then there's a little stick inside the body.

this little stick is vital to the sound of the instrument, and it has to be in a very specific location as well, and it's on the INSIDE.

and.

AND IF you release too much of the tension from the strings, this stick FALLS OVER AS WELL

it was every bit as cumbersome as I expected but my tortoise has new strings now!

I had to readjust the bridge but no accidents have occurred so I'm considering this a great success. now I'm letting it rest a little before I tune the strings and try it out!

yes it's called the tortoise now. normally I don't name things but this is just too funny

it came with a really beautiful bow too. I'm in love

I predict there will be a lot more like these #MagicalMinka

I have a whole family now. They're cousins

I tried out the tortoise and it sounds so good, I don't want to put it away again 😭 But I don't have a mute (yet! I will buy one ASAP lol) and the house has thin walls and I don't want my neighbours to hate me

ahhhh this is so good. now I will return to practicing on the quiet one

tuning is a lot easier than expected, with the pegs going that easily. I really need to get that special soap for the pegs. which I can't get either because I just spent all my money on a 200 year old violin. my life has gotten weird FAST and I love it

it's not like I have anywhere to be and I won't get that good in the 2 weeks before I can buy things again. if anything it forces me to practice more before I start bothering everyone around me 😂 this is going to be so good. can't wait till I'm vaccinated and ready for the world