Why you should never, ever leave your cello in a hot car

28 February 2019, 21:42

We’ve been experiencing a few days of unexpectedly warm weather – so here’s a valuable reminder about keeping your instruments safe from hot temperatures.

Indiana instrument repairers and sellers Knapp Music shared a picture that will strike fear into the heart of any string player. 

The instrument had been left in a hot car, with its varnish cracking and glue melting in the heat.

Knapp Music's owner, Jim Knapp, said: "We repair stringed instruments, and we see all types of damage and accidents. The cello in this post was very old, and the owner decided to have us repair the seams and get it playable, but leave the crackled varnish as it would be too expensive to repair. For now, it is a battle scar."

If you want to prevent this from happening to your instrument, our friends at The Strad have some good tips for taking care of your string instruments through the seasons.