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Just received my first violin yesterday and already noticed trouble. At first I just found a small chip of wood rattling in the body and didn't think much of it. Today I started looking for where it came from and found out the body is chipped around the tailpiece button hole. The tailpiece button hole is apparently poorly drilled and inserting the button has chipped the hole.
I ordered it from Thomann and it's set up by them and I could get a free return with repair/replacement. My question is how bad of a situation is it? It's just that I only just got it and don't want to wait for another week or two to get it back or a new one. Is it sensible to take the strings off and the button out to try and glue the chips in myself? Or should I just send it back? Or not worry too much about it at all?
I tried to take a few pictures of it too --- https://goo.gl/photos/RKEHrCmUpZKPSKTG6
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I can't see from the pictures where the chip is on the body, but I am a believer in not having to repair something that is brand new. I would personally exchange it. I know it's disappointing, but I went through a similar situation with my first violin. I ordered a violin from Amazon that ended up having a bad tail piece (wouldn't hold in the G string), so I returned it, and ended up getting a Fiddlerman violin instead. It made getting my violin hobby started take an extra week, but looking back I'm happy I didn't make any repairs on that first violin.
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The pictures show other chips that are still attached around the button hole in there. The spot where the actual chip has come off of isn't actually visible on the pictures. The pictures are just showing that there are more such chips cracked loose there.
I don't mind repairing it even if it is new. I even like to sometimes touch up on some solder joints on computer parts I buy and things like that. I have also worked in a manufacturing company doing just that and waaay more to brand new products. Just because its repaired doesn't make it bad in my eyes. I guess I'm most worried about the soundpost falling over when I take the strings off. I don't really have anything to set it back with.
I really just don't know...
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If that is exactly where the end button was inserted, I wouldn't worry about it unless it buzzes when you play. It's a block and can afford a little less wood. The person who did the set up must have drilled too quickly and too much before reaming the hole.
How much did you pay for the instrument? How does it sound. How does it look on the outside, varnish and all?
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Fiddlerman said
The person who did the set up must have drilled too quickly and too much before reaming the hole.
That's exactly what seems to have happened.
Thank's for the reassurance. Now that I look at it it does look like quite a large block there. The pictures through the f-hole are showing the end button from the inside and how the block is a bit burred around the button. I don't think I'm gonna lose any sleep over it.
I paid 99eur for the set plus shipping. That's the instrument, case, bow, shoulder rest and a bit of rosin. Everything there to get started basically. It's the Thomann own branded violin.
Why this one? It seemed like it had less of a finish buildup on it than the cheap shiny ones. So this one has at least to me a not very thick looking satin finish on it. Oh and also the fingerboard as opposed to some of the very cheap models is ebony on this one. It has wound steel strings on it and as far as the sound goes then I don't really know. I guess I'm quite happy with how it sounds. Seems to stay in tune as well. I guess I could even try recording it and take some pictures tomorrow. All in all I don't really see anything wrong with it other than the poorly fitted end button.
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Ah, good to know it's nothing major 
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Guido said
The pictures show other chips that are still attached around the button hole in there. The spot where the actual chip has come off of isn't actually visible on the pictures. The pictures are just showing that there are more such chips cracked loose there.I don't mind repairing it even if it is new. I even like to sometimes touch up on some solder joints on computer parts I buy and things like that. I have also worked in a manufacturing company doing just that and waaay more to brand new products. Just because its repaired doesn't make it bad in my eyes. I guess I'm most worried about the soundpost falling over when I take the strings off. I don't really have anything to set it back with.
I really just don't know...
That was a big chip in the pic! If nothing else, a suggestion that quality control is not something that is getting adequate attention from this company. But granted, not a lot to pay for a violin and outfit... ...However, I could not help but comment- you are certainly to be commended for your expertise on your "finishing work" on computer parts, and other goods, etc. Good on you. But... manufacturers should not be turning out components and assemblies that require additional skilled labor to be applied from consumers! As a matter of principle alone, I would return any item that was not of a quality standard that the manufacturer professed to adhere to. Unless they are sending you a paycheck for the remedial action required, of course. Just my .02$
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Thank you
micra said
That was a big chip in the pic! If nothing else, a suggestion that quality control is not something that is getting adequate attention from this company. But granted, not a lot to pay for a violin and outfit... ...However, I could not help but comment- you are certainly to be commended for your expertise on your "finishing work" on computer parts, and other goods, etc. Good on you. But... manufacturers should not be turning out components and assemblies that require additional skilled labor to be applied from consumers! As a matter of principle alone, I would return any item that was not of a quality standard that the manufacturer professed to adhere to. Unless they are sending you a paycheck for the remedial action required, of course. Just my .02$
I do agree that it's not showing the company in the best light but I don't just want to go and prove a point. It all works and as it turns out is not going to break down just because of that. As Pierre said it doesn't really need to be fixed.
I guess my point here wasn't really to brag about fixing everything but just to point out that a lot of new things can sometimes be touched up a bit. Again they might not really need the extra attention but still. Sometimes it's just nice to make it perfect and feel happy about it.
I wouldn't bother to remove the end pin, since in such a setup the taper of the hole and the pin itself could have been shaped in a hurry, and may not really match when you try to assemble it again, having a loose end pin as a result, (and a headache)
As soon as the end block seems intact (not cracked in two pieces or something like this), I would not mind at all. Eventually all the chips that are loose will come off.
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Hi again! It's been a while since my violin trouble. Just thought I'd write here that I still ended up sending it back and getting a replacement. The tail pin still started slipping after a couple of days. So I asked for repair/replacement and got a replacement which I pretty much sent back the next day. The replacement had crazy high action (6mm on the G string side) and a very high nut. Plus there seemed to be mix and match strings on it which just threw me off. They're useless strings but still there was just this general bodged look of everything on it. To top it off there was a Thomann label in it saying "This instrument has been checked by our Service Team" and some more talk of quality with someones signature on it. At that point I kinda just gave up on it.
Now in the beginning of May I bought another one of those. Yes I'm stubborn and bought the exact same thing again. Also I don't really have a lot of money 
I guess that all in all this is just another example of that getting what you pay for saying... Still I would try a bit harder if I had my name on it.
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Black super glue works well for the nut groove. Fill it and make a new groove.
qid=1468609064&sr=8-2&keywords=black super glue
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Thanks for the tip. I actually have an ebony nut blank but I seem to have misplaced my better files. Don't want to mess it up. Just today I actually filed some of that nut blank to soak the powder in regular super glue. Kinda like they do on light coloured guitar nuts with baking soda. Came out OK I think. I have had my bass guitar nut break and done it there too.
Also, thanks for the sound post video and the earlier ones too on how to cut them. I cut a new sound post for it as well. It's definitely not as easy as it looks. Hard to get those angles first try. I feel kinda lucky to have only messed up 4 pieces. The original sound post actually had filed ends and too shallow angles so it only touched on the very E sting end of the bridge. The new one is slightly longer and I think the angles turned out good too. I got the sound much more even with that. Now I can hear the violin sound from the reflection the walls too as opposed to just screeching under the ear.
I most definitely appreciate the work you do for starting violinists providing proper set up instruments.
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