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I got new strings for Christmas! Thomastic Dominants. Put them on last night and they're great! (Okay, my old strings were the cheapo steel cores that came with the violin, so anything would likely sound great compared to that...) Changing the strings was not as easy as it looked, and it didn't even look all that easy, but I eventually got them on decently.
The E string has a little plastic sleeve, which made me happy. But – annoyingly, the sleeve refuses to sit in the notch; it rolls off so the string lies about 1 mm to the right of where it should. So I left the sleeve to sit on the afterlength instead. Should probably sand down the bridge a bit to remove the deep gouge that the old sleeveless E string made.
After I'd practised Auld Lang Syne with the new strings today, I was going to put the violin away. And horror of horrors, that's when I noticed a crack! 
It's along the seam between the back and the ribs, to the right of the endpin, like so:
It's probably caused by low humidity, and maybe the fact that I've had my poor violin brave the cold a few times to take it to my sister's. The little humidifier I made wasn't so good; I've improved its design now. Also, perhaps the pressure changes while restringing made matters worse, unless it's been there unnoticed since before the string change.
What do you reckon? Can I use the violin looking like that and just hope it doesn't get worse? Would it be very expensive to get fixed? 
~ Once you've ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true. ~
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I suggest that you take your violin to Stråkton on Odengatan 23 and let them have a look. I am sure that they can give you an estimation how much it will cost to fix it. I had a crack in my violin that they repaired for me.
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Open seam, not a huge deal, here it would run about 25$ U.S. to fix...I would back some of the tension off the strings but not all because the soundpost needs to stay upright and take it in before continuing on playing...
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Very common for the seam to open in that area. Comes from the heat and humidity of your body. The left side is less common because the chinrest actually holds the top and bottom glued together quite well.
As fishnrodds said, very inexpensive to fix.
Don't sand down the bridge as you may get it too low. Can't put wood back on the bridge. If the slot is too big order a bridge protector instead of worrying about the plastic sleeve.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
I would suspect you have the humidity too high. The glue is water soluable. When a seem opens from the gue drying out a white powder will be seen at the seam.
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Thanks for the help, everyone! I'll call Stråkton after the holidays are over. And I'll take the violin out of the case to see if it'll develop white powder. I suspect Kevin might be right, because i just checked and found that the rib extends out across the seem -- like it's swollen.
~ Once you've ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true. ~
Kevin M. said
I would suspect you have the humidity too high. The glue is water soluable. When a seem opens from the gue drying out a white powder will be seen at the seam.
Have it also. The little one (for now) almost unphotoable on my new. Definitelly know that humidity is too low.
I have a crack on my "old" too, and exactly in the spot, You have it, Alma. And it has same effect- "the rib extends out across the seem -- like it's swollen." Though it was not so big as yours, so i've glued it with epoxy 
- didn't help - in about 5 months it opened again =/ So, luthier - is the best option. And better soon. Those cracks have a habit to grow. On my violins at least 
Naska, You have earned 50 lashes with a wet noodle for using epoxy on a violin. All a luthier would have had to do is to heat up the joint with a thin knife and clamp it. Now the epoxy has to be removed. An open seem is very common and very easy to repair. Please don't use any crazy glues on them.
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Thanks, Naska. Yes, I'll get it fixed as soon as possible. Also,
Kevin M. said
Naska, You have earned 50 lashes with a wet noodle for using epoxy on a violin.
~ Once you've ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true. ~
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Kevin M. said
Naska, You have earned 50 lashes with a wet noodle for using epoxy on a violin.
Join the queue!
I am amazed at how old people of my age are.....
Kevin M. said
Naska, You have earned 50 lashes with a wet noodle..
Umph! 
...50 lashes with a wet noodle... 
that supposed to be something bad..
I know that it was stupid, but i had nobody to ask about it at those times... And was very curious - what will happen?
Nothing good happened, ROTFFLMAO!
So..., Hot knife, You say... Hmmmm...
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Mad_Wed said
I know that it was stupid, but i had nobody to ask about it at those times...
So..., Hot knife, You say... Hmmmm...
Naska, it's because you used epoxy (I used glue instead, lol). My luthiers wanted $35.00 per open seam spot and my violin had quite a few of them. I did not know about hot knife though. So after $3.00 worth of Krazy glue, it's all back together.
Sorry, Kevin. I will definitely try to buy another old violin with open seams to practice your hot knife method.
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Lol @ Naska...... sometimes as women (violinist, humans) we do what we think is best at the time..
Lol @ Kevin, that used to be a favorite saying of mine...but no one ever laughed... (fools...)
I hope I don't get this seam crack... I will obsess over it until fixed.
Happy New Year,
Toni
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
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Alma, how did this story end? Is you violin back in working order again?
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Sorry I've been so absent from this topic lately! I've only just today managed to hand my poor violin in for repair. Haven't played it in nearly a month because it sounded all raspy, so I miss it tremendously. The man at Stråkton (the repair shop) said he'd get it fixed as soon as possible.
Also, I've gotten myself a hygrometer (at a reptile fair the other day) and the relative humidity in my flat is less than 20%! No wonder my violin doesn't approve. I also checked inside the the case, and it's the same there despite my home-made humidifier. Added lots more water to the marbles and put it in a plastic box with the hygrometer, and now it seems to work better.
I'll post again once I get my violin back in working order. With a reassuring picture. 
~ Once you've ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true. ~
Almandin said
....Also, I've gotten myself a hygrometer (at a reptile fair the other day) and the relative humidity in my flat is less than 20%! ....
Yep! Same thing. I have 17% here... thought that the hydrometer was lying, but it does not =)
Be careful there, my friend!
Wish You get it back soon !!!
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Finally got my violin back today! Good as new! 
The next step in making it better will be to buy a new chinrest, because the one I have on presses against the tailpiece when I play. I think that may be what causes the rasping on some notes, so I'll go to my local violin store and try out different types. Maybe an centre mounted one would be the way to go.
In the meantime, though – I can play again! I even remember the songs I learned all those days and weeks and months ago! But I'm thinking I'll go back to basics and maybe get those right this time around...
~ Once you've ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true. ~
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