Care & Maintenance

Every DOLFINOS product is carefully put together by hand with extra care, love and attention. In order to guarantee a long lifespan of your DOLFINOS product, it needs regular maintenance and care, much like a valuable Swiss swatch or a bike. We’ve put together a short checklist of the most important tips and tricks to ensure your product stays in good condition. 

• Replace worn out parts such as Grip Hoods or cushions as soon as they show signs of wear and no longer fulfil their original purpose. Special attention should be paid to the chin rest screws: make sure to replace screws before badly damaged to avoid screws getting stuck.
• Regularly clean and oil the pins, don’t wait until the Pin-Lock-System is dirty to clean. If you play every day, we recommend cleaning and oiling the pins it at least once a month.
• To clean simply add oil to a cotton swab and clean the bolts, e.g., sewing machine oil. (Do not use olive oil.) Clean until the cotton swab no longer shows signs of dark residue from the bolt. Then move the bolt in and out a couple of times.
• Whenever possible, tighten the sliders by hand. Avoid using a screwdriver, only use one when needed to slightly change the position of the sliders. Please pay extra attention to the synthetic material used for the CARBON Edition, it may be damaged if the sliders are tightened too tightly.
• The angle stopper on the shoulder rest can not be exceeded. There is a risk that either the “horns” of the shoulder rest or the spring of the adapter will break off if the maximum angle is exceeded. If you exceed the maximum angle, the metal spring will "overflip". Avoid "overflipping" the metal spring as much as possible. Overflipping too often may damage the metal spring and the horns.
• Reset the screw for changing the angle on the shoulder rest to the zero position after each use. Compare the spring to your bow - loosening the tension on the bow helps to prolong the life span of your bow.
• Never screw the chin rest screws too tightly and tighten with caution. The chin rest screws are very small, when tightened with too much effort/strength it may cause damage.
• Check at regular intervals whether the base cork is still thick enough. Cork is a natural material that compresses and thins over time due to pressure. Replace the base cork when it no longer has the necessary thickness. If the base cork gets too thin, the spring or the "horns" of the shoulder rest might touch the bottom of your instrument. Get the replacement cork here or ask your luthier. 
• Don’t clean wooden chin rests with rubbing alcohol or other similar substances. If you wish to clean your chin rest, simply use a wet towel. For cleaning and polishing we also recommend any type of skin care oil (we like Dr. Hauschka Moor Lavender oil) or olive oil.