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Located in St. Louis, Missouri, the Knilling Custom Shop is staffed by dedicated men and women, experienced and skilled craftspeople committed to bringing out the best each instrument has to offer. Knilling standards of adjustment meet or exceed those established by the Music Educators National Conference (MENC). When you receive an instrument from us, you know it has received precise, painstaking attention to detail by craftspeople who take pride in their work. You are getting an instrument that lives up to the Knilling reputation. BASIC ADJUSTMENT Bridge Each bridge on a Knilling instrument is hand carved for precise fit, proper string height and spacing. The soles of the bridge feet should fit flush to the top; the better the contact, the better the sound transmission. Each bridge has to be individually fit, because no two tops are alike. Each bridge is also beveled or "breasted" on the side facing the fingerboard (the back of the bridge should always be straight, and perpendicular to the top), and the bridge thickness precisely tapered towards the top; properly removing the excess wood allows the bridge to vibrate more freely and improves the sound without weakening the bridge structurally. String height and spacing is also important for proper playability; Knilling instruments are all adjusted to meet or exceed specifications established by MENC, the Music Educators National Conference. Even the depths of the string grooves in the bridge are carefully maintained and lubricated for easy string passage. Not only is the cut of the bridge important, but the quality of the basic blank itself is an important factor in any instrument's performance. A cheap bridge blank not only does not transmit vibrations well, but quickly warps and wears, necessitating costly premature replacement. Pegs Not only is every peg hand-fitted and lubricated for smooth and easy tuning, but the pegs ends are rounded, and fit flush for a professional finish. A superior grade of ebony is used for greater durability, and a special process employed when fitting the pegs to ensure that they don't shrink in the peg holes. String holes are drilled after the peg is fitted, and, care is taken that each string is wound on the pegs properly; over the peg and towards the peg box wall. Hand-carving the pegs. As silly as it sounds, there is an art to carving round pegs to fit round holes. Any other way means strings which slip or stick!     Buschmann tuners On student violins, violas, and celli, when steel core strings are employed, Knilling installs four Buschmann string adjusters. A patented exclusive, the caps on the Buschmann tuners protect the instrument from tuner damage should the bridge get knocked out of place and the tailpiece collapse. Only quality German-made string hardware is used, to ensure long-term reliability and smooth performance. Installing a cello tailpiece with Buschmann tuners. Bridges fall. (Kids are kids, and accidents do happen.) But when our bridges fall instruments don't get scratched, thanks to the patented Buschmann tuner with it's unique protective cap. Strings While quality steel core strings are standard on most Knilling student instruments, substitutions are welcome. Therefore, if other types or brands of strings are desired, these requests can be accommodated without difficulty Checking for proper string height. Every Knilling instrument is adjusted to meet or exceed MENC specifications. Continue