We recommend regular servicing of your instrument to preserve its optimal sound quality, particularly before a problem manifests itself.
How many times you have your instrument serviced will vary greatly and depend on the intensity and use of your instrument, but it is reasonable to envisage it every two to three years or sooner if you feel the need.
Wear and tear can manifest itself through loss of sound efficiency, first playability and then accuracy, and finally parasite sounds. A bow in need of rosin too often is a sign of wear and tear : drop by to change the hair. A change in sound over a few days or a problem with the tuning pegs can be due to changing humidity levels, but if the change persists for more than a week or 10 days then come in and have your instrument checked.
Your instrument is a delicate balance of pressure and tensions relying on several sound filters and vibration amplifiers. This balance can be adjusted by choosing the right strings, modifying the position of the sound post and adjusting the bridge, specifically choosing the tailpiece and tail gut, fine tuning the geometry between the neck and the body of the instrument, and maintaining the fingerboard to name just a few.
Having your instrument checked can be a good opportunity to adjust its sonority thus opening the way to its yet unexplored qualities. The voice of your instrument cannot be fundamentally changed by it being serviced, but the fitting and setting of the instrument is directly related to helping enhance its efficiency for better sound while performing in a group; or produce subtle nuances to render and interpret a composition. The musician can then concentrate on the music and not on technical aspects allowing his/her sound to rise to new levels.