what happened to the fine tune on my D string on my violin?

Hi My Friend,

I believe it is a mechanical problem. Before I attempt to resolve your problem, I wonder it is a single fine tuner on the D string, or one of the four built-in fine tuners on a Wittner fine tuner tailpiece.

I wish your answer is a Single Fine Tuner on D string. According to your description, I believe you have damaged the thread of the fine tuner screw.

Actually, the fine tuner is a lever system, there is a hook in one side of the lever, on the other side of the lever there is a screw. The depth of the screw drilling in determines how much the hook to pull back the string. It adjusts the tension of the string and affect the intonation.

Whenever if it is too hard to turn the screw by a counter clockwise direction, you should stop to turn the screw and return it by the clockwise direction (MUST BE OPPOSITE DIRECTION). If you keep turning the screw with the same direction, it damages the thread of the screw. It may widens the hole, the hole cannot keep the screw in position anymore, so that you will feel the screw loosen and it lost its fine tune capability.

If this is the case, it's too difficult to fix. Except you know anybody works in a machine shop, ask him/her to fix the thread for you by a SCREW THREAD TAPER; then replace the bad screw with a new matching thicker screw. Otherwise go to music store to buy another fine tuner. If it is the D fine tuner of a Wittner Tailpiece and no one can help you to fix the thread. Sorry! the only solution is buy a new tailpiece! you can ask the music store to help you install!