Refinishing

[Jonathan]

I recently bought a Gibson mandocello with a warm, resonant sound but badly mismatched top, sides and back thanks to an earlier amateurish refinish job. I would like to have at least the top stripped and refinished, but some local players cautioned me against it, saying that if I like the way the instrument sounds I should leave it as it is. Can a refinish job change an instrument's sound that much? And wouldn't a refinish done by a competent luthier make it sound at least as good as it does now with god-knows-what sprayed on the top?
Thanks for any advice you folks might have.

Jonathan

[Michael Lewis]

Johnathon, in general you should be able to re finish the instrument, however, the thicker the finish the more it will change the sound, and generally not for the better. Competence is a relative term when it comes to luthiers and finish work. In this case your best bet is probably to French polish it. This is not a very durable finish but it works, can be reversed, and is thin. If you can find some one to spray lacquer in very thin layer it too can still sound good and is more durable. It is very easy to make lacquer too thick.