How were "unfinished" tops finished?

[Tavy]

I posted this over in the builders section, but they're all too modern over there :grin:

Does anyone know how "unfinished" italian mandolin tops were actually finished? Were they truely bare wood, or sealed, or was it simply a short cut used by the cheap and nasty? I'm asking because I'm about to restore just such a top.

Thanks in advance, John.

[Bob A]

While I don't know what, if anything, they were sealed with, I hasten to point out that this was not limited to cheap and nasty instruments. Both my Ceccherinis, one of which is an incredibly ornate presentation style mandolin, have the seemingly unfinished top.

[Jim Garber]

I highly doubt that they were completely unfinished. I had my luthier work on a few of my Italians and he said that there is some very light finish and sealant on them. I also doubt that it was a cost-cutting technique. I think they would have had people breaking down their doors if there were no finish at all. Also, since the top wood is spruce, it would be suicide to have it unfinished IMHO.

John, what is the brand of the mandolin you are working on?

[Martin Jonas]

One thing that is notable about those bare-looking Italian mandolin tops is that they are light-sensitive and you can always spot whether a particular instrument has ever spent time hanging on a wall in permanent light or has always lived in a case. They discolour very sharply if exposed to the light, turning either a rich dark brown or a dull dark gray. Instruments that have always been cased retain the fresh pale spruce colour. I don't see darkening of this kind in photos of American or German bowlbacks with their obvious finish on the soundboard.

Martin

[etbarbaric]

I rather suspect that mandolins "inherited" this feature from the world of lutes. Traditional lute tops are also minimally finished. In fact, things like oil-based varnishes are widely considered "death" to lute tops.

That said, modern luthiers do typically apply a "very light" finish to lute tops to avoid rapid oxidation of the wood, oils from fingers, sweat, etc. I have heard of people using egg tempura and also a light french polish. I'm sure there are other answers.

Eric

[Tavy]

Thanks for the replies everyone, looks like I'll go with a shellac sealer, and maybe a very thin coat on top...

It's a no-name cheap instrument BTW, just practicing my restoration skills!

John.

[dave17120]

I have been looking at some old French mandolin catalogues, and in several places it says that the bowlbacks in question come with unfinished tops, but that if required, they can be finished, with the resultant delay in arrival. At a time when the normal finish was probably a shellac one (early 1900s) the finish was probably that.
Most of the Italian instruments I have worked on have definitely had no finish, with the exception of Albertinis, which for some reason do. Dave

[Arto]

Jim: "Also, since the top wood is spruce, it would be suicide to have it unfinished IMHO."

I doubt that it´s not suicidal. I don´t know about Western lutes, but traditionally (and still now) the Turkish ouds have totally unfinished tops with no lacquer or shellac of any kind, and it´s the same with tanburs with their extremely thin, braceless wooden tops. I don´t know about baglamas. Seems to work with those instruments - the tops stain easily, and change their colour with sunlight, but there´s no problem otherways. Arabic ouds seems to have usually tops with some kind of finish, though. Maybe it´s more a question of tradition.