sprucing up a bowlback

[manjitsu]

I have received my first bowlback this morning- a very simple but (to my eyes anyway) very lovely little instrument, an 1897 De Meglio.

I'm very happy with the overall condition, but the instrument doesn't appear to have been played in a very long time.

Which leads me to my question...does anyone have any recommendations for preparing an instrument like this for playing and giving it a general sprucing up?

The frets, while not showing little wear, seem quite tarnished. I've heard of folks using things like naptha or even olive oil and OOOO steel wool to clean up fretboards. Is this a good idea?

The varnish on the bowl is in very nice shape and shouldn't really need anything. The finish on the top appears to be a sort of natural finish, not glossy at all, that has darkened significantly. Should anything be done (or not done) to this top finish?

Regards,

Chris Rorrer

[Bob A]

Let's see, now. I've seen folks putting masking tape on the fretboard, then polishing frets with very fine steel wool. I myself use some sort of fingerboard oil about once a year to keep the board in some kind of condition. This can help in cleaning it as well, though grody fretboards do not usually interfere with playing.

The top of De Meglio instruments always seems to be very lightly finished. I'm not sure exactly what it is finished with. I wouldn't do anything to it, myself, though I've used naphtha (lighter fluid) on a clean rag to clean residue off some instruments. If you choose to attempt this, try it first in a small inconspicuous area to see what effect, if any, it might have on the finish.

Perhaps most importantly, as you're doubtless aware if you've been reading down here, is to be cautious about strings. Only the lightest gauge strings should be used, certainly nothing like bluegrass strings. GHS, Black Diamond, Dogal and Lenzner make strings suitable for bowlbacks, and you probably will have to get them thru the mail, since they are not in general use.

[Jim Garber]

Chris:
First, string it lightly as Bob says. See how it plays and what the action is etc. I would play it up to pitch with the light gauge strings for a week or so before judging on the tone and/or any problems that would need luthier-related fixing.

I can't see much harm in polishing the frets with very fine steel wool.

I wouldn't bother with any cleaning of the body the instrument unless it is very dirty or mildewed or moldy.

If the action is fine and the instrument plays well, enjoy it. If it needs work, get thee to a luthiery.

Jim

[manjitsu]

Bob and Jim-

Thanks so much for the advice- the frets cleaned up nicely with the masking tape protecting the fretboard and a few gentle strokes with the OOOO steel wool across the tops of the frets, and I haven't really touched much of anything else.

I spent some time playing last evening and this morning...once I get used holding the bowlback (VERY different from what I'm used to!) I believe I'll be spending plenty of time with this one.

The only concern I have structurally so far is that the string tension on the bridge seems to be a little uneven- it seems to be distributing the tension more onto the edge of the bridge closest to the soundhole. Almost like it's leaning a tad towards the soundole.

...so I guess it's "get thee to a luthier" to have the bridge checked out. Do you folks have any recommendations of someone who might be a good bet for doing this kind of work?

Thanks again,

Chris Rorrer

[Eugene]

How odd. How did you determine this; is the bridge visibly leaning towards the soundhole? It might have just been accidentally tipped forward while stringing it. If so, it would be as easy to correct as sliding it back down the way it belongs. My very favorite bowlback-savvy luthier is Tom Crandall with Umanov Guitars (http://www.umanovguitars.com/) in NYC...but Umanov's shop favors pricey.

[vkioulaphides]

Chris, I have (and love) an instrument that is almost identical to yours: Giovanni de Meglio, 1897, model 1A; the shop allegedly turned out some 10,000 pieces of this model around that time.

Like Eugene, I cannot quite visualize the leaning of the bridge. Can you perhaps post an image or two?

Also, does the bridge have the original brass saddle? A good piece of equipment; its low friction with the strings should automatically prevent the problem you describe.

Enjoy!

[manjitsu]

Here's a pic of the bridge that hopefully describes better what's happening.

I believe it does have it's original bridge and saddle- there is a number written in pencil on the underside of the bridge that matches the label in the soundhole.

I didn't realize that the saddle is brass, however- it's absolutely black with age. I wonder if a little polishing of this piece might help...I wouldn't think that it's very "low friction" in the state that it's in now!

Thanks again to everyone for the helping out a beginning bowler.

Regards,

Chris Rorrer

[Eugene]

It looks to simply be leaning forward. Try loosening the strings and seating it properly by simply pressing on it. I love those old de Meglios. They seem very abandunt and aren't too expensive. One of these days, I just need to go ahead and pursue one.

[Jim Garber]

...so I guess it's "get thee to a luthier" to have the bridge checked out. Do you folks have any recommendations of someone who might be a good bet for doing this kind of work?
Chris:
Where are you located, geographically? That way we can recommend a luthier.

Jim

[Martin Jonas]

Chris,

I have a very similar de Meglio to yours. #The thing with the de Meglio bridge (as with the Ceccherini bridge) is that its overall shape is a bit misleading because the actual bridge is only the bit from the brass saddle to the base, with the toothy ebony bit behind the saddle only acting as string spacer. #The bridge is OK if the base is sitting flat on the top with no open jaw either on the nut side or the tailpiece side. #I don't know if my brass saddle was original, but it was very thin and a bit bent, so I replaced it with a new bit of brass rod. #Works just fine and I've retained the original saddle just in case. #I guess you might polish it up, but I think that even a tarnished brass saddle still has very little friction. #The whole point of this bridge design is that it mirrors the zero fret on the other end: neither the bridge notches nor the nut notches affect the tone, as the open string vibrations are limited by the contact with a flat straight piece of brass. #I love the simplicity of that idea and its robustness to changes in setup.

Martin

[manjitsu]

OK...at the expense of my afternoon's work I've been playing with the De Meglio a bit.

I first removed the bridge and popped the saddle off and polished it up a bit to a smooth finish. Didn't have any affect on the leaning as far as I can tell, but it certainly looks nicer.

Feeling the top of the mandolin beneath the bridge with my fingernail, there's definitely a little indentation that has poked into the top by the edge of the bridge...nothing horrendous, but just a little "valley" that the bridge appears to be leaning into.

Looking at the darkening of the mandolin's top, it appears that this is where the bridge has just always been.

Out of curiosity, I positioned the bridge a tad closer to the soundhole, just far enough so the soundhole-facing edge is beyond the indentation in the top that the bridge appears to be leaning into.

Voila...with this done the bridge fits the top very well and doesn't exibit the leaning that I was seeing before. But the now the intonation is a hair off.

At this point, I'm wondering what things might have caused this "crease" to develop in the top in the first place. I'm also wondering if a replacement bridge with a slightly more robust imprint that sits over the crease might be an option.

...so I think I'm back to "get thee to a luthiery."

Eugene, thanks for the recommendation of Mr. Crandall at Umanov. That might be a very good option indeed as I'm close enough to the city to take a train in. I'd appreciate any other recommendations, too- I'm in coastal Connecticut, about 70 miles north of NYC.

Rgards,

Chris Rorrer

[Bob A]

Sounds to me like someone had set the bridge to sit at an angle and it just crushed the topwood over the years. There are ways of getting dents out of wood, ranging from moistening and heating the area to removing finish and filling,then french-polishing over the area. Needless to say, none of them ought to be attempted by someone with no experience in the art. There may be any number of ways to attack the problem, and I have no reservations whatever about referring you to Tom Crandall, bowlback resurrection man.

On the other hand, if the intonation is OK with a leaning Pisa bridge, you might want to save the money toward your next bowlback. (Yes, you will soon have another bowlback. I see a journey in your future. You will cross water. Please cross my palm with silver).

[Jim Garber]

I'm in coastal Connecticut, about 70 miles north of NYC.
Chris:
The other guy nearer to you I have used it Jim DeCava (http://www.decava.com/) in Stratford, CT. I haven't specifically used him for bowlbacks but he is a good all around guy for repairs and knows his stuff.

Jim

[manjitsu]

Sorry to disappear from this thread- the black vortex that is work sucked me in for a bit there.

Thanks so much to all for the recommendations on a suitable luthier. I feel lucky to have received some good recommendations that are quite close by.

I've been playing the De Meglio quite a bit (still getting used the very different feel of it) and for now, I think I'm going to just leave the bridge alone for a bit, keep on playing it, and see what happens. The intonation seems off a hair, but not enough to make the dog howl or my wife complain.

One of you seers predicted that this may not be my last bowlback...I think that prediction may come to pass. ;-)

Regards,

Chris