Hi! I have this pretty nice-looking cheap mandolin. It's got a high gloss finish.
I've had it for years now and I've been thinking of sanding it down to make it look a bit more "satin-y".
- Does it sound like a good idea to just sand it down, or does it sound like a big mistake?
- Would I need to apply anything to it to keep the wood from being too vulnerable to moisture if I do this?
- Are there any steps that I'm missing or things that I don't seem to be considering but SHOULD be?
- Is there anything else y'all would want to know before you give me advice on this?
I don't really know anything about wood...
Uh, some notes:
This is purely a cosmetic venture! I know it won't look amazing once it's done since I'm really inexperienced, but I always liked the look of satin and more matte finishes (I believe that's what they're called haha) and I'm one of those folks who make a big deal out of making their belongings their own, all unique and whatnot!
I'm not too concerned about inadvertently changing the tone a little bit; my mandolin is sort of cheaply built and doesn't have the most amazing tone anyway, and I'm planning on upgrading sometime before Christmas so as long as I have a mandolin-sounding mandolin-shaped object, I think I'll be fine not having something gorgeous-sounding for a while.
My main concern here is that I don't want to have to worry too much more about changing weather and humidity situations...
Anyway, once it's done--if I end up doing it--I'll gladly post a before and after picture! If I do it, it won't be until I replace my strings again though.
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