Can you please give me some advice. I'm not looking for anything complex -- there's no axle grease or nuclear waste on my mando, just the usual sweat, and dust. Should I take it to a car wash?
Can you please give me some advice. I'm not looking for anything complex -- there's no axle grease or nuclear waste on my mando, just the usual sweat, and dust. Should I take it to a car wash?
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
Yes a high pressure car wash should do fine.seriously I just wipe mine off with a damp rag followed by drying, buffing with a soft dry rag.
Is the finish laquer/ nitro? A popular choice is Virtuoso Premium Polish and Virtuoso Premium Cleaner. These are sold in separate bottles.
Kentucky KM-380
I just use a lint-free cloth and a little elbow grease . . . never had a problem with that.
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
I have only owned a mandolin since April. Today I took a micro fiber cloth and wiped off the dust and buffed the chrome tail piece.
With my guitars when I change strings I use Music Nomad cleaner and polish. Once a year I use their fret board oil. I will do the same on the mandolin which will be soon since it is ready for a string change.
Ernie Ball also has a nice polish.
2007 Indiana Scout
2018 Indiana Madison Quilt Elite
2018 Takamine GJ72CE 12 String
2018 Takamine GD93
1963 Gibson SG
2016 Kala Uke
Dean A Style Mandolin (year unknown)
Plus a few lower end I have had for years
I dribble drops of beer off my mustache while on stage. When it gets too gross, I wipe it down with a damp cloth...buff dry, then a little DrDucks Axe Wax(I think it's just mineral oil) gets it slick again.
2007 Weber Custom Elite "old wood"
2017 Ratliff R5 Custom #1148
Several nice old Fiddles
2007 Martin 000-15S 12 fret Auditorium-slot head
Deering Classic Open Back
Too many microphones
BridgerCreekBoys.com
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
I used to use Martin guitar polish but have switched to Duck's Axe Wax.
I use Meguiar's Fine Cut Cleaner, which is abrasive and should not be used frequently. But it will blend out a patina to a soft glow without losing any mojo. You'd be surprised how many scratches disappear. The grit starts out as a fine grit (probably 10000) and breaks down as you use it to 30000 or so. Achieves a mirror shine every time with virtually no work.
For simple, non-abrasive cleaner, I use Meguiar's Show Car Glaze.
A lot of luthiers used Meguair's products in the 90's and early oughts because they were the only ones who disclosed their ingredients, and guaranteed that no silicones were used, so relatively safe for future restoration work.
Hot breath and a micro fibre rag. About every 6-8 mo that I clean it with naphtha (shellite in Australia.) about every 12-&8 months inoolish it with guitar polish. I like to keep them impeccable. This seems to work.
The naphtha doesn’t affect any of my finishes. But check on a small part before applying.
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To quote Captain Beefhart: “Don’t wipe the sweat off your instrument.
You need that stink on there. Then you have to get that stink onto your music.“
I like to use two products, both rubbed in carefully with an old T-shirt:
1) Lizard Spit is a very gentle solvent that will gently remove finger grime, smoke, sweat and stray spit from singing (http://lizardspit.com/)
2) Dr. Duck's Ax Wax will bring up a nice shine and help to hide any nicks or scratches. The initial oily feel feel fades in a day (http://www.ducksdeluxe.com/ddaxwax.html)
Good luck!
I've been using our own Dave Harvey's Jubilee Polish for years. It really cleans up my mandolins, and I big time trust Dave to formulate something that is good for a mandolin.
Here is a link to retailer of it:
https://cumberlandacoustic.com/product/jubliee-polish/
NFI. Just a big fan of Dave and his polish.
Phil Vinyard
Gibson Jam Master F Standard #12 May 13, 2009
Gibson Model A #67336 ca. 1921
Harwood Bowlback ca. 1900
Trinity College TM-325 Octave Mandolin
Freshwater Mandocello
Krutz 200 Upright Bass
I wipe them with a cloth on occasion. Might use a damp cloth if needed. No polishing here.
Shaun Garrity
http://www.youtube.com/user/spgokc78
I've very seldom had to clean a mandolin. A little fretboard oil maybe once a year, wipe in lightly, wipe off with soft cloth or paper towel. The instrument doesn't really get dirty.
On the other hand, I've bought several grungy old violins off ebay and such places, and they were often crusty/dusty/resinated. For those, the grunge has to go, and the least invasive way to do it is with a paper towel or soft cloth and spit.
Yes, good old saliva. It's not very runny, which is nice, and it's chock full of enzymes and such. A little bit applied to an area, work it around, rub gently and wipe off. It will not harm the finish, but if it's a big project, you WILL go dry, so plan on spending a couple days doing a small area, then the next, and so on. You're trying to loosen up decades of crud, and you don't want to grind the stuff into the finish, just dissolve the crud and wipe it off.
I've done this on several old fiddles. It works well, and I've never experienced any drawbacks. I've never had a mandolin that needed this treatment; somehow they don't get as cruddy as old violins. I have no doubt that it would work on a mandolin.
I use a damp cloth then buff it with a dry one. Once or twice a year I polish it with Dunlop Formula 65. I did go to Walmart and buy a bundle of white washcloths specifically for instrument care. I washed them before using them as they smelled of bleach when I bought them. R/
I love hanging out with mandolin nerds . . . . . Thanks peeps ...
I use David Harvey's Jubilee cleaner/polish. Last bottle lasted eight years and just reordered. Great stuff !
Lint free cloth on the body. A small patch of lamb's wool over the fretboard before putting it away takes care of skin oils on the strings.
Axes: Eastman MD-515 & El Rey; Eastwood S Mandola
Amps: Fishman Loudbox 100; Rivera Clubster Royale Recording Head & R212 cab; Laney Cub 10
Thanks, Bob. The violin information is interesting too, as there's a "permanent" thin layer of rosin on my fiddle, though I rub it with a cloth after every playing. My luthier actually scraped rosin off my bow with a pen knife, but, if I tried that, I'd probably end up with either a very thin bow or two partial bows. He apprenticed under a Hungarian master when I was a schoolboy, and probably got his ears boxed whenever he made an error.
Robert Johnson's mother, describing blues musicians:
"I never did have no trouble with him until he got big enough to be round with bigger boys and off from home. Then he used to follow all these harp blowers, mandoleen (sic) and guitar players."
Lomax, Alan, The Land where The Blues Began, NY: Pantheon, 1993, p.14.
Cold water, gentle cycle, tumble dry.
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