I must confess, when no one looking I give a little "twift twift" towards the fingerboard and use a rag to remove the grunge buildup.
Beside polishing boots, spit seems to do a nice job cleaning the residue from my fiddle. My question is, beside the obvious social issues, is there any negative effects from this behavior?
Jocklet - just a point of pure pedantry: What the luthier probably said, or meant to say, was 'methylated spirits', which is ethanol containing a very small percentage of methanol, supposedly to make it undrinkable (although some are unperturbed by this), and a dash of purple dye, so that one can distinguish it from Vladivar or Ballygowan without having to taste it. For cleaning purposes, 18-year-old Islay malt will work just as well. Pure methanol, as far as I am aware, is not available over the counter.
I don't advise surgical spirit for string cleaning. Admittedly, it is mostly alcohol in the form of industrial methylated spirit, but also contains about 2.5% castor oil, which is not a good thing to have on your strings until you're playing a lot of slides and slip jigs
Methylated spirits can also contain all sorts of additives, so I'd rather not use it on strings.
The best stuff I've found for string cleaning is isopropanol (a.k.a. isoprop) or isopropanol/ethanol mixture which is used medically for topical use, and also in electronics for cleaning electronic circuits and the like. Apply it with a bit of lint-free cloth. It evaporates very quickly and is flammable, so take the usual precautions. And don't let it get anywhere near the instrument varnish or it will take it off! You can get isoprop at the better drugstores or specialist electrical stores.
Question: how does the rosin effect the taste of the 18 year old Islay malt?
My wife laughs at me because I shampoo the hair on my bows. It seems to work. But I think I'll give the rubbing alchol a try.
Ran-
Careful with Ethel Alcohol. I use it for cleaning copier parts and it'll give me a headache that will last for 4 hours (and that's outdoors).
Isoprop is also sold in most US stores as "rubbing alcohol."
If ethanol is giving you a headache, it sounds like you're getting a hangover ;) Do you get any buzz to go with it?
Any of these alcohols are extremely volatile, if you're breathing a large amount of that vapor instead of the oxygen your body expected, of course you'll get a headache. I'm surprised it's a problem for you outdoors. (But then again, I noticed you said you're in SoCal; I guess being outdoors in the smog doesn't really guarantee you any fresher air supply than being in a non-ventilated room indoors...)
Shampooing the bow hair, yeah, I've seen that recommendation before. But usually I break so many hairs on my bow that it needs to be rehaired long before it needs a deep cleaning...
Three hours a day sitting in traffic, you'ed think I could snort rat poison without being bothered. Must just be a fluke that it bothers me. No other solvents do.
I recommend Alberto VO5, it makes the bow hair fuller, and gives it more bounce.
Universal solvent?
Universal solvent?
I must confess, when no one looking I give a little "twift twift" towards the fingerboard and use a rag to remove the grunge buildup.
Beside polishing boots, spit seems to do a nice job cleaning the residue from my fiddle. My question is, beside the obvious social issues, is there any negative effects from this behavior?
# Posted on February 20th 2004 by Robby B.
Re: Universal solvent?
Jayes. me Ma used to spit on her hanky and rub the worst of the dirt offa my visage when I was but a chiseler.
Negative effects? Naaaah. Where's me bodhran?
# Posted on February 20th 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Universal solvent?
Robby - the old twift twift method is more about rubbing than water, so it's unlikely that the old fiddle will split or warp horribly.
Another really useful tip is: after eating the hotdog, wipe the ketchup and grease off your fingers before playing! It helped me.
Dave
# Posted on February 20th 2004 by showaddydadito
Re: Universal solvent?
I like to think I'm a tidy lad but it amazes me how much grime there can be.
Thanks for the hotdog advice. But I thought the hotdog grease helps with slides?
# Posted on February 20th 2004 by Robby B.
Re: Universal solvent?
Joe, you sound like Bill Cullen.
# Posted on February 20th 2004 by BowHand
Re: Universal solvent?
...... but especially with slip jigs.
# Posted on February 20th 2004 by showaddydadito
Re: Universal solvent?
A luthier told me to use methanol for the fingerboard and also for cleaning the horsehair.It works.
# Posted on March 1st 2003 by dafydd
Re: Universal solvent?
At a pinch, I'll use vodka on the fingerboard, but you have to be careful not to let it slop onto anywhere else...
# Posted on February 20th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Universal solvent?
Vodka is a fine solvent, administered internally. Shtrings a bit dhurty? Wha shtrings?
# Posted on February 20th 2004 by Will Harmon
Re: Universal solvent?
Jocklet - just a point of pure pedantry: What the luthier probably said, or meant to say, was 'methylated spirits', which is ethanol containing a very small percentage of methanol, supposedly to make it undrinkable (although some are unperturbed by this), and a dash of purple dye, so that one can distinguish it from Vladivar or Ballygowan without having to taste it. For cleaning purposes, 18-year-old Islay malt will work just as well. Pure methanol, as far as I am aware, is not available over the counter.
# Posted on February 20th 2004 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Universal solvent?
Oo,s Bill Cullen, then?
# Posted on February 21st 2004 by Joe Quinn
Re: Universal solvent?
I don't advise surgical spirit for string cleaning. Admittedly, it is mostly alcohol in the form of industrial methylated spirit, but also contains about 2.5% castor oil, which is not a good thing to have on your strings until you're playing a lot of slides and slip jigs
Methylated spirits can also contain all sorts of additives, so I'd rather not use it on strings.
The best stuff I've found for string cleaning is isopropanol (a.k.a. isoprop) or isopropanol/ethanol mixture which is used medically for topical use, and also in electronics for cleaning electronic circuits and the like. Apply it with a bit of lint-free cloth. It evaporates very quickly and is flammable, so take the usual precautions. And don't let it get anywhere near the instrument varnish or it will take it off! You can get isoprop at the better drugstores or specialist electrical stores.
Trevor
# Posted on February 21st 2004 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Universal solvent?
Question: how does the rosin effect the taste of the 18 year old Islay malt?
My wife laughs at me because I shampoo the hair on my bows. It seems to work. But I think I'll give the rubbing alchol a try.
Ran-
Careful with Ethel Alcohol. I use it for cleaning copier parts and it'll give me a headache that will last for 4 hours (and that's outdoors).
# Posted on February 21st 2004 by Ran
Re: Universal solvent?
Isoprop is also sold in most US stores as "rubbing alcohol."
If ethanol is giving you a headache, it sounds like you're getting a hangover ;) Do you get any buzz to go with it?
Any of these alcohols are extremely volatile, if you're breathing a large amount of that vapor instead of the oxygen your body expected, of course you'll get a headache. I'm surprised it's a problem for you outdoors. (But then again, I noticed you said you're in SoCal; I guess being outdoors in the smog doesn't really guarantee you any fresher air supply than being in a non-ventilated room indoors...)
Shampooing the bow hair, yeah, I've seen that recommendation before. But usually I break so many hairs on my bow that it needs to be rehaired long before it needs a deep cleaning...
# Posted on February 21st 2004 by HighlandSun
Re: Universal solvent?
Three hours a day sitting in traffic, you'ed think I could snort rat poison without being bothered. Must just be a fluke that it bothers me. No other solvents do.
I recommend Alberto VO5, it makes the bow hair fuller, and gives it more bounce.
# Posted on February 21st 2004 by Ran
Re: Universal solvent?
The luthier did say methanol,and you can buy it over the counter here in Belgium.
# Posted on March 1st 2003 by dafydd