I've recently aquired a cheap mandolin with a rather ugly varnish job. I'm tempted to take the original varnish off and redo it. If there's anyone here with experience doing this sort of work...
What should I use to remove the original varnish, some sort of stripper fluid or just sand it off?
What should I replace it with? Maybe french polish?
If the mandolin sounds good, don't refinish it. If it sounds bad and is truly a cheap instrument, it is a waste of time and money to refinish unless you just want the practice in applying varnish.
In the first place if it is a cheap mandolin, it is not finished with varnish, varnish is only used on expensive mandolins these days.
Secondly, how cheap are we talking, Rover cheap ($99 in the states, which is about E12 these days) or is it more? If it is that cheap, no amount of varnish will make it much better, you are well served by changing the bridge out and setting it up properly.
Lastly, this is not a good forum for that kind of question. Go to http://www.mandolincafe.com and click on the messages/builders section.
I never look at my mandolin while I'm playing, so it doesn't matter if it's ugly.
If your audience is more concerned by the appearance of the instrument than its sound, then perhaps it's the audience that needs to change, not the instrument.
I would rethink the french polish thing- great on furniture and antiques- every time it comes into contact with a hard surface- it rubs off!! My hand made insturment looked old after one month of play!!!
Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
Hello all.
I've recently aquired a cheap mandolin with a rather ugly varnish job. I'm tempted to take the original varnish off and redo it. If there's anyone here with experience doing this sort of work...
What should I use to remove the original varnish, some sort of stripper fluid or just sand it off?
What should I replace it with? Maybe french polish?
Thanks!
# Posted on December 9th 2004 by SteveW
Re: Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
if you like the sound of the instrument, don't you dare do that.
if you don't mind potentially making it much worse than it is, go ahead.
# Posted on December 9th 2004 by sifudave54
Re: Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
If you head for www.mimf.com and register there you'll have access to loads of relevant info. Musical Instrument Makers Forum
You don't see the link to the archive of discussions unless you register.
# Posted on December 9th 2004 by TomB-R
Re: Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
If the mandolin sounds good, don't refinish it. If it sounds bad and is truly a cheap instrument, it is a waste of time and money to refinish unless you just want the practice in applying varnish.
# Posted on December 9th 2004 by griffith
Re: Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
In the first place if it is a cheap mandolin, it is not finished with varnish, varnish is only used on expensive mandolins these days.
Secondly, how cheap are we talking, Rover cheap ($99 in the states, which is about E12 these days) or is it more? If it is that cheap, no amount of varnish will make it much better, you are well served by changing the bridge out and setting it up properly.
Lastly, this is not a good forum for that kind of question. Go to http://www.mandolincafe.com and click on the messages/builders section.
Mike Keyes
# Posted on December 9th 2004 by mikeyes
Re: Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
There's no such thing as an ugly mandolin.
# Posted on December 9th 2004 by Backer
Re: Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
Just ugly mandolin players? ;)
# Posted on December 9th 2004 by Zina Lee
Re: Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
> There's no such thing as an ugly mandolin.
It's Russian, 30 quid off EBay. It sounds OK but it's let down by the look. Thanks for the mandolincafe link.
You haven't seen this one.
# Posted on December 9th 2004 by SteveW
Re: Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
www.frets.com is the site of luthier Frank Ford, and it's a wealt of excellent how-to tutorials about fretted instruments.l
# Posted on December 9th 2004 by s1m0n
Re: Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
The message board at www.mandolincafe.org has a section for makers and repairers. That would be a good place to try.
# Posted on December 10th 2004 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
I never look at my mandolin while I'm playing, so it doesn't matter if it's ugly.
If your audience is more concerned by the appearance of the instrument than its sound, then perhaps it's the audience that needs to change, not the instrument.
# Posted on December 10th 2004 by showaddydadito
Re: Revarnishing an ugly mandolin
I would rethink the french polish thing- great on furniture and antiques- every time it comes into contact with a hard surface- it rubs off!! My hand made insturment looked old after one month of play!!!
# Posted on December 11th 2004 by CC