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: me, any luthiers out there... should I leave the soundboard unvarnished?
: I'm thinking that would give it a nice warm tone, or can you recommend any
: hand-rubbed oil finishes that will let the wood ring true?
Use a French polish finish, not oil, on the soundboard. That's the highest standard for classical guitars and shouldn't be too tough to do on the limited area you're talking about. (You rub in dry shellac with a cloth.) I would think that oil, soaking in, would be worse than anything else, including lacquer or varnish, which pretty much stay on the surface. I'd lacquer the rest of the instrument. Leaving the soundboard unfinished will just get it irretrievably dirty, while the French polish will give some protection, at the same time giving you that "raw wood" sound. (I play a friend's cedar/Brazilian classical by Rozas in Madrid; it's French polished, and the sound is just explosive--really fantastic.
Good luck!
--Scott
Messages In This Thread
- Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I'm working on *Pic*
Malcolm Schweizer -- 12/11/2003, 6:18 pm- You old dog, Malcolm
Robert N Pruden -- 12/12/2003, 5:32 am- Teach an old dog a new trick!
Malcolm Schweizer -- 12/12/2003, 9:33 am
- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I
Roger Turgeon -- 12/11/2003, 11:25 pm- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I *LINK*
chuck -- 12/12/2003, 6:58 pm- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I
Malcolm Schweizer -- 12/12/2003, 2:52 pm- Overlay is my choice *LINK*
Dave Sprygada -- 12/12/2003, 11:30 am- Re: Inlays vs Onlays
Roy Morford -- 12/12/2003, 9:57 am - Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I
- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I *Pic*
Jim Kozel -- 12/11/2003, 9:11 pm- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I *Pic*
Jim Kozel -- 12/11/2003, 9:13 pm- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I
Malcolm Schweizer -- 12/12/2003, 8:52 am- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I *Pic*
jimkozel -- 12/12/2003, 9:34 am- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I *Pic*
jimkozel -- 12/12/2003, 9:36 am- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I
Malcolm Schweizer -- 12/12/2003, 2:29 pm
- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I
- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I *Pic*
- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I *Pic*
- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I
- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I
Scott Fitzgerrell -- 12/11/2003, 7:51 pm- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I
Bill Cruz -- 12/11/2003, 7:24 pm- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I
Malcolm Schweizer -- 12/12/2003, 6:33 pm- follow up, link to music maker's kits
Bill Cruz -- 12/13/2003, 7:09 pm
- follow up, link to music maker's kits
- Re: Off Topic: It's not a kayak, but here's what I
chuck -- 12/11/2003, 6:40 pm- And here's a better idea of what she'll look like *Pic*
Malcolm Schweizer -- 12/11/2003, 6:35 pm- Tracks like a train but hard to roll?
Jay Doorly -- 12/12/2003, 1:36 am- Re: Tracks like a train but hard to roll?
Malcolm Schweizer -- 12/12/2003, 8:45 am
- Looks great, but does it float? heehee *NM*
Glen Smith -- 12/11/2003, 7:23 pm - Re: Tracks like a train but hard to roll?
- Teach an old dog a new trick!
- You old dog, Malcolm
*NM*
*NM*