Any orchestral string players here?

N

notCardio

I walk the line
OK, not sure where to put this, so I thought I'd give it a shot here.

If there's anybody here that plays violin, viola, cello, double bass, etc., what do you use to clean and polish the body? I'm assuming that the same stuff you use for an acoustic guitar would be OK, but I thought I'd better ask first. And we're not talking Stradivarius level stuff here, just your run of the mill beginner's instruments.
 
I was going to suggest just leaving it alone. Maybe a damp cloth at most, but don't let any water soak in.
 
I use lemon oil on fretboards to clean and moisturize them, and I think it works well. The article 60's linked dealt with applying a finish preservative. I'm talking about cleaning the body.

Let's say you spilled something on the body and it dried. How would you clean it off? My problem is with an upright bass, which is why I asked for string players, but we don't have a string players forum.
 
Taylor Guitars used to have some videos on their web site (maybe still do). They recommended 0000 grade steel wool on the fretboard, and then boiled linseed oil. The linseed oil only needs to be applied very rarely after the first time. Pretty sure they just used a spray carnuba wax on the body.

Don't know how this transfers to a non-fretted instrument. I've cleaned my fretboard with the steel wool, and it does a nice job. Frets are nice and shiny, and it gets the gunk off the wood. Linseed oil is supposed to fill the pores and harden in them.

Maybe check some of the manufacturer's web sites. I would think the good ones would have tutorials.
 
Yup clean damp rag and a good drying off is usually best. If rosin is really built up then I use Naptha which can take the shine right off the varnish if you aren't careful but does get the rosin dust off!
 
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