Hi! I couldn't find any previous specificson this so here goes.
I have bought an old and abused violin, she had been used with electrical pick-ups and has bits of 'glue'on the varnish as well as rosin. Also the fingerboard is 'faded'. Can anyone recomend specific case and string 'revivers?
After every practice i wipe the strings with a microfibre cloth which removes rosin and then another cloth wipes the rest of the violin.
She has a few scratches/chips but the forums tend to err on NOT having it revarnished so I can live with those!!!
Full Version: Cleaning An Old Violin
Is ther no one out there who can help me find the correct product(s) to clean my violin?
Someone said lemon oil can be rubbed into the fret board??
Someone said lemon oil can be rubbed into the fret board??
I'm not an expert, but regarding the fingerboard, I imagine that regular practice would do quite a bit to restore the colour and gloss of the wood - "natural oils", you know! 
I sometimes varnish things (not violins), so drawing on that experience, I know that you can't just wade in with varnish - it's hard to tell whether you have spirit-based varnish or oil-based varnish, and while you might be able to put an oil-based varnish over a spirit-based varnish, you certainly can't get away with doing the opposite. (And you might find that along with the glue, things like modern synthetic resin varnishes have been used to "touch up" parts). So I'd leave well enough alone where the varnish is concerned.
I do use Hill's violin polish (just a drop or two on a cloth) occasionally, but you'll be surprised how much dust and grime come off just with regular practice - must be all the vibration, shaking things loose I think!
Don't use a damp cloth etc, as spirit varnish is susceptible to water damage, and the glue that holds the violin together is water-soluble (unless it's a really basic factory model built to take punishment).
Enjoy it, anyway, history and all.
I sometimes varnish things (not violins), so drawing on that experience, I know that you can't just wade in with varnish - it's hard to tell whether you have spirit-based varnish or oil-based varnish, and while you might be able to put an oil-based varnish over a spirit-based varnish, you certainly can't get away with doing the opposite. (And you might find that along with the glue, things like modern synthetic resin varnishes have been used to "touch up" parts). So I'd leave well enough alone where the varnish is concerned.
I do use Hill's violin polish (just a drop or two on a cloth) occasionally, but you'll be surprised how much dust and grime come off just with regular practice - must be all the vibration, shaking things loose I think!
Don't use a damp cloth etc, as spirit varnish is susceptible to water damage, and the glue that holds the violin together is water-soluble (unless it's a really basic factory model built to take punishment).
Enjoy it, anyway, history and all.
What to do with your fingerboard depends on what you mean by "faded". Is it a stained hardwood board that is no longer black (ie the stain has worn off), or an ebony one thats just dirty?
Just for the record, by the way, re-touching of damaged varnish is always done with spirit varnish, irrespective of whether the original is oil or spirit.
Just for the record, by the way, re-touching of damaged varnish is always done with spirit varnish, irrespective of whether the original is oil or spirit.
How old is the violin?
Because regarding the fingerboard being faded, my violin is 120 years old and therefore the once black ebony fingerboard is now a medium brown towards the top of it. I think it's quite pretty
Sometimes these things make violins look nicer 
Because regarding the fingerboard being faded, my violin is 120 years old and therefore the once black ebony fingerboard is now a medium brown towards the top of it. I think it's quite pretty
Sometimes these things make violins look nicer
QUOTE(all ears @ Nov 4 2008, 09:35 AM) 
I'm not an expert, but regarding the fingerboard, I imagine that regular practice would do quite a bit to restore the colour and gloss of the wood - "natural oils", you know!
I sometimes varnish things (not violins), so drawing on that experience, I know that you can't just wade in with varnish - it's hard to tell whether you have spirit-based varnish or oil-based varnish, and while you might be able to put an oil-based varnish over a spirit-based varnish, you certainly can't get away with doing the opposite. (And you might find that along with the glue, things like modern synthetic resin varnishes have been used to "touch up" parts). So I'd leave well enough alone where the varnish is concerned.
I do use Hill's violin polish (just a drop or two on a cloth) occasionally, but you'll be surprised how much dust and grime come off just with regular practice - must be all the vibration, shaking things loose I think!
Don't use a damp cloth etc, as spirit varnish is susceptible to water damage, and the glue that holds the violin together is water-soluble (unless it's a really basic factory model built to take punishment).
Enjoy it, anyway, history and all.
Thank you it is a product name I needed - I will get some Hill's.
Re: faded fret board - the guitar is about 100years old so I guess the black fading to brown is normal from what was said!
QUOTE(indigwolf @ Nov 5 2008, 01:32 PM)
Re: faded fret board - the guitar is about 100years old so I guess the black fading to brown is normal from what was said!
I thought it was a violin? :S :S
QUOTE(ffliwt @ Nov 6 2008, 05:31 PM)
QUOTE(indigwolf @ Nov 5 2008, 01:32 PM)
Re: faded fret board - the guitar is about 100years old so I guess the black fading to brown is normal from what was said!
I thought it was a violin? :S :S
Sorry - bit of a crossed line - I had been talking to my Bro' about his guitar.
Yes! It (Milly) is a violin!!
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.