| ABOUT FINISHES Violin and Mandolin Family: The Search for a Truly "Tone Friendly" Finish Many contemporary violin makers will concede that a violin sounds best with no finish at all! However, as good as a violin "in-the-white" may sound, it would rapidly succumb to the ravages of humidity, dirt, sweat, and whatever other hazards the player's environment has to offer. So, the question is: how to best protect the instrument while least affecting the tone. After experimenting with many different wood finishes, including the traditional varnishes, we have come to the conclusion that a quality hand-rubbed Tung Oil finish provides the best protection with the least dampening of tone. Even 30 coats of hand-rubbed Tung Oil are less than 0.0003" (three ten-thousandths of an inch) thick, and won't crack, craze, chip, or soften up from body oils or sweat. Tung Oil offers the maker many possibilities as to the luster and depth of the final finish. Many effects can be achieved, from a satiny "bare wood" look to the look of a fine oil varnish as rendered by the old masters. The final treatment is at least two coats of pure Carnuba wax-in-turpentine, hand rubbed and polished. Our clients are pleasantly surprised to find that rosin practically falls off the instrument, facilitating easy cleaning. Our exclusive finish is beautiful to look at, as well as extremely durable and easy to maintain. |