How to chose the best finish for your new ukulele

Finishes for Ukuleles — There are numerous ways to finish ukuleles, guitars, and stringed musical instruments. There are musicians who claim bold claims that one way is better than another in the way the instruments sound. There are conflicting opinions on which finish is best for your musical instrument. This article tries to explain  about the basic differences and let you make a better decision as to which ukulele finish you prefer.

Modern High Gloss Finishes — Modern gloss lacquer finish have a beautiful, high sheen, mirror glow that which greatly enhances the color and grain patterns of the woods. And these finishes are tough also. The labor required for application and buffing of the gloss finish is more expensive than satin finishes because of the polishing required to produce the gloss. We think we see a trend in more or our customers preferring the gloss finish. Both gloss and matte lacquer finishes produce excellent tone and volume in the ukulele.

Satin or Matte Finishes — Satin finish has a soft, matte appearance that some customers prefer for a more ‘natural’ look. This is a nitrocellulose lacquer finish. As the satin finish can be easier to apply, it is more often seen with the lower priced instruments. Most of the vintage ukuleles from years gone by had a satin finish…. simply because the modern high-gloss lacquer type finishes were not invented yet.

Varnishes — French polishing is a method of applying finish to wood by hand with a cotton pad.  Many violins are finished with French polishing.  In the stringed instrument world the term ‘French polish’ is understood to be a shellac spirit varnish that has been applied by the French polishing method. Most of the fine old musical instruments made in Europe were French polished, as are a majority of fine classical guitars being hand made today. It is a most highly-prized and desired finish for both its visual and tone enhancing characteristics. The luster, texture and color of the wood are all noticeably enhanced under an expertly applied French polish finish. The cured shellac film is also very thin and flexible and is believed to produce the clearest and most natural sound from the vibrating wood of the ukulele especially the soundboard. Achieving a professional quality French Polish finish is highly dependent on the practiced skill and experience of the finisher. Multiple polishing sessions are required over many days or weeks to achieve the best results. Only a few custom builders offer French Polish finishes on ukuleles due to the labor required.

So what? What kind of finish do I want on my ukulele? — All finishes used in the manufacture of ukuleles can produce excellent tone and volume in the ukulele. Although there are those that do not agree with my opinion, In a darkened room… with a professional player at the other end… I can not detect the tonal difference in finishes.

The bottom line is select the instrument that pleases you in appearance of the wood and the feel of the instrument as you play it and don’t worry much about the finishing.  Some of the fine vintage instruments have such a fine “feel” about them that you just like to be in the same room with them.

Remember, all finishes need respect and care… they all can be scratched and dinged-up. Rough picks and sharp fingernails can do a lot of damage to your ukulele. Every good uke deserves a polish cloth to help care for the finish.  One word of caution, do not use any polish on your ukulele that has silicone in it. The makes any latter refinishing or touching up the finish very difficult.

Just Keep Playing!

I’m Roy T. Cone…. Through many years, and literally hundreds of ukuleles, we have enjoyed the fun that ukuleles can bring into people’s lives. We will help you if we can with your ukulele. You can find us at http://www.ukuleleworld.com/