Mandolin finish

[John Bush]

Happy Holidays to all,
Santa is making a mandolin(kit) for a WWer freind that still has all his fingers. I am ready for the finish and am not familiar with the best "stuff" to use. I was advised by the Woodcrafters expert that shellac would be a good finish to use. I have a sanding sealer spray that I was going to apply first then spray the shellac as the final finish. As I read the can, it seems it is intended more as an undercoat or sealer itself. Would a clear lacquer be more appropriate as the final finish?? Polyurethane?? I have only used hand rubbed teak oil for furniture and am not familiar with either shellac or lacquer. Any suggestions? Thanks, John.

[Doug Shepard]

Have you checked any of the mando/luthier sites for info?
I've got a bunch of bookmarks due to interest in eventually doing an H5 Mandola. It's been a while since I've kept up with these sites but there are a lot of builders active on these.
http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/
http://www.luthierforum.com/index.php?&showforum=6
http://www.mimf.com/

[Casey Gooding]

Shellac would be a good option. Traditionally, musical instruments were french polished. French polish is, of course, shellac rubbed on in hundreds of ultra-thin coats. You could rub it on, or spray it.
Lacquer would be fine, though I don't think as good from an acoustic perspective. Anything heavier, like polyurethane, would prevent the instrument from vibrating correctly and would deaden the sound.

[Dewey Torres]

Good on Casey!

French polish is the BEST way to go. It is a difficult process but Zinsser makes a modern easier to use product.

https://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ToolGuide/ToolGuideProduct.aspx?id=5488

[David Christopher]

nitrocelulose laquer is what is used for musical instruments

[Stephen Edwards]

John,

I'd suggest that you ask Marty Lanham. Perhaps he'd be willing to offer you some suggestions:

http://www.nashguitar.com/

He built a nice new neck for my 1949 Gibson banjo a few years ago. He did a perfect job. Marty is a highly respected luthier in in Nashville, both building new high end guitars and doing restorations on vintage instruments.

A personal friend of mine, Larry Perkins, might also be able to offer you some sage advice. He knows a LOT about stringed instruments. His site is:

http://larryperkins.net

If you contact Larry tell him that I suggested that you contact him for the info that you're looking for. He's an expert musician and a fountain of knowledge when it comes to vintage instruments. He worked for years with Gibson. At the very least he'll be able to steer you in the right direction for the info that you're seeking.

[Stephen Edwards]

John,

I'd suggest that you ask Marty Lanham. Perhaps he'd be willing to offer you some suggestions:

http://www.nashguitar.com/

He built a nice new neck for my 1949 Gibson banjo a few years ago. He did a perfect job. Marty is a highly respected luthier in in Nashville, both building new high end guitars and doing restorations on vintage instruments.

A personal friend of mine, Larry Perkins, might also be able to offer you some sage advice. He knows a LOT about stringed instruments. His site is:

http://larryperkins.net

If you contact Larry tell him that I suggested that you contact him for the info that you're looking for. He's an expert musician and a fountain of knowledge when it comes to vintage instruments. He worked for years with Gibson. At the very least he'll be able to steer you in the right direction for the info that you're seeking.

[Arnold E Schnitzer]

Have you considered Tru-oil?