How to clean a Koaloha Opio?

D-Lilah

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I was curious how those of you with Opio's clean them? The back of the neck has a buildup that is kind of waxy feeling and makes it difficult to easily change chords up and down the neck. Also there are slight strum marks that I'd like to minimize if at all possible. The flat finish on it makes me really nervous to try anything! Any ideas? Thanks in advance!
 
I have an Opio concert and I know exactly what you mean about the sticky neck. I did not like the over all finish on any part of the instrument. In another life I was a cabinet maker and I am not afraid to do stuff to wooden objects but what I did is safe to do. Get some 0000 steel wool and buff out the neck as much as possible, leveling out the finish. Now put some mineral spirits on a paper towel and apply it to the neck. Use mineral spirits only not, varsol, turpentine or lacquer thinner. Let it sit for 30 seconds to one minute then wipe down with dry paper towels. I would steel wool between every second application and I would wash every thing off with cold water. Go slow and easy but if memory serves me right I did these steps 4-6 times before I got to where I was happy. The neck on my Opio is as smooth and slick as the highest quality gloss laquer finish.

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Id go over with car polish to fill the pores so next time it will be easier just to wipe it off
 
Id go over with car polish to fill the pores so next time it will be easier just to wipe it off

I don't know if you own one of these Stan but the finish on the neck is very weird. It is thick and tacky and almost soft and rubbery, at least mine was. I could not play it as it was brand new out of the box so I did what I detailed above. Maybe others Opios are not like that on the neck but the OP seems to have the same condition I did.
 
Hm, interesting. The finish on my concert Opio is not thick at all. It almost looks and feels as if there's no finish on it at all. Very flat. (But there is finish, the pores are closed.) I don't have the neck-stickiness issue, either. (Mine was built in September '15.)
 
I don't know if you own one of these Stan but the finish on the neck is very weird. It is thick and tacky and almost soft and rubbery, at least mine was. I could not play it as it was brand new out of the box so I did what I detailed above. Maybe others Opios are not like that on the neck but the OP seems to have the same condition I did.
Maybe some batches of finishes did not cure well,but ive not seen those though..id try a small spot on the neck with
Polish to see if it helps
 
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My Opio was like that, too. I suspected the humidifier in the case was contributing, but I did not want to take it out. Then, I suspected the Oahu case itself was a factor. I think the answer is both plus the lacquer finish of the neck.
I took a hairdryer to the case interior, especially the neck rest. I ran it about as long as I do to dry my hair, but kept repeating. Then, I returned the uke to the case and now always have a barrier between the neck and the carpet stuff of the case such as my wipe down cloth ( an old piece of cotton pajamas until I got fancy with a microfiber eyeglass cloth from the Dollar Tree) or a paper towel. It did help. I also set the open case in the sun on a nice day.
My soprano was built January 2014. (Shine a light in the sound hole and look at the neck to find the production date.)
By the way, welcome to the forum and great choice of ukulele!
 
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Thanks for all of the suggestions guys. Dave, it sounds like we definitely have the same thing going on. I thought it might just be a buildup of oils? I really don't want to change the original finish of it though, as I'm in love with the flat finish, even though it seems as though you might have to baby it. My Opio is previously owned and I just got it this week, so I'm not sure what the original finish was like. If I took the steel wool and lightly went over it, would that take it down to the original finish? I know the 0000 is incredibly fine, but would it damage it at all? Laura, thanks for the welcome and I will definitely check out the area where the neck rests. This forum is awesome and I bought this uke from a fellow member, who kept it in great shape. How do you guys do a general cleaning of the Opio? Just dust it off? I've read where it can get shiny spots on the front where your arm rests. Do you guys use the steel wool for that? The finish looks so delicate, I'm just so afraid of doing something that might leave a lasting mark.
 
You can just steel wool the neck and clean with a damp cloth as you go. Don't take steel wool to the body unless you want to redo the whole thing. I did that, turned out great with a danish oil finish but that is another story. Cleaning the body with a damp cloth is also good and I wipe my ukes down after use with a micro fibre cloth. Opios are great sounding instruments, enjoy it.
 
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Saw a product called Virtuoso guitar cleaner and polish. It's a 2 step kit for wood instruments. Not sure if this would work. Check YouTube for a demo on how its applied.
 
The stickiness issue was never as much of a problem for me as it was for others. After three years of wiping down with a soft cloth and laying it in the Oahu case with a folded paper towel between the neck and the lining of the case - as in my previous post - the neck is smooth, not tacky.

I just changed the original strings on my sapele Opio to Living Waters and it sounds magnificent. Go for it and buy one!
 
Thanks for sharing your experience with your Opio, Laura. That is indeed reassuring. One thing that is also comforting is all the great feedback KoAloha receives about it's warranty customer service. I can only imagine if there was a catastrophic issue with the finish on the neck (or even the body), that it would be handled properly. So I suppose the Opio stays on my shortlist...
 
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