If I shellac my uke, how much will it change the sound?

hoosiercheetah

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Hello!

I have a "Kala KAA-15S Limited Edition Satin Mahogany Soprano Ukulele with Rosette" that I picked up to learn on. Absolutely love it. I love it so much, I want to trick it out with some rad sharpie marker art. You know, something tasteful, like tentacles dragging a surfer down beneath the waves, or Lilo and Stitch or something. But, I also want to keep playing my uke, and I don't want the marker to smudge. So I was thinking of clear-coating it with shellac on top of the art, but I'm a little concerned about messing up the sound.

My instinct is that a thin coat or two shouldn't make much of a difference, but I thought I'd ask the experts.

Thanks in advance for any advice!
 
A couple thin coats won't be noticeable. Do a test on scrap first though....some marker ink might bleed or run when the finish solvent hits them.
 
Alcohol dissolves Sharpie ink, and alcohol is what's in Shellac.

Maybe use paint markers? Or choose some other "Sharpie compatible" top coat.
 
The thing is, you have to know what the finish on the Kala is, and please don't say it is a Satin finish. Satin is the look, not the finish itself. If it is the new poly-esters or the polyurethanes, no finish is going to stick to it for long. Shellac may work for a while, but it will eventually come off as will all other finishes. The new poly finishes are extremely hard plastics, and once cured, nothing will bond to it, not even more poly finish.

Hello!

I have a "Kala KAA-15S Limited Edition Satin Mahogany Soprano Ukulele with Rosette" that I picked up to learn on. Absolutely love it. I love it so much, I want to trick it out with some rad sharpie marker art. You know, something tasteful, like tentacles dragging a surfer down beneath the waves, or Lilo and Stitch or something. But, I also want to keep playing my uke, and I don't want the marker to smudge. So I was thinking of clear-coating it with shellac on top of the art, but I'm a little concerned about messing up the sound.

My instinct is that a thin coat or two shouldn't make much of a difference, but I thought I'd ask the experts.

Thanks in advance for any advice!
 
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