How Do You Remove Scratches From a Ukulele?

ukulele123

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anybody no any tricks to removing scratches??
my uke just got a scratch on its nice black glossy finish:mad:

mahalo's in advance.
 
Sharpie30001Mrkr.jpg
 
Hey, is that the one TO used?
 

I actually used one of those wonderful things to "remove" a scratch on my black guitar. Worked pretty well. Otherwise, maybe try one of those CD scratch repair liquids. They worked well enough on the scratches on my CDs. :)
 
Hmm... if it were not all the way through the finish, I'd say turtle wax... but then again, that might not be the best of ideas. It works on scratched up marbles.... slightly comparable to a scratch in veneer.
 
There are no tricks for removing scratches. At least none that work every time. Think positively, you can now use the instrument without worrying about marking it.

It happens to all instruments at some point.

But you are now freed from worry.

KEN
 
The problem with using a Sharpie pen is that it has a purplish flouresent sheen when the light hits it a certain way.

If it's a matte finish instrument, get a watercolor pencil and dampen it so that the watercolor comes off easily, and draw over the scratch - be sure not to use pressure or you'll indent the wood! Watercolor pencils come in tons of shades so it's pretty easy to match the color of your uke's finish.

If it's glossy, then use some Kiwi shoe polish - the kind that comes in a tin.
 
was deach joking when he said a sharpie? at first i thought he was...but with people taking it seriosly im not sure anymore...
 
There are no tricks for removing scratches. At least none that work every time. Think positively, you can now use the instrument without worrying about marking it.

It happens to all instruments at some point.

But you are now freed from worry.

KEN

i completely agree with Ken here. after that first ding, you don't have to be super careful anymore. enjoy your uke!
 
was deach joking when he said a sharpie? at first i thought he was...but with people taking it seriosly im not sure anymore...

Haha. Yeah, deach was joking. But I really did use a sharpie before. I mean, the guitar I used it on wasn't very expensive, so I figured why not? Plus guitars are so darn big, nobody would notice a tiny scuff re-colored by sharpie. It looked way better than a raw wood spot on black. :)

If you look carefully, you can tell it is sharpied, because yes, sharpie does look purple from certain angles. (I've done tons of airsoft blaze tips with sharpie, so I've gotten used to it.) But ultimately, its pretty hard to tell at a glance.
 
was deach joking when he said a sharpie? at first i thought he was...but with people taking it seriosly im not sure anymore...

Sort of. I've used sharpie, nail polish, all sorts of stuff. I also used toothpaste to fill in tiny holes in the wall when I rented an apartment. I've spray painted my boots because I was too lazy to polish them and stapled the hem in my pants because I didn't feel like sewing them. but I'm ghetto like that.
 
I would keep the scratches. It adds character to your ukulele. Nothing is permanent, including the conditions of a new uke. A lot of great musicians play beaten up instruments. Just don't abuse your ukulele intentionally. It's nice to know that your insturment is aging with you.
 
I've used sharpie, nail polish, all sorts of stuff. I also used toothpaste to fill in tiny holes in the wall when I rented an apartment. I've spray painted my boots because I was too lazy to polish them and stapled the hem in my pants because I didn't feel like sewing them. but I'm ghetto like that.

Dude you rock! I never used staples to hem my pants but I have used duct tape before -- works like a charm! But the toothpaste to fill tiny holes??? Man thats just pure GENIUS! :D
 
The scratch is not damage, it's love wear.

Even my National, with its steel body and powdercoat finish, is starting to show some of that love wear.

It means you're not some hoity-toity museum curator sort of collector. You're a player.

The folks who buy ukes (or any instruments) as an investment may make money, but players make music.

No contest.
 
if you really must try to touch up black gloss.....craft stores sell a pen called DECO that has black lacquer in it and dispenses is in gloss pure black with very fine to broad points. But you simply cannot just mark it as you will see an edge from the film thickness differences There's a trick to applying and wiping quickly with your finger to blend it in... and no purple tint to it.
 
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