Sweat damage?

AncientMatingCalls

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I've a little worried while playing my uke lately. I have a satin kanilea tenor. On the upper bout of the uke where my forearm rests Ive noticed feels, for lack of a better term, raw. Like the grain is more open. Again sorry for the bad explanation, I can't seem to find my words tonight.

Am I right to be concerned about this?
 
sounds a little like "road wear" for use. I think of it as a badge of honor.
 
Not something I'd worry about. If it WAS a problem what would you do? I doubt you'd want to hang a nice uke up on the wall and not play it. Battle scars.
 
I had the same problem. Where my arm sits on the ukulele the grain was rasied a little. I ended up polishing the area and that smoothed things out. But because it was caused by mositure and would happen again, I added an armrest.

Probably not for everyone, but it works and the added benefit is a little more sustain.

Here is a pic...

IMG_3282.JPG


John
 
That arm rest looks great John, as does the uke.

My biggest concern is that eventually the top will warp and start to pull from the body.
 
I have never seen that as a result of "arm rub". The only reason the top would do that is because of humidity problems or glue problems (aka, leaving it in the car during summer).

EDIT: I guess I'm wrong and it can be a problem. See below...
 
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Hippie Guy, I beg to differ.

Most finishes are not impermeable to moisture, and satin finishes are often particularly thin, thus allowing for moisture...and sweat...to migrate through to the wood where there may very well be a grain raising effect. The least permeable finish is probably gloss polyester, especially with an under-sealer of epoxy, the most permeable would be satin lacquer or urethane, and French polished shellac.

I once worked for a company that was making Victorian-style refrigerators...the company was called "Ice-a-Boxa" which is Italian for refrigerator...according to Pat Kuleto who owned the company. One of my jobs was to find the most moisture resistant finish possible for the walnut and oak we used to build the exterior cases. It wasn't easy at that time...1983 or so...and I learned a lot about what did and didn't work for moisture resistance, state of the art, that time period.

The armrest is a good solution, as is making sure you wipe the instrument off with a towel after playing it. Ultimately, an instrument played is an instrument that will show wear, and to me, that's part of the beauty of older instruments...you can see the evidence that they were used and loved.

Note too that sweat is not just water, and differences in body chemistry can make a huge difference...and that can be greatly affected by what you eat and drink, particularly if there's alcohol involved. I'm certainly no teatotaller, but I have seen how drinking can affect the finish on some instruments, particularly arm wear area and necks. Some people sweat out paint remover, by the looks of things. Lots of bar gigs...

This does make a pretty good argument for polyester as a finish.
 
So satin finish is more susceptible to sweat than gloss?
 
Well I'm no drinker so I'm safe on that.

I definitely understand the idea that instruments will show wear, but obviously it'd be ideal to hold off the effects as long as possible. I'm glad that that I'm not alone in the idea that the sweat could have a negative effect on the uke. Its just such a concentrated area that will probably see sweat throughout the summer months.
 
So satin finish is more susceptible to sweat than gloss?

Oh yeah, it's a much thinner finish. It's more susceptible to many types of damage than gloss

However, a lot of people believe that it allows the Wood to vibrate more freely, resulting in a louder or more tuneful sound.
 
Satin finishes TEND to be thinner, but are not always so. With gloss finishes, you have to lay enough material on to be able to sand it down with successively finer sand paper and then buff it out. That requires a margin of safety with the thickness. With most modern satin finishes, what you see is what came out of the gun.
 
Hippie Guy, I beg to differ.

Most finishes are not impermeable to moisture, and satin finishes are often particularly thin, thus allowing for moisture...and sweat...to migrate through to the wood where there may very well be a grain raising effect. The least permeable finish is probably gloss polyester, especially with an under-sealer of epoxy, the most permeable would be satin lacquer or urethane, and French polished shellac.

I once worked for a company that was making Victorian-style refrigerators...the company was called "Ice-a-Boxa" which is Italian for refrigerator...according to Pat Kuleto who owned the company. One of my jobs was to find the most moisture resistant finish possible for the walnut and oak we used to build the exterior cases. It wasn't easy at that time...1983 or so...and I learned a lot about what did and didn't work for moisture resistance, state of the art, that time period.

The armrest is a good solution, as is making sure you wipe the instrument off with a towel after playing it. Ultimately, an instrument played is an instrument that will show wear, and to me, that's part of the beauty of older instruments...you can see the evidence that they were used and loved.

Note too that sweat is not just water, and differences in body chemistry can make a huge difference...and that can be greatly affected by what you eat and drink, particularly if there's alcohol involved. I'm certainly no teatotaller, but I have seen how drinking can affect the finish on some instruments, particularly arm wear area and necks. Some people sweat out paint remover, by the looks of things. Lots of bar gigs...

This does make a pretty good argument for polyester as a finish.

Interesting. I never knew that. Thanks for the correction.
 
My 50 dollar starter uke has taken on a glossy sheen (from the oils and sweat?) from all the strumming. I am not going to be bothered by it. I think that it has improved the look of the instrument. I also have some wear patterns on the fret board of the chords I play most often.
 
Well, your 50 dollar uke is most likely a laminate uke. I'm not sure that the sweat would have such an effect as it would with a solid wood uke. Laminates are constructed by pressing alternating layers of wood together, which would lead to the uke being less permeable to the moisture than the open grains of solid wood construction.

I think thats correct. If anyone wants to weigh in on my comment and lend their expertise it would be appreciated.

Also, I'm still looking for any thoughts on the main topic.
 
My FLuke laminate seemed to deaden because of salty humid air and my upper bout was very discolored from obvious sweat.

It looks like it was ridden hard and put away wet. I need to send that sucker in and see if they can revive it with a new board and a proper fingerboard.

I think its crucial to play a beginner uke rough cause if you worry too much about maintaining a uke, you are a manager and not a player.
 
My neighbor told me a story about letting some guy play his guitar at a jam one night. He said the guy was sweating like crazy (and drinking) and ruined the finish on his guitar in a matter of hours. I thought it was an exaggeration, but he showed me the guitar when I was sceptical and sure enough it looked like part of the finish was eaten away in the areas that were sweaty. Who knows what he was drinking, moonshine maybe??
 
Sweat definitely can change the finish on a ukulele. Some folks sweat is more acidic and effects wood and strings differently.
I try to wipe my ukuleles and guitars off before putting them away. Using a good cleaner/polish on a regular basis also helps protect and clean.
On the areas where I touch the instrument (lower bout and neck) I use pure carnuba wax, it is very hard and seems to add some protection.
I use Gibson guitar polish about once a month or when I see an instrument needs a cleaning. The carnuba lasts for about 3 months.
 
I had the same problem. Where my arm sits on the ukulele the grain was rasied a little. I ended up polishing the area and that smoothed things out. But because it was caused by mositure and would happen again, I added an armrest.

Probably not for everyone, but it works and the added benefit is a little more sustain.

Here is a pic...

IMG_3282.JPG


John

This is a beautiful ukulele - did you make it or is it a custom uke?
 
........ I'm certainly no teatotaller, but I have seen how drinking can affect the finish on some instruments, particularly arm wear area and necks.................

Yep,....and too much drinking can really mess up a good finish! Leads to: "Oops,....sorry i dropped your uke, man"

Remember,.....drinking and uke-ing can lead to oops-eeze,...... and puking! :eek:

Don't drink and uke,......the life of the ukulele you love may depend on it!

Thank you,..............Buuurrrrrpppp.....sorry. :D
 
This is a beautiful ukulele - did you make it or is it a custom uke?

Thanks!

I did not make it, it is an ASD tenor ukulele and was made by a guy in Hawaii by the name of Keith Ogata. It is not a custom.

It is my favorite ukulele. The tone is pretty bright for a tenor but I really like the way it sounds and plays.

John
 
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