Did my Ko'olau cases put rings around my necks?!

Hey All,

Besides others, I own a Ko'olau KC and a Pono MC-E, both which are housed in Ko'olau cases. They both get several hours of playing time each week, despite my recent GString C1 Sun acquisition. Recently I noticed a uniform, grey/black strip around the neck of my Ko'olau. I instantly recognized that area as where the uke rests in its case. I checked the Pono, and sure enough, it has the same dark stripe. Both ukes are always properly cased and humidified (never overly so, as I use separate hygrometers). I'll certainly be taking different case precautions with my GString, but has anyone else experienced something similar?

Dige

I haven't had an issue with mine. Did the stripe come off?

Might be a case of body chemistry reacting with the dye in the case lining. Some people have sweat/oils that are amazingly corrosive (a friend of mine can corrode the metal parts on a guitar by looking at it) and I suppose that could translate to breaking down fabric dye, too. Or, maybe not breaking down the dye, maybe softening the finish so it then is more susceptible to picking up dye from the fabric.

I've never seen anything like that with any of my instruments, but I seem to have fairly "benign" body chemistry. At the very least I'd start wiping down your instruments before putting them in the case when done playing. Probably good practice anyway.

John

I've often wondered about "outgassing" of the fabric glues used to affix the lining to cases - kind of like a newly carpetted house. I usually air out a newly received case a bit before sealing my ukes up in one - but never see this w/a Ko'olau. Both my KoAloha's are in one w/no apparent damage - I bet it is a combination of what John mentioned above about body chemistry & dyes.

It could be the glue used to install the case lining interacting with nitro lacquer...if that's what the finish is. It could also be some chemical component of the fabric dye. If the finish is polyester or polyurethane, any marks will probably come off with a bit of polishing with guitar polish or one of the fine McGuire's auto body polishes.

Thanks for the tips guys. The body chemistry would be an interesting theory, especially for the Pono, as I rarely if ever played that until very recently (it's my Korean fiancee's). I do wipe down the necks and forearm-contact areas of my ukes regularly, now. What kind of cleaner would be safe for a satin finish neck? Good ol' lemon oil? Someone else?

Dige

Hmmm, I'd still suspect too much moisture in the case. Don't know how much you clean your uke, but I've seen a faint build-up of body oils that appear that way when "moisturized" ???? Do you use hand creams? Just a quick wipe with a dry insstrument cloth may not be enough in this case????

Here's a good article:

http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/repair/acoustic-guitar/cleaning.php

Dige said:

Thanks for the tips guys. The body chemistry would be an interesting theory, especially for the Pono, as I rarely if ever played that until very recently (it's my Korean fiancee's). I do wipe down the necks and forearm-contact areas of my ukes regularly, now. What kind of cleaner would be safe for a satin finish neck? Good ol' lemon oil? Someone else?

Dige

Click to expand...

I like Novus #1 (blue) and #2 (Red) Works great on lacquer finishes. #1 for general cleaning and #2 to get out stains and some light scratches. You can get them at Harley dealers usually and some automotive stores. http://www.novuspolish.com/products.html

Thanks for all the info, gents. When I find some time I'll certainly use some elbow grease to get off the apparent hand grease...