ENGLISH 33
INSTRUMENT CARE AND MAINTENANCE
If you want to enjoy playing your instrument, care and maintenance is an important matter. Wood and hardware need to
be maintained in order to keep their function and optical appeal. The best is always to treat the instrument with care.
The maintenance and cleaning intervals depend largely on the frequency and conditions of use, thus making it more dif-
ficult to establish a set time frame for them. Checking the wood for signs of excessive use, premature aging, dryness,
stains, spots and so forth is a wise thing to do anyway. To prevent this and in some cases improve the looks of the in-
strument please follow the recommendations mentioned hereafter.
Body wood and finish maintenance
Natural Oil Finish (NOF)
This type of finish gives the wood a layer of wax and oil. This finish is frail, fades with time and has to be redone at some
point. If you see some matte spots on the body it is time to apply some beeswax, which is provided with this variant.
This procedure has to be repeated quite often when the instrument is still new. Use a soft cloth and evenly apply the wax
on the surface. Let it sit for a moment, which depends on the amount of wax you applied, and use another clean soft
cloth to polish. The wax’s effectiveness will begin to fade when it starts to appear dull. Leaving the wax unpolished over-
night or for a longer time doesn’t hurt either, especially if the instrument hasn’t been treated for a while and shows signs
of dryness or roughness.
This finish needs no doubt the most care but you’re going to be rewarded with a natural-looking, nice surface, which
can be restored even after years of continuous use with a little effort. This finish also allows the wax to be removed com-
pletely with some steel wool and later apply a fresh new layer. Even the use of fine sand paper to remove some scrat-
ches is possible; just don’t forget to reapply the wax on that area. All in all it is a finish that can last for a long time but
it surely needs some taking care of.
Colored Oil Finish (COF)
A matte and clear surface with visible wood texture and enhanced grain are the main characteristics of the colored oil
finish. The wood is stained with color and a clear satin lacquer is then applied for sealing. It requires no special treat-
ment but if dirty a wet cloth or even a non-abrasive spray cleaner will do.
High Polish Finish (HP)
A high polish finish – be it colored or clear, metallic or polished varnish (Monterrey) – is obtained through the use of a
high-gloss polyester lacquer. The wood is completely covered, the surface smooth as glass, and no perceptible wood tex-
ture. Just as with the colored finish the maintenance is purely optical, so a wet cloth, a non-abrasive spray cleaner or
even polish that revitalizes the glossy finish and gets rid of small scratches will do.
Chrome Tone Finish (CT)
The individualistic chrome tone finish is Framus’ most time-consuming procedure in this category. The chroming of the
wood requires a meticulous preparation to allow a durable binding. These surfaces are robust enough but they still need
maintenance because of their mirror-like quality. The right product is available at any hardware or car accessories store
and it’s any average chrome polish that you would use on your own car.
If for any reason the chrome surface gets damaged, like a crack due to a fall, make sure to quickly apply superglue or
any fast-drying glue to the area in question in order to stop the air from getting underneath it. Otherwise there’s the risk
of the chrome detaching itself from the wood.
Shellac
Shellac is a natural, from the lac insect secretions obtained resinous substance that binds with wood much better than
