ENGLISH 34
synthetic lacquer. The finish has therefore a less influential effect on the wood’s resonating behavior. Shellac is also
much more sensitive, it doesn’t handle shocks very well; it is more scratch prone and softer. Therefore it is recommen-
ded to have a guitar case with good padding.
Shellac can be cleaned with regular guitar polish; use a damp cloth to wipe or cotton to rub and polish. Avoid the use of
any type of solvent or abrasive cleaners, except water.
Tip: Some varnish cleaners, polishes, and fretboard oils have solvents in them, like alcohol. Always make sure to
double-check the ingredients of cleaning materials you will be using! Hardware store or specialized dealers have cleaning
solutions specifically made for shellac surfaces.
Neck wood care
Neck wood
For necks that have a natural oil finish please refer to the "Natural Oil Finish (NOF)" section; for necks with matte lac-
quer please refer to the "Colored Oil Finish (COF)" section; and for high-polished necks please refer to the "High Polish
Finish" section.
The neck of a shellac finish instrument has no treatment. For its care please refer to the "Natural Oil Finish (NOF)" sec-
tion.
Fingerboard
With the exception of maple fingerboards, all Framus fingerboards are not lacquered. This means we are dealing now
with a very sensitive part of the instrument. Just as with the Natural Oil Finish there is special wax and oil to be used,
hardware stores have plenty of offerings. Generally there are more special oil options than wax. Depending on the amount
of dirt that’s present, it is probably more convenient to clean the fingerboard first before applying the wax or oil. For this
there are special wood-cleaning products that get rid of grease and dirt. Always make sure to follow the product’s in-
structions. Next comes the oil, which should be applied in thin layers – the wood will absorb the amount it needs. You
can watch how the oil disappears. The surface will have a matte shine when dried off, leaving sometimes little oil
puddles, which means the wood has reached the saturation level it requires. Next up is the polish procedure with a soft
cloth. We recommend letting the guitar sit for a while after the first polish since it always happens that a new oily spot
will appear. Make sure that no oily spots are left before you restring your guitar.
Hardware cleaning
Sweat and dirt can damage the hardware’s surface permanently. Please use a soft cloth to wipe off any traces of sweat
or dirt after use. Hardware doesn’t need additional care beyond that.
SETUP
In spite of being already set up from the factory there is a chance that additional adjustments will be necessary after
some time to maintain that ideal setup. There are many factors that can influence the normal functioning of your guitar
like temperature, humidity and even different string gauges. Therefore it is completely normal to have a small truss rod
adjustment after the instrument reached the dealer. And there is also the demand of each individual player to have the
instrument set up to his liking. Make sure to have your guitar setup the way you like it.
Truss rod
First tune up your guitar. Use an electronic tuner if possible to ensure total accuracy when adjusting the truss rod. If the
