How to Care for a Mandolin

Playing a mandolin is an enjoyable experience for both the performer and listeners. Repairs to your mandolin involve downtime for you as a performer and can be expensive. Keep your mandolin in excellent shape by following a few suggestions regarding care of your instrument.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Store your mandolin in a comfortable temperature and humidity. Temperature and humidity can destroy a mandolin or enhance a mandolin's sound quality. Measure the environment's relative humidity and temperature to make sure it is within an acceptable range for your mandolin. Your mandolin's manufacturer can tell you what the acceptable range is. Purchase a dehumidifier to help you if needed.
2. Prevent damage by avoiding exposure to extreme temperatures. Hot airplane cargo holds or car trunks can damage your mandolin. Ship or keep your mandolin with you when possible.
3. Use a guitar case humidifier during long trips. This will keep your mandolin at the proper humidity level as you travel through dry environments.
4. Pay attention to over-humidified signs. An over-humidified mandolin exhibits raise action, lateral finish cracks, sluggish tone, low volume and a bellying of the top. Take your mandolin to a repair shop immediately to repair your mandolin.
5. Identify possible under-humidified mandolin signs. An under-humidified mandolin also has lowered action but differs in that it dips in the top, has protruding fret ends and fret buzzing.
6. Wash your hands; this removes the risk of your mandolin coming into contact with some of the softening agents in hand lotions, rubber, vinyl and plastics that can damage it.
7. Dust your mandolin. Use a soft old-fashioned shaving brush to dust the mandolin and a soft dry cloth to polish it (no wax needed). Glossy finishes may require an actual non-abrasive wax to be used. Check with your mandolin's manufacturer.
8. Clean the fingerboard if it becomes grimy. Lightly rub the finger board with steel wool. Remove any excess steel wool and put mineral oil on the fingerboard. Wipe the fingerboard off with a soft dry cloth.
9. Tune the mandolin once it seems that tension seems to be slacked. Do so carefully, paying attention not to over-tighten your mandolin. If you are not comfortable with making adjustments, take your mandolin to the place of purchase or a repair shop. They have technicians that can help you make the adjustments or do it for you.
10. Change the strings. When changing the strings, mark the bridge placement with a dry erase marker or scotch tape. Use a string guard, or a scotch taped business card in a pinch, to avoid scratching the finish when pulling new strings through the bridge.