Dear Martin, As you know, my G lute has more than a bit of dirt on the front. However, although I wouldn't mind if all that muck at the right-hand end of things was cleaned up, I would be sorry to lose the dirty finger-marks at the 10th, 11th and 12th frets, which tell something about the sort of music I might have been playing.
My worry is not so much all the black dirt on the front of the lute, as the fact that my little finger is slowly but surely wearing a hole into the soundboard. If it wasn't for the potential deadening of the sound, a scratch plate might prove useful. In fact, thinking about it, the soundboard may have remained intact only because of the constant application of fresh dirt, which offers a layer of protection to the wood. Best wishes, Stewart McCoy. > Dear Stefan, > > I don't recommend trying to clean a lute soundboard - my philosophy is you just accept that as an instrument ages it acquires a bit of dirt, a few scratches, etc. Also spruce soundboards can be very white when new, but after a few years they go quite brown, then the dirt is less noticeable. > > Anyway, the dirty mark shows you've been practising! > > Best wishes, > > Martin
