Leaderboard

Good evening, Andy, and ... Plenty to read and amuse you here, and lots to learn and share.

Plywood trumps most if not all tonewoods for rigidity and stability, it just falls down on three counts - aesthetics for most people, weight and cost - using cheap materials undermines pricing strategies. I have two plywood guitars, they both have several faults but none of them are plywood related, rather to other budget aspects of their designs. I also have a blockboard bass which is very nice, thank you. And if this sort of thing is superior to a single piece of wood, surely even more plies would be even more superiorer...

I've never used anything on any of my guitars, basses, keys or drums. Various fingerboard essences (all wood...), and some over fifty years old, now. No sign of issues with any of them. I think it depends somewhat on one's climatic conditions (high and rapid humidity and/or temperature swings...); in the UK or here in France I've never had, myself, nor any folks I know, problems. I have used Dr Duck's wax for cleaning, on occasion on some (rarely...), though. Things might be different for other instruments, such as db, clarinet or oboe.