What kind of finish is used?
Traditionally, oil varnish has been used on the bowl of a lute and sometimes on the other parts of the instrument. This is the type of finish historically used on Italian violins and is a mixture of linseed oil, turpentine, and pine resin. Sometimes ingredients are added that affect the hardness of the varnish and the ease of application with the brush. For parts other than the bowl, a drying oil such as Watco’s Danish Oil can be wiped on the rest of the instrument. The soundboard should be lightly finished, and a number of different things have been applied historically in an effort to attain the best balance between tone and protection. Some of these finishes have included diluted hide glue and egg white, and some historical and modern lutes have no finish on the soundboard. The basic process of making oil varnish is to dissolve pine resin in a jar of turpentine and strain the mixture to remove impurities. Then the turpentine and resin mixture is slowly cooked (outside with no open f
