It's Summer, and depending on where you are in relation to the equator, you are likely dealing with the effects of heat, humidity, and perspiration. A cool mug of draught beer is the remedy for the player, but what about the harmful effects of body oils and acids on your instrument when you're picking on the porch during the Dog Days of August, as the sun sets and dew point makes you and your instrument clammy?

Shameless self-promotion here. We recommend a good Micro-Fibre polish cloth (ours, of course!) to wipe down your instrument before, after, and/or during your playing time. Don't add to the "goo" on your finish by using a polish all the time, just wipe the immediate outer layer of grime, dust and sweat with one of these.

View: Ci5 Cloth

About Micro-Fibre: this material cloth acts like a magnet for dust, dirt, and oils, and lasting meaurably longer than cotton cloths. Woven from microscopic fibers, it's 10 times finer than silk, up to 30 times finer than cotton. You could only tell by looking through a microscope, but it's 100 times finer than a human hair!

The fibers are woven into masses of tiny hooks and loom-like loops which cut through stains, attracting dirt, erasing smudges, and accessing tiny micro-particles that ordinary cloths wouldn't be able to get too. No need for polish if used on a regular basis; wipe instrument after every practice while you're putting the instrument in the case.

The exclusive Circle of Fifths Cloth offers a pedagogical benefit, of course. We run through scales and transpose riffs, using this as a reference by draping it over the stand. As we transpose our Mandolin knowledge to Mandola, this is also helpful as a guide in keeping our bearings, too.

Plus, it's always there, portable and as close as the case. (Always the trick with maintaining any good discipline: easy access.)

Get clean: Circle of Fifths Polish Cloth.

Buy one for each case. Take advantage of quantity discounts and buy one for your fellow instrumentalists & help them clean up a bit!

Posted by Ted at August 2, 2006 6:09 AM