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Trade Secrets: Varnish retouch

14 March 2025

2

A method for layering pigments and shellac to reproduce the exact colour and thickness of an instrument’s varnish

In truth, there are no ‘secrets’ to my process for varnish retouching. The technique that I was taught was consistent with that of my main three teachers: Dennis McGaige, Rafael Carrabba and Marcel Richters. It is a simple process of layering pigments and shellac until the correct colour and varnish thickness match the original. I’m sure there are new and different approaches to this very common task; however, this is the process that I’ve employed for 40 years, and I’ve seen no reason to relearn a drastically different technique…

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