{snip} >Charles, > Would you please describe your method of refinishing the capo bar. Thanks >for the above tips. I prefer using a dummy pin as well, to attatch the string >to the existing tuning pin as long as the pins are still tight enough. > >Doug Hershberger,RPT Sure Doug, I have had good results using various grades of emory cloth, starting with the course and progressing to the fine for polishing. Since this can be a rather nasty job, I cover the keybed with newspaper. Then I lay a mirror below the section that I am working on--with a good light you can clearly see your work. The principle is similar to hammer filing, i.e. you maintain the basic shape of the bar, removing as little material as necessary from the "crown" until the grooves virtually disappear. This means that the sides have to be reduced as well, otherwise you wind up with a bar that is too wide. Use your own judgment regarding how "pointed" you want to make the bar, although I tend to want to avoid extremes. Finally you can coat the bar with your lubricant of choice; I like the gray colored MuLube. Don't forget to refinish the counterbearing bar between the tuning pins and the capo as well. In addition to being messy, this job also takes some "elbow grease". In cases of excessive grooving, I can see using a power grinder, such as a Foredom Tool, for working down the iron, but only with great care, and only as a first step. Good luck, Charles Charles Ball School of Music University of Texas at Austin
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