Care and precautions to take with Ronrocos and Charangos

Its number 1 enemy is humidity

• Extreme humidity or dryness is very adverse to it. Excessive humidity causes a “swelling” that disfigures and weakens the wood. Excessive dryness, on the other hand, can cause scratches in the wood, no matter how dry and well treated it is. Wood is a highly hygroscopic material, i.e. it loses or absorbs water to maintain a balance with the environment. This must always be taken into account when saving our instrument from humidity variations.
• The soundboard is very thin, therefore it is very sensitive to climatic changes.
• Whenever you do not use the instrument you should keep it in its case, it will protect it from shocks and climatic aggressions.
• It should never be hung on the wall, as walls tend to pick up and transmit humidity. If the humidity is excessive, it could soften the glues, the woods could give way, causing the instrument to flake or even warp.
• Dust can accumulate inside the soundboard of the CHARANGO or RONROCO, which attracts moisture and affects the sound. It can be removed through the mouth with a vacuum cleaner.
• When you stop using the CHARANGO or RONROCO for a long time, it is necessary to loosen the strings completely and store it in its case.
• Do not expose the CHARANGO or RONROCO to the sun or heat for long periods of time.
• Should the CHARANGO or RONROCO suffer an accident, it is necessary to loosen the strings completely until a luthier can be consulted.
• The sound of stringed instruments, when they are of high quality, depends to a great extent on the woods with which they are produced, a sound that improves with the passage of time. Therefore, an old and well preserved RONROCO or CHARANGO can become a priceless piece, even more so if its maker is no longer active or has passed away.
• Never leave a CHARANGO or RONROCO on furniture, chairs, much less place it on the floor. CHARANGOS or RONROCOS, due to their size, are easy to tip over or step on. Try to leave it in its case. It is a very fragile instrument and can be damaged by knocks. When it is not in its case, you should ideally rest it on a music stand.

CLEANING

• The easiest way to care for the CHARANGO or RONROCO finish is to clean it with a soft cotton flannel after each use. This will prevent the accumulation of impurities as the acids are released from the leather and will keep it shiny for a long time. The simplest and most universal cleaning solvent is water. A piece of damp cotton cloth can restore the shine to a leather that has become dirty and dull. Do not use solvents or alcohol, they may damage the original varnish.
• Be careful when cleaning the instrument with a furniture polish. Make sure it has been manufactured to clean and revive the natural varnish of your CHARANGO or RONROCO. Avoid contact of furniture polish with the strings.
• There are special liquids for cleaning stringed instruments (guitar, violin, etc.) that are perfectly applicable to CHARANGO or RONROCO.

STRINGS

• The strings should always maintain the same tension, which makes them more sonorous and accurate in tuning. With time, the nylon loses its tension, so it is necessary to change them periodically. This will also depend on the use of the instrument.
• The first strings are exposed to more wear, due to their thinness and the fact that they are the most used. They should be changed at least a couple of times between total string changes.
• If you are going to change all the strings, do not remove all the old ones at the same time, but change one, tune it with the others, and proceed one by one with the rest; this is to ensure that the bridge and the top do not lose tension even for a moment.
• Do not use metal strings if it has not been produced for it.
• Always use strings of recognized brands to ensure that the CHARANGO or RONROCO will be subjected to a fair and precise tension, thus avoiding premature bowing of the fingerboard.

FINGERBOARD

• One of the most delicate points of the CHARANGO or RONROCO is the fingerboard, since not being varnished the wood is much more sensitive to deterioration than the rest of the instrument. Not being careful enough in this aspect can cause the neck to bow, varying the height of the strings and therefore the plucking of the strings. The CHARANGO or RONROCO becomes rough and imprecise. Naturally we are talking about millimetric movements, but that any MUSICIAN can appreciate when playing.