I have a violin paint job issue, can anyone help me?

My violin fingerboard paint keeps coming off.. Whoever sees my fingertips wouldn't believe me if I say I'm a violinist not someone who works in automobiles.. It's sad.. They're always black.. I don't know what to do, I tried rubbing it with a piece of cloth but I have a strong feeling that it'll keep coming off till it goes back to natural wood colour lol.. I want it to stay black, and I want my fingers to stay CLEAN.. I hate it when they turn black.. It's ugly.. Help me, PLEAAAAASE!I have a violin paint job issue, can anyone help me?
Well, the paint coming off is a problem with some student and lower-end violins. The problem is that they are not an ebony fingerboard. Ebony fingerboards don't have this problem due to black being their natural color. I have had some success with trying to place some sort of barrier between the paint and the finger. The use of a violin polish has helped in some cases. The other product that I saw used, though wouldn't necessarily recommend, was Johnson's paste wax. The problem there is that it builds up on the strings and alters the sound. In both these instances, the other problem is that the barrier (wax or polish) needs to be reapplied regularly. It is a VERY temporary fix, if it works at all.





Some luthiers will be willing to repaint a fingerboard for you. Some will even apply a clearcoat finish to the fingerboard. These are both helpful, and are a much better solution than the wax or polish idea. I am far too timid to do this myself on a good instrument, although if I had an e-bay special that I had bought for $49.95 + shipping I might be willing to try--but probably not. The ultimate answer is to have the painted fingerboard replaced with an ebony fingerboard. But that is expensive.





How old is the instrument? Did you buy it new? Did you buy it from a luthier, or a violin shop, or a music store, or online? If the instrument is fairly new I'd go back to whoever I bought it from and scream bloody murder! (Especially if the instrument was represented as having ebony accessories.)





I wish that I could give you a really great answer,I have a violin paint job issue, can anyone help me?
Don't fix it! It looks cool! Everyone will be amazed at how much you practice. Plus if you have that ';fiddle hickie'; on your neck, it's even cooler!