JGMP: DIDGERIDOO GALLERY
Didgeridoo Care Guide
Congratulations, you now have your new didgeridoo or are considering your new instrument.
You may be wondering what kind of care and maintenance issues if any are involved with the
didgeridoo. Please read on.

Caring for your fine art musical instrument.
  • If you just got your didgeridoo, make sure not to over play the instrument (example: jamming for hours on end is not
    advised) as it needs to acclimate to your local humidity and the moisture from your breath. I know this is hard to do
    when you want to play on your new didge for hours but this will hopefully prevent the wood of your didgeridoo from over
    stressing. Be patient in that first week or so.

  • Make sure to keep the didgeridoo out of extremes of cold and heat. When in transport cover it up in a gig bag or blanket
    to prevent scuffs and insulate from temperature extremes.

  • To seal or not to seal?
  • Many folks swear by sealing the insides of their instruments with various sealants such as tung oil, linseed oil,
    epoxies and varathanes. This is never a guarantee that it will prevent cracks and can sometimes make your didge
    crack when applying the coating and off gas the odor of the sealant. It usually changes the sound of the didgeridoo
    as well. Here at JGMP Didgeridoo Gallery we leave that up to you if you want your didgeridoo sealed on the inside
    (beyond original makers work) as many makers don't seal their instruments on the inside, plus many collectors of
    authentic Arnhem Land yidaki usually prefer as little modification by non original makers' sealants as possible. If
    you would like your instrument sealed on the inside and don't want to fuss around with it yourself, please add $20 to
    the purchase price to cover time and costs for the treatment.
Question or Buying?
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Mouthpieces!

Probably the most common questions are about mouthpieces.

Mouthpieces are not complex but simply functional. A lot of times if the opening is small enough and
comfortable enough no beeswax will be on the mouthpiece end of a didgeridoo. Wax alone does not make an instrument
become "traditional" for the most part most "traditional" instruments like yidaki of NE Arnhem Land do not have wax, as the
mouthpiece end is very small typically and smoothed out by the maker. If the opening is wide and or uncomfortable to play on then
wax may be applied.

EASY STEPS TO REDO YOUR WAX MOUTHPIECE OR ADD ONE. Here's how to replace or add a beeswax
mouthpiece to your instrument. Warm up a chunk of wax. Then "Tootsie Roll" it, press it on and around the mouthpiece end
opening of the didgeridoo make sure to press it on so no air leaks between the didgeridoo and mouthpiece occur. You are now
all set to drone on! Need Beeswax click here.

What's the right mouthpiece for me? Some folks like the wax as they can adjust the opening while other folks don't like to have
sticky wax messes and just like to have the natural eucalyptus wood didge played "Bare Back" style against their face.
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Ugh! Cracks! Do happen but...
  • DON'T PANIC! Just because you see a hair line crack it is not the end of the world nor is the instrument going to self
    destruct anytime soon, it maybe the stress is released and no further movement will occur. Cracks can happen as
    didgeridoos are made of wood and are in a constant state of expansion and contraction movement. There is no need to
    throw away a perfectly fine instrument due to cracks. You have to keep in mind that when a didgeridoo player has a crack
    problem on their favorite instrument, they patch it on up and keep on going. Below are some helpful tips on how to deal
    with rare cracking / air leaks should if ever they arise.

  • You need to know how to repair your didgeridoo as you are playing on a wood instrument. So below you will find some
    tips for maintaining your musical instrument over the years.

  • It is possible it may crack do to the changes in the humidity where you live and your playing habits. So gradually
    lengthen your playing sessions on it from 15 or 20 minutes a day in the first week or so to longer periods after that first
    week of having your instrument. Sessions of jamming out for hours on end in a single day may cause it to crack.

  • If a crack has occurred in shipping please contact us immediately at JG@JGMP.com and save the packaging your
    instrument was shipped in so we can evaluate the situation and if needed start the insurance claim process with the
    freight company.

  • Repairing Cracks. 1st evaluate the crack.
  • What's the size?
  • If small and does not affect playing, do not worry. Just watch it, it may or may not do anything else ever again.
  • Is it leaking air/affecting the sound? If the answer is no, stop. If yes read on about these fixes.
  • Before patching a crack, you may want to take the smallest size drill bit you have to put one hole at either end of the
    crack as that will help relieve the stress in the wood that is creating the crack.
  • Press beeswax into the crack. This is a truly authentic Aboriginal outback style fix that is purely natural with minimal
    affect to the cosmetic look of the instrument.
  • Other options depending on the size of the crack you can use are wood putty, epoxy, sawdust and superglue combo.
John Groves Music Productions Didgeridoo Gallery is NOT responsible for any damage that modifications can do to your equipment.
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