The completed instrument.

There are a variety of finishes: The body is oiled and polished (not varnished) on a buffing wheel with wax; the head is polished, the fingerboard and neck are oiled, but not polished; the top is sealed with thinned shellac and waxed. The owner is instructed to maintain the finish with beeswax applied with burlap and polished with silk. If this is done regularly, the instrument will look clean and last for centuries.