Maintenance tips
Your instrument needs you to take care of it, just as it will take care of you.
This advice is general and does not apply to every category of instrument. In fact, only yidakis and magos, as well as the Budget O'Meara range, are concerned. All other instruments are treated on the inside to avoid any risk of cracking. If in doubt, feel free to contact me.
When your didgeridoo arrives
- Let it acclimatiseDo not play it straight away. I know it is hard to wait, but the wood needs to reach the temperature of your home.
- Start gentlyDuring the first week, play 5 to 10 minutes a day, then lengthen your sessions over several weeks. The wood needs to absorb the moisture of your breath to develop its best tone.
- Feed the woodYou can treat the instrument with linseed oil when it arrives, then once or twice a year: before winter and before summer. This rule mainly applies to yidakis, magos and the Budget O'Meara range.
Day to day
When you are not playing
- Stand it at a slight angle in a safe corner, in a temperate room.
- Never balanced precariously, nor near a busy walkway.
- Do not store it in the sun behind a window. Playing outside in the sun is fine, but do not leave it there afterwards.
- Avoid sudden changes in temperature and humidity: windows, heaters, draughts.
When you are playing
- Do not rest or rub the instrument on a rough floor: this damages the wood or the varnish and opens the way to cracks.
- In the street, take a piece of vinyl flooring with you to rest the end of the instrument on.
- After playing, wipe the inside with a tissue to remove excess moisture.
When you are carrying it
- Protect it from changes in climate, ideally in a waterproof, padded bag.
- Do not leave it in the sun or in a hot car.
Cleaning other woods
- A damp cloth, with a little mild soap if needed, outside and inside.
- A dry cloth to finish.
- No oil or thinner.
To protect and care for your instrument
Why can wood crack?
The traditional yidaki and eucalyptus didgeridoos are wooden instruments: they may crack when humidity and temperature change. Nothing can fully guarantee that an instrument will not crack with use or with changes of season and climate. As a precaution, it is worth treating the inside of the instrument.
Wood lives with humidity
It is hygroscopic: it constantly absorbs moisture and reacts to its surroundings.
It moves as it dries
It shrinks as it dries and swells as it absorbs moisture. If two parts of the same piece do not move at the same rate, stress builds up between the fibres. When it exceeds the strength of the wood, it cracks.
Freezing during air travel
In the hold, the instrument drops below zero. Frost forms ice crystals that make the wood swell.
A risk at any time
The risk is greatest just after the instrument is made and during export, but a crack can appear at any time in an instrument's life.
The yidaki among the Yolngu
Among the Yolngu
The Yolngu do not place the same value on the instrument as we do: it is easy for them to find a new yidaki. If it cracks, it does not matter, they make another one. At the first cracks or air leaks, they repair with wax (which is not permanent), with epoxy (which can be) or wrap the instrument in adhesive plastic tape. Cracks are common: they like to play a damp instrument and traditionally pour water into the yidaki before playing.
For us
Our situation is very different: we spend a lot of money on an instrument and we want it to be perfect.
Never pour water into an untreated instrument: it would be the worst thing to do, cracks guaranteed.
The Didgeridoo Passion warranty
of delivery
Most of my didgeridoos are guaranteed directly by the maker. Where that is not the case, Didgeridoo Passion takes over. The warranty covers labour and the repair of cracks, splits or air leaks.
What is covered
- If cracks appear through natural causes, I repair the instrument free of charge.
- Labour and repair of cracks, splits or air leaks.
What is not covered
- Mistreatment, neglect, misuse or accidents.
- If a returned instrument shows visible signs of mistreatment, the repair costs are borne by the buyer.
How to claim under the warranty
- Contact meBefore any return, contact Didgeridoo Passion to receive my approval.
- Send the instrument backThe buyer returns the instrument to Didgeridoo Passion.
- Shipping costsShipping costs both ways, as well as insurance, are borne by the buyer.
For yidakis and magos, nothing can guarantee that the instrument will not crack: that is why it is important to treat it.