Cleaning the body of an electric guitar

[Jon Danniken]

Hello all, I am looking for a recommendation for cleaning/polishing the
body of my electric guitar. It was locked away in a closet for many
years, and now that it has been freed from it's captivity, it would like
to improve its appearance while it spends all of its time out in the open.

I am not looking for a recommendation of a "guitar specific" product to
purchase, nor am I looking for a polish (AKA fine scratcher), although I
am sure that if I went to GC they would have an excellent product for
less than twenty dollars that is the best thing since sliced bread and
would improve my tone.

I am mostly interested in a standard consumer-grade product of the type
that probably does not specify electric guitar usage (is likely sold as
a general wood upkeep product) and would be sold at a wal*mart kind of a
store for a very reasonable price, but I would also really dig a product
that I could whip up on my own for the infrequent times that I need it.

This is an early-nineties Ibanez with a clear natural finish (not a
color), BTW.

If I breathe on it and wipe it vigorously with a cloth it gets the nice
shiny appearance I am looking for, but I would prefer something that
works a little faster than that (it's got splotchy areas that crimp on
the shine when the light is on it, and that's not cool).

Thanks,

Jon

[Tony Done]

Baby wipes, and domestic wet wipes if they don't do it followed by
paper towel. - They are what I use on my guitsars - wood, metal,
cheap, expensive.

Tony D

[David L. Martel]

Jon,

Spray on Windex (or other glass cleaner), wait 5-10 min, wipe down with
cloth or paper towel. I use an old toothbrush on fret boards. This seems to
work well on body oil.

Dave M.

[esha...@yahoo.com]

Just go get some guitar polish.. cleaning is one thing, polish is another. e

[jtees4]

I use furniture polish (non wax kind)...in fact I think it is the
Walmart brand, "Great Value" brand. Works great.

[Kaz Kylheku]

On 2012-11-02, esha...@yahoo.com <esha...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Just go get some guitar polish.. cleaning is one thing, polish is another. e

No, do not get "guitar" anything. It is snake oil marketed at dumb guitarists.

They take some generic cleaner, put it into smaller bottles, slap a
guitar-related sticker on it, and mark it up a few hundred percent.

--
ADA MP-1 Mailing List: http://www.kylheku.com/mp1

[Kaz Kylheku]

On 2012-11-02, Jon Danniken <jonSPda...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hello all, I am looking for a recommendation for cleaning/polishing the
> body of my electric guitar.

Cleaning: if the guitar is "poly" finished, as many are, then you can pretty
much clean it with anything non-abrasive. For more sensitive finishes like
nitrocellulose, I'd stick with a mild detergent and soft cloth.

After cleaning: Armor-All. Don't even think about anything else. Certainly
no furniture oils like Pledge or that sort of crap.

Armor-All is basically a water-borne non-permanent coating that adds shine to
almost anything: leather (fake or real), plastic, painted surfaces. It
supposedly protects from UV (which is extremely hard to believe at low film
thickness that it builds.) It does prevent dust from sticking to the surface
and helps repel dirt.

[boardjunkie1]

On Nov 2, 12:43 pm, Kaz Kylheku <k...@kylheku.com> wrote:

Armor All on a guitar? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of.
Yea....let's pretty up the guitar body and then smear a greasy
silicone based slurry all over it and make it look like shit again.
Retarded....

[LULU]

On Nov 2, 9:43 am, Kaz Kylheku <k...@kylheku.com> wrote:

===============================

Armor-All . . . the dumbest thing I've heard so far today. Skip this
step ! ! !

Lulu : )

===============================

[boardjunkie1]

For poly finishes, I use a car polish called "Nu-Finish".

http://www.hardwarestore.com/media/product/112282_front200.jpg

It has a fine polishing compound in it and really does a nice job
bringing the shine back. And, it leaves a nice slick feeling layer on
top....makes the neck feel really fast. I've used it on nitro in the
past, but always test before going at it.

[Flasherly]

On Nov 2, 1:04 pm, boardjunkie1 <boardjunk...@gmail.com> wrote:

>...but always test before going at it.

A little routing through the paint gave me a pretty good idea --
actually kind of thick and powdery for a contractor grade, heavy motor
1/8" Dremel type tool used for routing through drywall by
electricians. Sort of doubt it's nitrocellulose (had to rig a shopvac
next to the cutting, and a makeshift cowl around the arbor, so much
powder blowing), but may have had some sort of extra or final prep put
over it, as it tend can to two-tone white where the base comes through
to off-nicotine kind yellowish-brown sweat over white. Filthy little
suckers, they are, when sweating over tubed amps for hours. Drop dead
tired, set it aside, and come back to disgusting cheese and hairballs.

[gonjah]

I don't know about using paper towels on a guitar's finish. Maybe I'm
too cautious but paper is made of wood and can cause scratches. I'd use
to a soft cotton cloth.

I've never really noticed guitar polish being very expensive. Sometimes,
when you but a guitar from a music store, they'll throw in a bottle for
free to sweeten the deal if you ask. I always ask for strings and a
strap. I'm Irish. It's a genetic problem.

[Tony Done]

On 3/11/2012 6:21 AM, gonjah wrote:

>>
>> Baby wipes, and domestic wet wipes if they don't do it followed by
>> paper towel. - They are what I use on my guitsars - wood, metal,
>> cheap, expensive.
>>
>> Tony D
>>
>
> I don't know about using paper towels on a guitar's finish. Maybe I'm
> too cautious but paper is made of wood and can cause scratches. I'd use
> to a soft cotton cloth.
>
> I've never really noticed guitar polish being very expensive. Sometimes,
> when you but a guitar from a music store, they'll throw in a bottle for
> free to sweeten the deal if you ask. I always ask for strings and a
> strap. I'm Irish. It's a genetic problem.

There's a difference between cleaning and polishing as already noted. I
only clean, except where the finish is badly eroded , as on my old
Gibson, on which I use Goddard's wax. It is always in the back of my
mind that if I ever need to do a finish repair, oil or wax is only going
to make it more difficult, and might make finish cracks more obvious.
Baby wipes and wet wipes contain very mild solvents, but seem to work
well. Naptha or cooking oil will remove most things that wet wipes
won't. I've also used Windex and similar cleaners, as mentioned by
David, but I always apply them to a cloth or paper towel first, not
direct to the finish.

I think you are being over-cautious re paper kitchen towel, but it is
better to err on the side of caution. The slight hardness of paper acts
as a polish, but I've never seen evidence of scratching - you could
always play safe and use it damp to soften the wood fibres.

Slightly OT, but the best polish I have found for repairing guitar
finishes is a metal polish called Reflections. It isn't oily, it cuts
fast and leaves a finish comparable to poly or nitro. I use now use it
for all polishing jobs (NOT routine guitar cleaning), including metal
resos, pickguards, and nuts and saddles.
--
Tony Done

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=784456
http://www.flickr.com/photos/done_family/

[gonjah]

What about an old checked (I think that's the word) surface like my Dobro?

[Tony Done]

If it is anything like my Gibson, I would just give it a clean and
polish with Goddard's or the like. I wouldn't try and improve it, that
is a specialist job involving the use of strong nitro solvents

[gonjah]

Used to be Armor All was death for dashboards. I don't know if they
changed the formula.

[gonjah]

On 11/2/2012 4:55 PM, Tony Done wrote:
> On 3/11/2012 7:27 AM, gonjah wrote:
>> On 11/2/2012 3:46 PM, Tony Done wrote:
>>> On 3/11/2012 6:21 AM, gonjah wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Slightly OT, but the best polish I have found for repairing guitar
>>> finishes is a metal polish called Reflections. It isn't oily, it cuts
>>> fast and leaves a finish comparable to poly or nitro. I use now use it
>>> for all polishing jobs (NOT routine guitar cleaning), including metal
>>> resos, pickguards, and nuts and saddles.
>>
>> What about an old checked (I think that's the word) surface like my
>> Dobro?
>
> If it is anything like my Gibson, I would just give it a clean and
> polish with Goddard's or the like. I wouldn't try and improve it, that
> is a specialist job involving the use of strong nitro solvents
>

I'll pick some up. I really don't want to fix it. I like it. I just
don't want it to chip off.

[Bruce Morgen]

Unless the instrument has
an old-fashioned nitro
finish, Windex� (or the
generic equivalent) is as
good as anything else --
modern finishes are rock-
hard and don't need
anything fancy to clean
up nicely.

[Kaz Kylheku]

On 2012-11-02, gonjah <jth...@toast.net> wrote:
> Used to be Armor All was death for dashboards.

Urban legend started in part, evidently, by an ex-employee that was involved in
a wrongful dismissal suit.

Please don't e-mail me copies of your public followups; it is wholly
unnecessary and unconstructive.

[gonjah]

The email was an accident and the Armor All was from personal experience.

Way back in the 70's I used Armor All and I swore it would be the last
time. It wasted a "like new" dashboard. I wouldn't be surprise if it is
an entirely new product.

[LULU]

===============================

Use an old white t-shirt and this product. It works quite well and it
doesn't cost very much. Silicone is horrible crap to use on any part
of a guitar. Avoid products that contain silicone and you'll avoid a
variety of associated problems.

Good Luck,
Lulu : )


http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies/Abrasives,_polishes,_buffers/Preservation_Polish.html

===============================

[Les Cargill]

"Death for Dashboards" would make a good band name.

--
Les Cargill

[Squier]

yeah... same here... I think I used "Behold" and just wiped it on
and buffed it up with an old soft cotton t-shirt. works fine.
c'mon now - this ain't rocket science. it's a freakin poly coated electric guitar.
and even on 'nitro' finishes it doesn't damage a thing.
me thinks there are too many yuppies out there needing a high cost solution
to satisfy their desires to spend money and prove they are worthy. heh.

[jtees4]

Been using lemon oil for 35-40 years on fretboards, and I really soak
it on and let it sit and soak in. Now I'm always told that's going to
ruin my fretboard, make it soft...whatever...they've all been just
fine. Only thing it's ever done is darken it, which is what I really
like about it.

[gonjah]

Yeah. That's a really bad idea.

[boardjunkie1]

If you search back in the archives for this group, Rich Koerner
debunked the myth that fretboard oiling causes any damage. IIRC he
took a scrap piece of rosewood, soaked the shit out of it with lemon
oil (or something similar) then cut a chunk out with a knife to see
how far it had penetrated the wood. Came to the conclusion that it
barely got below the surface. So oiling fretboards 2 or 3 times a year
after cleaning does absolutely *no* damage to it.

[Tony Done]

Dunno, periodic soaking in the long term might do some damage,
regardless of a one-off experiment. I only do mine (Dr Duck's) when I
have a guitar on the bench for other jobs, and then only if the board
looks particularly dirty eg from fret polishing. - Apply and quickly
wipe off excess. I don't like the idea of what it might be doing seeping
into fret slots, especially at junctions with edge bindings. Finger oil
will do much of the board, depending on your playing style. As for the
rest of the board, why would it need more than a very occasional rub
over? - The oil that's already on there from the previous application
isn't going anywhere fast - unless it is soaking in, and that's bad.

[boardjunkie1]

Rosewood is a naturally oily wood to begin with. It does dry out at
the surface, and you can tell the difference in color when
occasionally oiled. Doesn't hurt anything.

Hammond tonewheel organs over oiled are a different story tho.....it
*will* rot the wood. 'Specially if the wrong type of oil is used. Ask
LV about this....

[Jon Danniken]

On 11/01/2012 09:21 PM, Jon Danniken wrote:
> Hello all, I am looking for a recommendation for cleaning/polishing the

> body of my electric guitar. [snip]

I want to thank everyone for helping me with this one, all of your
suggestions are appreciated and they all proved useful.

In the end, I was going to go with the windex recommendation, so I made
up my own very weak ammonia solution to clean the body with.

At that point, however, it dawned on me that I could probably just use a
70% solution of isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), applied sparingly
to remove the body streaks/grunge.

Sure enough, a tiny spot of rubbing alcohol on a cotton cloth made short
work of the offending substance, and my guitar is now bright and shiny,
and all is right with the universe.

As a bonus, I already had the stuff, and it didn't take but a speck of
it anyway, so my goal of not overspending on the problem was met with
glorious success.

Thanks again guys

Jon

[jtees4]

True about rosewood being oily. If any of you are Hamer fans you might
remember that the 90's Hamer USA guitars had a lot of
Hameritus...which was the finish seperating on the side of the
fingerboard and looking ugly. I owned threeUSA Hamers in the 90's and
each had varying issues with this. It turned out it was oil coming out
of the side of the rosewood board and getting under the clear coat
finish, and then lifting it. They had to re-think the way they were
drying their rosewood and that's how they solved the problem.

[Jon Danniken]

On 11/08/2012 06:59 AM, jtees4 wrote:
>
> True about rosewood being oily. If any of you are Hamer fans you might
> remember that the 90's Hamer USA guitars had a lot of
> Hameritus...which was the finish seperating on the side of the
> fingerboard and looking ugly. I owned threeUSA Hamers in the 90's and
> each had varying issues with this. It turned out it was oil coming out
> of the side of the rosewood board and getting under the clear coat
> finish, and then lifting it. They had to re-think the way they were
> drying their rosewood and that's how they solved the problem.

So it wasn't an over-applied finish that was causing the separation, it
was the oil in the rosewood itself? That's pretty darned oily!

Jon

[jtees4]

Supposedly that's the story, but I did read it on the internet...so I
wouldn't bet my life on it. I seem to remember that they solved the
problem when they made the move to the factory in Connecticut. I guess
it was the finish not bonding to the rosewood because of it being too
oily. It only affected Hamers made from roughly 93-97...then they
moved the factory.

[bnpa...@gmail.com]

I wondering the same thing.lol I just took off all the old strings on my electric guitar and was going to clean the whole thing before I put the new strings on. I have a packet of those wet ones hand sanitizer wipes. Do you think that it would be safe to use those? Thanks

[NoName]

On 6/8/19 1:46 PM, bnpa...@gmail.com wrote:
> I wondering the same thing.lol I just took off all the old strings on my electric guitar and was going to clean the whole thing before I put the new strings on. I have a packet of those wet ones hand sanitizer wipes. Do you think that it would be safe to use those? Thanks
>

Real guitarists use furniture polish

[%]

i use a sand blaster

[NoName]

I heard those leave very nice buffed finishes.

[%]

and the frets are all a glow