Guitar cleaning and that sort of thing

not_the_dj

I'm rubbish at cleaning my guitars...well when I say rubbish I mean lazy.

So give me your top tips and product recomendations to keep everything spick and span.

With particular attention to rosewood fingerboards, I've found a bottle of kyser lemon oil I bought many many years ago, and as I understand it that's a conditioner not a cleaner, so I should get to work with an old credit card first to get the grime off, before using that. That's the plan for my Les Paul Junior and Smartwood that have been a bit neglected of late, I'd also like to make sure I treat my shiny new Les Paul well...so turning over a new leaf and all that.

Phil_aka_Pip

I just use ordinary guitar polish and a rag. If your guitar goes to a tech once in a blue moon and he uses the oil on the fingerboard that's frequently enough AFAIK.

mike_l

I use lemon oil and a bit of elbow grease on my rosewood 'boards. Just making sure I've cleaned right next to the frets as well as the space between them.

I use eithe Dunlop or Keyser lemon oil.

For the body/back of neck I use Keyser guitar polish. I also use this on maple 'boards.

Adam_MD

For rosewood boards I don't think it gets any better than Gerlitz guitar honey. A bottle lasts of ages.

not_the_dj

Do you guys take off all the strings when you oil your boards?

When I change my strings I go one at a time...I'm always a bit wary about having them all off at once.

Phil_aka_Pip

I usually take all the strings off, putting a blob of blu-tack on the bridge and stopbar posts to prevent them from turning.

mike_l

All off, as I clean my guitars when I change the strings. Even with Floyds (4/5 of mine have Floyds) it doesn't take long to get them back to set properly. B-)

Adam_MD

I usually take all the strings off tape up the pickups and clean the board with a rag. Then I rub it with Liberon 0000 wire wool so it's nice and clean. After removing the last of the filings I spray on some guitar honey and then wipe off with a clean lint free cloth. It feels great and gives the board a lovely colour.

jaygtr

I use Gibson guitar polish and fretboard conditioner, mainly because it was given to me free when I bought a cab once. It's good stuff though.

I do the fretboard when I think it needs it, probably about once a year.

I never touch the neck with anything as its nitro and it seems to get sticky if I put any sort of polish on it.

ESBlonde

I only take all the strings off about once a year to clean the fingerboard. Lemon oil and wire wool is good (cover the PUs) if it's really cack then lighter fluid which is mainly naptha will soften the dirt and grime on the fingerboard and anywhere else. To replenish the natural oils in the fingerboard rub a walnut on the board or use bore oil from a clarinet (or gunstock oil) or a propitiatory brand.

On the body finish, beware of any checking or cracks and chips in the finish, these allow any fluid/cleaner down to the wood and eventually cause stains that cannot be removed. You should use your breath and a clean soft cloth or small amounts of distilled/De-ironised water.

Guitars are not hard to clean but care should be taken.

not_the_dj

Good stuff guys, I've got a bag of wisdom shazams that I might distribute amongst you all.

[Deleted User]

Strings off, lemon oil on rosewood or ebony boards, guitar polish (sparingly) on body. I use my index finger nail (wrapped in a cloth) to clean where the frets meet the fingerboard. I don't currently own a maple board guitar, but a non-waxy household polish works well on gloss finished ones.

Skipped

I am very cautious with older guitars because science is not yet able to determine the correlation between Mojo and 40/50/60 years of finger fudge trapped around the edges of trapezoid or block inlays on a Gibson guitar.
When I started that sentence I was kidding but now I am not sure.

bertie

I ve  always let my dogs lick mine clean.................................................

grungebob

I just don't bother unless I'm selling then I clean them as I wouldn't want to receive a guitar covered in anyone else's finger cheese

mike_l

bertie said:

I ve  always let my dogs lick mine clean.................................................

Bertie, we're discussing cleaning guitars

ICBM

Skipped said:

I am very cautious with older guitars because science is not yet able to determine the correlation between Mojo and 40/50/60 years of finger fudge trapped around the edges of trapezoid or block inlays on a Gibson guitar.
When I started that sentence I was kidding but now I am not sure.

Ah, now I understand why PRSs have no mojo - the inlays are such a perfect fit there's no room for any of it.

not_the_dj said:

I'm rubbish at cleaning my guitars...well when I say rubbish I mean lazy.

So give me your top tips and product recomendations to keep everything spick and span.

With particular attention to rosewood fingerboards, I've found a bottle of kyser lemon oil I bought many many years ago, and as I understand it that's a conditioner not a cleaner, so I should get to work with an old credit card first to get the grime off, before using that. That's the plan for my Les Paul Junior and Smartwood that have been a bit neglected of late, I'd also like to make sure I treat my shiny new Les Paul well...so turning over a new leaf and all that.

If it's got to the point you need to scrape the crap off, you need to be doing this more often. Just rubbing with a dry cloth every time you change the strings should be enough.

If it's as bad as that when I'm working on a guitar I use fairly aggressive cleaning solvent, and then re-oil the board afterwards if necessary. I don't like working on other people's finger residue really.

Dirt isn't cool, doesn't add 'mojo' and isn't the sign of a "well loved working guitar" as some people seem to think. It's just dirt, and it softens the board, corrodes the frets and makes them wear faster.

John_P

Every few gigs mine have a stringe change - all off.   I'll give the front and back of the neck a quick wipe over with brasso, wipe it and then a quick spray of whatever lemon oil type stuff I have at the time on the fretboard and polish on the body.   Then wipe it clean and restring.  Not the quickest method maybe but I'm quite happy tinkering with them and i hate gunky fretboards.

Adam_MD

ICBM;32594" said:

Dirt isn't cool, doesn't add 'mojo' and isn't the sign of a "well loved working guitar" as some people seem to think. It's just dirt, and it softens the board, corrodes the frets and makes them wear faster.

Fully agree with this. The state of some secondhand guitars I've bought have been disgusting. I couldn't possibly sell a guitar with that much crud on it. Usually they say "that's just relicing mate" but a guitar can look old without having green coloured slime round the frets.

not_the_dj

Well the fretboard on my Smartwood is now in tip top condition and the living room smells of the lem-oil.

 That's the first one done, I'll move onto the Les Paul Junior tomorrow night.

Evilmags

clean the frets as well. Masking tape and Silvo is the fastest way to do this and it really improves playability. lemon oil is a cleaner and is very good at getting old stickers off guitars. minor finish scratches can also be removed by t cut and elbow grease.