Best guitar and fretboard cleaner for my 1990 LP Custom?

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VoxmanVoxman Frets: 4718
edited February 2017 in Guitar
My 1990 Les Paul Custom has a dull film on it built up over many years and I'd like to clean it and shine up the gloss finish.  What's the best cleaner/polish to use that's safe, but will get it back to its former glory.  And for the ebony fretboard, what's the best cleaner to get rid of all the grime on there too?
I started out with nothing..... but I've still got most of it left (Seasick Steve)
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  • Jack_Jack_ Frets: 3175
    Right, well...

    If it's really caked in grime then you might be better off using a car cleaning product, but otherwise, Gibson Pump Polish is really good because it's nitro-safe.

    As for the fretboard, I use Dunlop 65, it does the job well, and people will argue all day about which oil and in what concentrations etc. If it's really gunky, I use a razorblade because I like the precision clean it can provide up to the frets, but if you're not experienced in using a blade then a guitar pick does almost as good a job, it just takes a bit longer.
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  • On the body you will be perfectly safe using T Cut - just don't go mad with it. 
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  • BloodEagleBloodEagle Frets: 5320
    edited February 2017
    Dont use t cut, its much much too harsh - its designed to smooth scratches in car paintwork not clean guitars
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  • Dont use t cut, its much much too harsh - its designed to smooth scratches in car paintwork not clean guitars
    Used it on my '64 335 with no ill-effects....
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  • Your choice man, but i wouldnt
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  • richardhomerrichardhomer Frets: 24793
    edited February 2017
    Your choice man, but i wouldnt
    But the point is I have - in 2003 when I got the guitar. T Cut is a finish restorer and used with a soft cloth, gently - it restores nitro cellulose finishes very well.

    The guitar has suffered no ill-effects from it at all. I wouldn't hesitate to use it again.
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  • ESchapESchap Frets: 1428
    Yup. I've restored the lacquer shine on a number of crusty old Gibsons with T-cut.  Just take it easy and the results can be remarkable.  Use a decent guitar polish after.   

    If the fretboard has a build up of finger sauce, then I use naphtha (liquid lighter fuel), let it soak for a little while, take it off with paper towel or a cloth, then a decent fretboard oil after it's cleaned up.
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  • VoxmanVoxman Frets: 4718
    Thanks guys but I'm nervous about using T-cut as it can take more than grime off. Is there anything else I could use? 
    I started out with nothing..... but I've still got most of it left (Seasick Steve)
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  • monoaminemonoamine Frets: 506
    edited February 2017
    Dr Ducks Ax Wax
    Never needed anything else, does the job amazingly on all nitro guitars and wood, including my 59 junior.

    Also, don't take a blade anywhere near your guitar. That's crazy. Just rub the ax wax on, leave it as a thin layer over the grimy bits on the body and the fretboard, come back 5 mins later and rub vigourosly with a cloth. The grime will be gone.
    1979 Tokai TE-85
    1980 Tokai LS-80
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  • robgilmorobgilmo Frets: 3359
    Good luck trying to remove scratches with TCut. TCut removes oxide on paint, you would really need to try very hard to remove scratches with it.
    Voxman TCut should be fine, it will only remove as much as you want it to, you could try something like Autoglym super resin polish which is like TCut but more of a modern formula, TCut is a light abrasive like brasso, the difference with something like super resin polish is the more you polish with it the more it breaks down and becomes less abrasive so the finer the finish/shine.
    There is also meguiars ultimate compound which again is leaps and bounds ahead of TCut, really guys, TCut is so very last year.

    A Deuce , a Tele and a cup of tea.
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  • VoxmanVoxman Frets: 4718
    edited February 2017
    Thanks @monoamine I just saw a demo of Dr Ducks Ax Wax and looks impressive.  Looks like its good for fretboards and strings too.  The guitar isn't actually dirty and the fretboard is pretty clean...its just that the body has a dull haze and I'd like to get it nice and glossy again. Probably because I've used a silicone based furniture spray polish which over the years has likely contributed to the dull haze.

    I know folk have referred to the paint finish on les pauls as being nitrocellulose ...is this the same for all les pauls?
    I started out with nothing..... but I've still got most of it left (Seasick Steve)
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  • different variations and mixtures of nitrocellulose I believe, but essentially an organic and relatively fragile finish (in the context of harsh cleaning products at least!)

    the ax wax will give you a lovely polish as well
    1979 Tokai TE-85
    1980 Tokai LS-80
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    I use Virtuoso.

    There's a cleaner and a polish. It's what the pros clean their million quid violins with.

    It doesn't work miracles, but it's bloody good stuff.

    Oh, and it smells nice too...!
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14034
    tFB Trader
    Meguiars Scratch X2.0 I find is pretty good
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  • rlwrlw Frets: 4671
    Ajax and a Brillo pad in the worst cases....
    Save a cow.  Eat a vegetarian.
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  • robgilmorobgilmo Frets: 3359
    If you dont know what the finish is be careful what you use, do a test patch first somewhere where you won't notice it, it could be the polish you have been using has damaged the finish and might ne be repairable by cutting with an abrasive.


    A Deuce , a Tele and a cup of tea.
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  • VoxmanVoxman Frets: 4718
    rlw said:
    Ajax and a Brillo pad in the worst cases....
    Yeeeeah!!  p'raps not!  D

    @robgilmo - its just a film layer that will come off - I'm not going to use t-cut  
    I started out with nothing..... but I've still got most of it left (Seasick Steve)
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  • robgilmorobgilmo Frets: 3359
    You could try a burnishing cream, I sometimes use it on shellac finishes that are a little dull.
    A Deuce , a Tele and a cup of tea.
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24579
    Voxman said:
    rlw said:
    Ajax and a Brillo pad in the worst cases....
    Yeeeeah!!  p'raps not!  D

    @robgilmo - its just a film layer that will come off - I'm not going to use t-cut  
    If it's a film layer then Virtuoso. It's what it's made for - removing crud and haze from a vintage delicate nitro finish.
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  • Virtuoso always - using t cut is stupid, it will swirl up the finish and look terrible 
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