Cleaning guitars

ElPredicador

Yeah... Whatever
Jul 27, 2002
383
1
18
37
Santiago, Chile
Hello there. I'd like to know how do you clean your guitar. Until recently, I just used a dry cloth, but now I bought a new guitar (an amazing fender strat, american standard, 96 edition), and I feel it does not work. I know there are some special liquids out there, but I don't know which liquids are for what, I don't feel like going to the store (which BTW is not close to me), and ask for recommendations there. So I figured I'b better ask here first.

Any help appreciated.
 
I would try acetone or zylole. (just kidding) Use lemon oil on your frettboard and pledge on your body. And use a lint free cotton rag. Paper products leave a mess.
 
ElPredicador said:
Hello there. I'd like to know how do you clean your guitar. Until recently, I just used a dry cloth, but now I bought a new guitar (an amazing fender strat, american standard, 96 edition), and I feel it does not work. I know there are some special liquids out there, but I don't know which liquids are for what, I don't feel like going to the store (which BTW is not close to me), and ask for recommendations there. So I figured I'b better ask here first.

Any help appreciated.

Usually, from http://www.musiciansfriend.com/, they sell with most of the American Strats, the Meguiar's Care Kit, and I use that on my other guitars, and it works awesome.
 
@oddybubu: What is pledge? (non native speaker here). Also, I don't know if lemon juice is a good idea... I don't like the thought of spilling acid on my guitar :p
@ptah knemu: The kit seems nice, but I don't want a "guitar embellishment kit", I just want my guitar clean, without the dusty and greasy feeling.
 
ElPredicador said:
Hello there. I'd like to know how do you clean your guitar. Until recently, I just used a dry cloth, but now I bought a new guitar (an amazing fender strat, american standard, 96 edition), and I feel it does not work. I know there are some special liquids out there, but I don't know which liquids are for what, I don't feel like going to the store (which BTW is not close to me), and ask for recommendations there. So I figured I'b better ask here first.

Any help appreciated.

I use Fender & Martin polish on the body with the previously mentioned lint free cloth. For the fretboard, I have found NOTHING that cleans as well as Old English furniture soap & a toothbrush. Works great on all fretboard woods, from Maple to Ebony. I'd stay clear of any household type waxes on the body, too much build up. Just my own personal experience with guitar tech-ing and restore/repairs.

J-Dubya
 
I use "love potion #9" on my bodies and lemon oil for my fretboards everytime I do a setup on my guitars
 
Lemon oil works very well and is different than juice. And pledge is a house hold furniture polish, used conservitively it works ok but you don't need alot of it.
 
I use lighter fluid to clean my fretboard and frets every string change, I only use it when the strings are off because when you use it when the strings are on the strings seem to corrode faster, it cleans it very, very good, you can see all the black shit on the cloth that comes off the frets and fretboard, your guitar is dirtier than it seems :loco: As for the body I don't worry about it too much, my guitar is black (Jackson DXMG) so it's going to get finger smudges on it anyway, what I do clean off of it is dust and sweat smudges :yuk:
 
If you use lighter fluid to clean the fretboard, you must condition it with either lemon oil, or woodwind bore oil, which is the best. the reason behind this is that naptha (lighter fluid) , like alcohol and other petrolium solvents with pull all the moisture out of the board and cause it to eventually crack and split because there mounted on top of a softer wood (maple usually) which moves and bends a lot, and if the board isnt soft n' moist enough to move with it, well, bad things...

also, these items are ONLY for rosewood and ebony boards, which are "open grain" woods that are not sealed. Maple is much to soft and therefore is alway sealed with a hard polycoat and really could be cleaned with a little soap and water.

You need very little to clean a guitar body because, like a maple fretboard, it is usually sealed in many clearcoats, just like a car. You could use a little soap and water, or pledge if you want your guitar smelling like grandma's house. You could even wax your guitar just like a car, but theres really no need for it.

also when cleaning a guitar, take a lot of care in NOT TOUCHING ANY METAL besides the frets, or you will have rust city in no time, especially with harsh petrolium solvents, which tend to be caustic..
 
I was going to mention the Meguiar's kit, but ptah beat me to it.

In low-humidity areas, I've found vaseline works well on rosewood fretboards as well. I used to use it about once every couple months. I then switched to lemon oil.
 
For the past while I've used 'no name' furniture polish with paper towels and it works pretty good (I don't use it on the fingerboard, just the body and neck).