Overall Basic care and Polish

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Author Message   Zenday Username: Zenday Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 1:30 am:    I need some tips. I recently purchased the 2670re, its the most ive ever paid for a guitar so i need care tips. In the past i never ever cared for any of my guitars, i wouldnt care if they dropped, stayed out in the sun, gathered dust, etc. I didnt feel the collector side of owning a guitar. It was just pick it up playing and leave it lying around. Now that i have joined this website, ive learned alot about how important it is to care for your beauty, because not only is it an instrument that helps inspire one but it is also an ivestment and not only financialy but most important and investment to ones health and peace of mind. So my new purchase is extremly important to me and i need your help with tips on how to care for it. It deserves that i honor it with the utmost respect and care. Here is a list: I dont even want to put it out on a stand to gather dust i feel i want to play it and right away put it back in its case. What type of cleaning liquid do you hard core collectors use? name brands? How often do you clean your guitar? What kind or tyes of clothes do you use and recommend for wiping and drying the guitar? I want to avoid clothes that instead of cleaning the guitar stains it with dyes. I heard once that even wearing certain type of shirts can stain the guitar when repeatedly strumming is that true? stick with cotton? Clothing to avoid? If you guys can give me tips on how you keep your awesome collection mint i would appreciate that. Thanks! Zen   Talajuha Username: Talajuha Registered: 11-2006 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 6:41 am:    Zen, Now that you have a new guitar it is simply the daily care she needs. Wash your hands before playing because greazy or sweaty hands help dirt to adhere on her and sweat may cause corrosion on metal parts. Wipe the guitar after playing (even when you are tired after a gig) with a dry micro fiber cloth, also strings and the fretboard under the strings. Music stores sell expensive special clothes but cleaning clothes sold in your local market are as good. Damp (pure water) micro fiber cloth removes most stains when needed. In this way your guitar stays clean and you don't need special cleaning stuff. It is a different thing if you buy a vintage guitar which has lived a hard life in smoky bars without regular care and cleaning. Then say when you change strings you can check if the fretboard needs cleaning and oiling. There are a lot of books and web sites where you can find further instructions. Juha   Zenday Username: Zenday Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 12:06 pm:    Thank Juha, I will look into the micro fiber clothe you mentioned. I find myself constantly washing my hands while playing and i have a towel next to me to dry my sweaty hands. I hate it when it gets grimy n then the fretboard starts collecting all that gunk.. Id like to here more from the members here on how they care for their beauties!!   Lofapco Username: Lofapco Registered: 7-2007 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 1:57 pm:    "Boiled Linseed Oil" is great for rosewood and other fretboards. If it has sweat stains, use some 0000 steel wool, (you can rub with the grain pretty hard) and then finish with the oil. You only need a very tiny bit of oil and wipe all excess off right away. When you use the steel wool it is recommended to cover pickups, hollow areas and such so the small particles don't collect on the magnetic pups. I also recently found out that high quality car wax (Carnuba wax) is great for bringing back the beauty of your wood finish. Don't get anything with an abrasive agent but there are plenty natural wax products with Carnuba wax that should work great. I would only do that to a finish that needs to be brought back to life. What Juha said above is the most important. Just wipe after each time playing, use water sparinly (even breathing heavy on your finish and wiping with a micro fiber cloth helps a ton.   Talajuha Username: Talajuha Registered: 11-2006 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 4:54 pm:    Raw (cold pressed) linseed oil is the right one for fretboards. Boiled can be used for more rough purposes. Breathing heavy on fretboard and wiping is enough in most cases and is needed only when you change strings. Daily cleaning prevents dirt from caking on frets and fretboard. It may sound crazy but saliva will soften anything you have got on fretboard when playing. There is a lot of different kind of fancy stuff on the market but you seldom need any of them. I guess Dan Erlewines book tells more about guitar care and maintenance than you will ever need but you can also find tips for daily care (e.g. moist breat, saliva, avoid solvents if possible). http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_plans/Building_ and_repair:_Guitar,_electric/How_To_Make_Your_Elec tric_Guitar_Play_Great.html Juha   Jazzzbo Username: Jazzzbo Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 5:34 pm:    Be Careful with STEEL WOOL, as tiny fibres can turn to rust, I know , I have worked on yachts as a painter for many years, maybe ultra fine bronze wool, plastic pads or stailess, ps, good old Gibson guitar polish is pretty good, i was surprised how nice the black finish came back on my 1980 ar50, a mild cleaning may be in order before any wax, polish, etc jazzzzz   Bambusa Username: Bambusa Registered: 9-2007 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 6:24 pm:    A friend told me that 'back in the old days' people used to use brasso on the paintwork to bring it back up to scratch...can anyone confirm or deny this myth?   Zenday Username: Zenday Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 6:38 pm:    Good stuff guys thanks. Looks like linseed oil" sounds like the most used on the finger boards, i have ebony fingerboards will it work on those too? This guitar is new so i wont be using anything to bring back paint or clean heavy gunk anytime soon. But its good to know what you guys are using. awesome. Thanks for that link also!   Guitarwhisperer Username: Guitarwhisperer Registered: 6-2007 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 7:52 pm:    Sorry guys, nothing personal, but I hate linseed oil. It's poisonous, it stinks, and it builds up and get gunky on the fretboard. I use lemon oil exclusively, it soaks in more, and doesn't build up and get gunky, so you can use it more frequently. My fretboards don't get "finger grease" on them because it's not really finger grease, it's gunky built up linseed oil. I'll post a picture of a guitar I've played every night for over a year now. The fretboard looks great. Lemon oil also doesn't stink up your guitar and fingers. Linseed smells good, at first, but after about 5 minutes I can't stand it anymore. I avoid linseed and linseed products (like "guitar honey") at all costs. Not to be mean, but I'm surprised no one else has mentioned lemon oil.   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 8:04 pm:    The 0000 steel wool and linseed oil is for NON-lacquered hardwood only, so it's NOT suitable for finished maple fretboards, which you can scratch clean with the edge of a nylon plectrum (a sharkfin or a Dunlop Nylon won't damage the finish). EBONY IS INDEED SUCH A NON-lacquered HARDWOOD, and so are WENGE and PAO FERRO (Iron Wood). Use the steel wool ONLY IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION. This info about cleaning fretboards comes from the old guitar tech of SRV, who wrote this in Frontline Magazine (Fender) way back in 1992 or so. There are several alternatives for the linseed oil, like these small bottles of "fretboard oil" or "lemon oil" or whatever. Use what feels good for you and is cheap, because these small bottles in the guitar shops are expensive. Teak oil for furniture works fine too. For the finish on the body I use "Martin Guitar Polish", but I've seen the same type of bottles with orange Gibson stickers on them. Fender is marketing maintenance kits of Meguiar's under the Fender flag. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/099-0508-00 0/ Perhaps a little bit of googleing will get you even better prices. Ginger   Guitarwhisperer Username: Guitarwhisperer Registered: 6-2007 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 9:10 pm:    I love those meguiars kits. Heed my words, Zen! Before you gunk up your fretboard with a toxic substance, there's a reason you can buy lemon oil for fretboards at guitar stores, but you have to go Home Depot to get boiled linseed oil! (one of the reasons is that it's poisonous. Read the warning label on the metal HAZARDOUS FLAMMABLE SUBSTANCE can that it comes packaged in!). Furniture oils have wax in them, which also gunks up the fretboard.   Guitarwhisperer Username: Guitarwhisperer Registered: 6-2007 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 9:11 pm:    Your wife won't appreciate stinky fingers, either!   Jcmc64 Username: Jcmc64 Registered: 6-2006 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 11:30 pm:    I have also read linseed oil - bad. Mentioned same thing whisperer speaks about it...gunky. When changing strings, I use some stuff called Love Potion #15 by dean markley on non lacquered fretboards. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dean-Markle y-Love-Potion-15-Fretboard-Saver?sku=427506&CJAID= 10381297&CJPID=2179834 After removing strings, clean with warm water and rag, put love potion on, and then wipe off frets...good to go.   Jcmc64 Username: Jcmc64 Registered: 6-2006 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 11:31 pm:    Wipe off fret wires that is, let oil dry on fret board   Jazzzbo Username: Jazzzbo Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Monday, October 01, 2007 - 11:35 pm:    I agree with the lemon oil, smells nice too! cheers, jazzz   Mr_roadstar Username: Mr_roadstar Registered: 6-2002 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 5:26 am:    Dr. Ducks "Axe Wax" $7 gets you a lifetime supply. The Bear   Talajuha Username: Talajuha Registered: 11-2006 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 6:15 am:    Is linseed oil poisonous? Boiled linseed oil is often poisonous because it may contain petroleum-based solvent and metallic dryers. Fresh raw linseed oil is even suitable for human consumption and is used as nutritional suplement. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed_oil "Lemon oil" is mineral oil with a lemon scent. Whatever oil you use wipe it sparingly on fretboard, let it rest briefly (<minute) and wipe if off carefully - as much as you can. Rosewood and ebony fretboards need oil lubrication normally only after using solvents to clean exceptionally dirty fretboard. For more info I recommend e.g. Dan Erlewine's book mentioned above. Juha   Guitarwhisperer Username: Guitarwhisperer Registered: 6-2007 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 9:03 am:    The crap you get at Home Depot is poisonous, and flammable, hence the metal storage can. It's the boiled kind.   Chazmo Username: Chazmo Registered: 3-2007 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 11:01 am:    I use bore oil. This is a product for woodwind instruments you can pick up at most music stores. It has a slight industrial smell, but I think it's safe for ebony and I've used it on rosewood too. The bottle I have doesn't list the contents, but whatever -- I've had good results. Ginger's right about maple fretboards... Steel wool would be your enemy there. Using the 0000 gently on rosewood or ebony has worked fine for me. I use the wool to clean the frets with up and down motion and more pressure. Good point about rust with the wool, Jazzbo. Haven't run into that myself, but I can understand what you mean.   Zenday Username: Zenday Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 11:12 am:    Wow! I got some good info here. Thanks alot fellas. I remember now my guitar tech applying lemon oil once hes done with my guitar set ups. I think im gonna opt for the lemon oil, seems safer and i already know the smell. Mostly i think my focus will be in prevention, try and clean up after each use and constantly wash my hands. Im gonna use little bit of water to dampen the micro fiber clothes. I dont have to use lemon oil after every time i apply a damp clothe right? or will little bit of water dry n mess up the wood? i got ebony Thanks a Million   Talajuha Username: Talajuha Registered: 11-2006 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 12:10 pm:    Zen, Right, prevention Wipe your guitar with a dry micro fiber cloth after playing even if there is not any visible dirt. If you see or feel stains that were not removed try moist breath and wiping with dry cloth and after that damp cloth. If pure water doesn't help try a couple of drops liquid soap or dish washing liquid (for washing by hand!!!) in say a gallon of water and wipe with water damped cloth after it. In this case damp means that after wiping the surface of your guitar is not wet, twist or squeeze the cloth as dry as you can. Raw linseed oil is sold at art suply and paint stores. Juha   Guitarwhisperer Username: Guitarwhisperer Registered: 6-2007 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 1:16 pm:    Yay Zen! Brother, you've made the right choice. Bore oil is mineral oil, safe as well. I think they add the smell, to make it smell special, kinda like adding camphor to certain cremes to make them smell mediciney, but I could be wrong. I don't use water on my guitars, but I do mist the cloth with polish to make the fibers soft. I also dust off the guitar with an ultra soft paint brush so dust particles or whatever don't smear around and put those "polish scratches" on the lacqer.   Zenday Username: Zenday Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 3:14 pm:    yup! this guitar is going straight to its case after each use. my apartment gets way to dusty!   Chazmo Username: Chazmo Registered: 3-2007 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 4:32 pm:    If this were an acoustic, our next subject to discuss would be humidity where you store your axe. I don't suppose a solid-body electric really has the same issues as an acoustic, but what you should probably do is pick up a damp-it at the nearest music store and toss it in the case through the winter, wetting it and squeezing it out every month or so... In New England, where I live, relative humidity is so low in our baseboard-heated home that our fingers crack. Humidification is required. I'm outfitting a room in my house with a humidifier this winter to allow me to leave the guitars out on stands. I'm having some custom stands made for me by my luthier, so I'm all excited about this.   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 8:58 pm:    Oh yeah, what I forgot to say, is to cover your pickups with some plastic foil and Scotch tape when you use the steel wool. And keep a magnet close to where you're working so that it catches these nasty particles off. Ginger   Jazzzbo Username: Jazzzbo Registered: 9-2005 Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 10:33 pm:    OR, use fine stainless steel wool or the plastic scrub pads or bronze wool, cheers, jazzzz   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 8:20 am:    The fines stainless steel wool I could find is 00. It's safer to use 000 or 0000. I think that we can't magnetically control the bronze particles. So don't walk barefoot if you use bronze wool. I know that my dad used these plastic scrub pads on the aluminium of the B-25 Mitchell. They called it "brush". I doubt if it's fine enough. Ginger   Lofapco Username: Lofapco Registered: 7-2007 Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 9:11 am:    Chazmo... Planet Waves makes a great humidifier for guitars. I use one on my Taylor 612. I believe Taylor Guitars actually endorses this product use with their guitars. I live in Minnesota where during the 11 months of winter we seem to get every year (JK but it feels that way for about 5-6 months at a time anyway), my guitars have to stay in the case. Now that I have my T5 and my Maxxas, I am wondering if I can leave them out to pick up during the winter months. I probably will have to case the T5 as it is hollow body and will require a dampit in the case. The Maxxas is a solid body but has hollowed out chambers on the interior. Still can't see how you would humidifiy that guitar. Any suggestions on if I can leave the Maxxas on a stand for easy playing without worrying about lack of humidity?   Chazmo Username: Chazmo Registered: 3-2007 Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 10:57 am:    Planet waves is good too. Whatever keeps the humidity up will stop the wood from drying out. Minnesota is probably just as bad (or worse) than Massachusetts with this low humidity thing, and that is saying something. I'd be *very* careful with the T5, Lofapco! A solid-wood hollow-body like the T5 is (I think) is probably just as inclined to dry out as an acoustic. If you're talking mahogany or rosewood, you are definitely at risk. Maple, not so much (I have found). The only solution for uncased is a room humidifier. That's what I'm getting this winter for one room in my house where I'm going to keep the guitars out. Otherwise, case it!   Lofapco Username: Lofapco Registered: 7-2007 Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 11:09 am:    Do you know of a good humidifier for a guitar with scroll type cutouts like the T5? I was thinking maybe a small violin type dampit because the planet waves goes through a typical soundhole. We also have a forced air furnace system which dry's things out even more. I would love to have a baseboard hotwater system like the old houses have. Never have to worry about low humidity with those systems. I probably will keep the T5 cased along with my precious 612CE but I want to keep the Maxxas out for when I just "have" to jam with BB King! (on my ipod, not in person )   Chazmo Username: Chazmo Registered: 3-2007 Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 2:56 pm:    Lofapco, I think a violin size dampit will work. Worth a try. You might want a couple of those. Hey, baseboard heat is terrible, I can tell you from (painful) experience. Trust me, it dries out the air *big time*. Most forced hot air systems at least have some humidity control. Our house is single-digit to teens relative humidity for 8-9 months of the year here!   Lofapco Username: Lofapco Registered: 7-2007 Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 3:04 pm:    There is never a lack of humidity in the summer months in MN but the winter is a killer. My guitars are all located in my living room "music room" to everyone in our house. The outside air can eaisly be 20 below 0 during the winter and the furnace doesn't shut off. Having a gas fireplace doesn't help either. I guess unless I move to somewhere that has perfect year round temps, I will keep my beauties in their cases. I still think I could probably leave the Maxxas out since it has no sound holes but I suppose the fingerboard could end up drying out as well and leave sharp frets down the whole neck. Maybe I should buy one of those graphite guitars...   Talajuha Username: Talajuha Registered: 11-2006 Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 3:45 pm:    "... somewhere that has perfect year round temps ..." Las Palmas, Canary Islands They say it is Spring the whole year, 18 to 25C, marine climate but not rainy ... Juha   Zenday Username: Zenday Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 7:09 pm:      Lofapco Username: Lofapco Registered: 7-2007 Posted on Thursday, October 04, 2007 - 3:27 pm:    I am pretty sure that I too have Mad Cow....... I totally understand "Denny Crane"! lol   Zenday Username: Zenday Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Thursday, October 04, 2007 - 4:49 pm:    haha!!   Paulv Username: Paulv Registered: 3-2002 Posted on Monday, October 15, 2007 - 2:40 pm:    I'm starting to get some rust spots on the pick up covers and tail pice of my 2000 AF-120. What can I use to remove it without damaging the covers? Also, would it be a good idea to use guitar polish on the pups once the rust is removed? Thanks,Paul   Talmanut Username: Talmanut Registered: 9-2007 Posted on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 - 3:46 pm:    Rust spots mean whatever plating (chrome, nickel, gold) covered the steel is porous due to acids in your sweat, or just rubbed too thin to keep moisture off the steel. WD-40 applied sparingly on a rag can get rid of some of the surface rust. I've had hardware re-plated, but I usually just apply a thin coat of paste wax, let it dry, and buff it out. Paste wax is a little more wear-resistant than guitar polish. A woodworker I know got me using paste wax on my saw table, which is cast iron and located in an unheated outbuilding. It stops rust and doesn't transfer to the wood in any detectable amount. I remember a home-improvement show which looked at how door hardware is made, and the manufacturer dipped or sprayed some kind of tough clear-coat over the brass plating. That could be an alternative to wax.   Spiro Username: Spiro Registered: 2-2001 Posted on Monday, November 26, 2007 - 3:07 am:    I second bore oil. have been using it for years.. I firstly buff the frets with a cork sanding block wrapped in a soft cloth with a bit of Autosol..(polishes the fretboard at the same time.. I then clean the fretboard with white spirits (used in dry cleaning) and dry it.. I then put a drop of bore oil on every fret and rub in. Finally wipe of excess and voila! a new and oiled fret board that will last a long time.. For gold hardware I swear by a lacquer I have been using for years as well.. Its a copper and brass lacquer. Itake off all gold hardware and then wash it all down with warm soapy water and let dry. I then coat it with 2 thin coats and let dry overnight.. then re assemble guitar.. hope this helps

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