Cleaning/Polishing Tips

[trisd]

Ron is an awesome guy. But one thing to be aware of: As far as I know, there's no such thing as a commercially available pure carnauba wax. It's so hard that it comes to the factories in pellets that are as hard as plastic. They mix it with petrochemicals to soften it.

Of course, that doesn't make it bad stuff; there are petrochemicals in a ton of things we use on our guitars.

No pumice and no silicone are, however, good ideas!

Funnily enough Ron stated that his favourite polish was Meguiar's!

Jump to 11:20

You are quite right Les, you defiantly need some "safe" solvent, now I have to lament my clumsy comment. Fortunately for us there is a market for "nitro safe" polishes for vintage vehicles.

Pure carnauba wax is readily available in flakes and pellets. It's widely used in home brew cosmetics and is a substitute for beeswax across many applications.

 

[alantig]

 

[Sybo]

Beware of those humidity sponge eels that fit through the sound hole. Maybe I over-saturated mine, but I put it in my Martin D-60 sound hole and it caused the finish to check where it made contact with the maple side of the instrument. I don't use those anymore.

Those have ALWAYS scared the hell outta me..too many factors..

 

[11top]

But make sure there’s plenty of chlorine.



….and use a leaf blower to make sure all the water is out.

 

[DISTORT6]

But make sure there’s plenty of chlorine.



….and use a leaf blower to make sure all the water is out.

This is why they are weight relieved.

 

[Maxime Bousquet]

But make sure there’s plenty of chlorine.



….and use a leaf blower to make sure all the water is out.

The story of a drunken evening!

****... the face of the guy who wakes up by the pool and sees his guitar floating!

 

[Simon Says]

So if you like the feeling of playing a clean guitar that doesn't have crackly controls, feel sticky, and look like it's as old as me, do this: put it in a f#cking case or bag when you're not using it.

A case or gig bag also acts as a buffer for temperature and humidity changes, and pretty much eliminates the goo/dust combination problem, and prevents accidental dings.

Since I have literally no social life and whole week of work I was thinking a lot about this.

Nor that I fully disagree with this but I never keep my guitar cased. Never was. I just like having them handy. It's a guitar stand for me.

I agree that especially during the winter season, guitars are prone to humidity and temperature changes, but the changes are not acute. Not as acute as dragging your guitar of a overheated van on to a cold stage.

My approach was keeping my guitar rack away of a direct sunlight and away of a heater. My guitars always stay in tune and once I set them up they keep the setup well.

I'm a house cat, though and I rarely jam. I never play gigs and I only have two guitars which I use equally often.

Again - I don't disagree in full. Just my hands on experience

 

[László]

Since I have literally no social life and whole week of work I was thinking a lot about this.

Nor that I fully disagree with this but I never keep my guitar cased. Never was. I just like having them handy. It's a guitar stand for me.

I agree that especially during the winter season, guitars are prone to humidity and temperature changes, but the changes are not acute. Not as acute as dragging your guitar of a overheated van on to a cold stage.

My approach was keeping my guitar rack away of a direct sunlight and away of a heater. My guitars always stay in tune and once I set them up they keep the setup well.

I'm a house cat, though and I rarely jam. I never play gigs and I only have two guitars which I use equally often.

Again - I don't disagree in full. Just my hands on experience

A lot of folks feel as you do. I realize there's no mileage in arguing over preferences. Most will check out my post and say, yeah, but I'm not doing that! I'm fine with that. We do what we do for a variety of reasons, including how we set up for a session or practice at home.

F'rinstance, a lot of players will sit on the couch, grab an unplugged electric guitar, and widdle away. I don't. When I play electric guitar it's plugged in, because I kinda like the electric part of playing electric guitar. But I case my acoustic, too. Hey, at least I'm consistent!

I like to start by warming up the amps for a minute. While I'm waiting for them to warm up, I'll get the guitar strapped on and tuned up. So the few seconds it takes to pull the guitar out of its case really don't hold up the works.

I set the case on a keyboard stand, sofa, etc. Makes pulling the guitar out less of a bending chore.

Heck yes, I do the things I do because, science!

 

[Simon Says]

A lot of folks feel as you do. I realize there's no mileage in arguing over preferences. Most will check out my post and say, yeah, but I'm not doing that! I'm fine with that. We do what we do for a variety of reasons, including how we set up for a session or practice at home.

F'rinstance, a lot of players will sit on the couch, grab an unplugged electric guitar, and widdle away. I don't. When I play electric guitar it's plugged in, because I kinda like the electric part of playing electric guitar. But I case my acoustic, too. Hey, at least I'm consistent!

I like to start by warming up the amps for a minute. While I'm waiting for them to warm up, I'll get the guitar strapped on and tuned up. So the few seconds it takes to pull the guitar out of its case really don't hold up the works.

I set the case on a keyboard stand, sofa, etc. Makes pulling the guitar out less of a bending chore.

Heck yes, I do the things I do because, science!

We all have our own rituals indeed. It takes 4 switch flips and mute deactivation for me to start playing, and I will say it only once - I still have a hard-on flipping every single switch to activate my rig in to a take-off mode

 

[11top]

This is why they are weight relieved.

Very few woods have the weight density of water. So most are gonna float unless made from Lignum Vitae.

 

[alantig]

Very few woods have the weight density of water. So most are gonna float unless made from Lignum Vitae.

Especially if they’re witches.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Especially if they’re witches.

“She turned me into a newt!…..I got better!”

 

[Black-Viper75]

Very nice write up @LSchefman. Thanks.

 

[DISTORT6]

Very few woods have the weight density of water. So most are gonna float unless made from Lignum Vitae.

What about Paul’s sinker neck wood?

 

[11top]

What about Paul’s sinker neck wood?

Water “logged”

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Water “logged”

Mah-sog(gy)-any

 

[László]

Speaking of water, O band of humorists, the ancients used urine as a detergent for clothing because of the ammonia it contains.

I do not, however, recommend peeing on your guitar, using a power washer, hose and bucket, or washing it in a swimming pool even if you don't pee on it.

There are limits, you know.

 

[DirtyLuck]

Ill toss a couple of products i use with great success. In another life i used to detail high end cars. Think $250k rarities.

Ceramic coat. It is worth the cost. On a car the coating will last 5 years or so before it need to be redone. On a guitar, indefinitely. It only builds a couple of mm film so i have noticed no changes in natural tones of wood, its crystal clear and extremely hard, lays and polishes out glass slick.

Another product i use especially on necks is rennasance wax. Its a crystalline wax formula used in museums on fine art and antiquities. Very good stuff and lasts quite awhile.

 

[aphantomvaper]

Speaking of water, O band of humorists, the ancients used urine as a detergent for clothing because of the ammonia it contains.

I do not, however, recommend peeing on your guitar, using a power washer, hose and bucket, or washing it in a swimming pool even if you don't pee on it.

There are limits, you know.

What's the difference between a Chick Pea and a Garbanzo bean?

I don't know either, but I've never had a Garbanzo Bean on me.

 

[Wakester]

Very few woods have the weight density of water. So most are gonna float unless made from Lignum Vitae.

Or Natalie Wood