Polish and Oil suggestions please....
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CoreyT
PRS Addiction
For the body I dig Virtuoso Polish.
I use it all of my guitars.
Very easy to put on and take off.
I use it all of my guitars.
Very easy to put on and take off.
Watersilk
New Member
Im also looking for the best fretboard treatment, lemon oil or whatever, can someone please suggest which product works best?
jmbeasley
Joe Beasley
...For fretboard...I have found that a product called "Guitar Honey" is excellent...purchase mine at Guitar Center. Also, I agree with "Virtuoso"...Works magnificently.
WeFixFlats
Respect The Clave
We only use the PRS Branded Guitar Care Products on our PRS Guitars: Polish, Cleaner and Fret Board Conditioner.
I'm of the physician's philosophy: "Do no harm."
Any product with abrasives works by removing finish - and that includes most polishes, even Virtuoso, which does work nicely to restore a finish that's been lightly scratched. What you're doing on a microscopic level, of course, is creating tiny scratches that grow less visible as you rub. So if you don't have scratches to remove, it doesn't really make sense to create new ones by rubbing polish on your guitar and removing finish.
And of course, even waxes without abrasives turn yellow. That's just what waxes do, even Carnauba, which is a wax that's so hard that it has to be cut with petroleum distillates to be workable, the pure wax is actually pellets. Carnauba's great for cars, they need protection from the grit and dirt encountered on roads. Not needed for guitars. Why add a yellow color? Unless you want that.
I advocate a clean, damp microfiber cloth, immediately drying the guitar with a clean, dry one. To give the surface a shine, the PRS Cleaner doesn't have abrasives, and works well. It also doesn't yellow.
If you have a pick scratch or swirl marks, by all means, the Virtuoso polish is great and works well on nitro finishes as well as the V12, so it's safe. The PRS Polish is a more traditional polish that can't be used on nitro (this stuff is not the same as the PRS Cleaner).
I also don't believe in special fretboard oils, your hands have plenty of oil, and the unfinished rosewood is a very oily wood that will stay that way for generations. I do clean the fretboard from time to time with lemon oil - I use the PRS stuff - but remember that lemon oil is scented naphtha, the same stuff your dry cleaner uses. It does not add oil, in fact, it removes oil. So it should be wiped off immediately when the fretboard is clean. My hands are pretty dry, so I maybe use it once or twice a year.
Most of the stuff people advocate to make the fretboard glisten or be darker just adds goo to attract dirt, dust, and cells from your fingers. The worst offender is of course mineral oil, or any mineral oil based product. It softens the surface of the wood, which isn't desirable, and it attracts gunk like crazy.
There's no need to use anything like that, and IMHO most fretboard treatments are "feel good" products that do absolutely nothing useful for the guitar. Unless you leave a guitar baking in the sun after wetting the wood, a rosewood or ebony fretboard isn't going to dry out in your lifetime.
Hell, go to a museum and check out ebony and other unfinished wooden items that were in tombs in Egypt for 3500 years, and held up just fine!
This business of "the fingerboard looked dry" is complete stuff and nonsense. It's wood. It's not supposed to look like it's been slathered with mayonnaise, coconut oil, mineral oil, or whatever other Big Idea someone has to separate you from your money.
Remember - "I polish it often" = "I remove the finish often and add new swirl marks." "I treat the fingerboard with this great stuff" = "I load the fingerboard up with goop to attract dirt and grime."
Bleh. Do No Harm!
Any product with abrasives works by removing finish - and that includes most polishes, even Virtuoso, which does work nicely to restore a finish that's been lightly scratched. What you're doing on a microscopic level, of course, is creating tiny scratches that grow less visible as you rub. So if you don't have scratches to remove, it doesn't really make sense to create new ones by rubbing polish on your guitar and removing finish.
And of course, even waxes without abrasives turn yellow. That's just what waxes do, even Carnauba, which is a wax that's so hard that it has to be cut with petroleum distillates to be workable, the pure wax is actually pellets. Carnauba's great for cars, they need protection from the grit and dirt encountered on roads. Not needed for guitars. Why add a yellow color? Unless you want that.
I advocate a clean, damp microfiber cloth, immediately drying the guitar with a clean, dry one. To give the surface a shine, the PRS Cleaner doesn't have abrasives, and works well. It also doesn't yellow.
If you have a pick scratch or swirl marks, by all means, the Virtuoso polish is great and works well on nitro finishes as well as the V12, so it's safe. The PRS Polish is a more traditional polish that can't be used on nitro (this stuff is not the same as the PRS Cleaner).
I also don't believe in special fretboard oils, your hands have plenty of oil, and the unfinished rosewood is a very oily wood that will stay that way for generations. I do clean the fretboard from time to time with lemon oil - I use the PRS stuff - but remember that lemon oil is scented naphtha, the same stuff your dry cleaner uses. It does not add oil, in fact, it removes oil. So it should be wiped off immediately when the fretboard is clean. My hands are pretty dry, so I maybe use it once or twice a year.
Most of the stuff people advocate to make the fretboard glisten or be darker just adds goo to attract dirt, dust, and cells from your fingers. The worst offender is of course mineral oil, or any mineral oil based product. It softens the surface of the wood, which isn't desirable, and it attracts gunk like crazy.
There's no need to use anything like that, and IMHO most fretboard treatments are "feel good" products that do absolutely nothing useful for the guitar. Unless you leave a guitar baking in the sun after wetting the wood, a rosewood or ebony fretboard isn't going to dry out in your lifetime.
Hell, go to a museum and check out ebony and other unfinished wooden items that were in tombs in Egypt for 3500 years, and held up just fine!
This business of "the fingerboard looked dry" is complete stuff and nonsense. It's wood. It's not supposed to look like it's been slathered with mayonnaise, coconut oil, mineral oil, or whatever other Big Idea someone has to separate you from your money.
Remember - "I polish it often" = "I remove the finish often and add new swirl marks." "I treat the fingerboard with this great stuff" = "I load the fingerboard up with goop to attract dirt and grime."
Bleh. Do No Harm!
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sergiodeblanc
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wardog
What the gravy and cheese!!!!
As always Serg; your Banging!!!!
On a side not, you got any design on a dimes in the works?
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sergiodeblanc
New Member
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Watersilk
New Member
I agree completely! I wipe my guitars after playing with a damp cloth, then use a dry one. I have never used polishes of any kind, however this guitar was different. It's secondhand, the previous owner had left scratches all over, which irritated me.
I used Planet Waves Restorer which removed these unsightly scratches, and as you rightly pointed out left a multitude of smaller scratches; this left the guitar to my eyes, shinning beautifully, the unsightly scratches are practically gone, and I feel much better about the guitar. I just don't know an alternative method of removing scratches without using a mild rubbing compound.
The fretboard felt waxy, like there was polish on it, so I cleaned it with methylated spirit, now it's clean and doesn't feel waxy.
All I have to do now is repair two damaged areas where the lacquer is cracked. Can anyone help with advice on how to soften the lacquer and seal these areas? I'm thinking of using acetate, applying a very small amount with a cotton swab, to close the cracks and seal these areas, I don't know if this will work.
Thank you all for the advice so far!
DHW
New Member
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- Feb 18, 2014
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The best fretboard conditioner I have used was the ernie ball wonder wipe that came with the musicman guitar I recently purchased... I haven't bought any though because they are super expensive for what you get, by far the most expensive fretboard conditioner out there. Normally I lemoil and then pledge it when it's actually dirty, my fingers take care of it the rest of the time. For the body I use S.I.T. Strings guitar polish maybe a couple times a year and wipe it down the rest of the times. It was recommended from a high end guitar shop, it was the middle of the road price wise but they felt it did the best without damaging the finish.
CoreyT
PRS Addiction
Do not forget the strings too, I have one of these in every case.
A little expensive to buy one for each guitar, but they also stay cleaner that way, as I have yet to have to wash one of these.
I always use this when putting my guitars away, and I always wipe the guitar down too.
My hands do not sweat either, so my strings last a very long time in conjunction with using this device.
A little expensive to buy one for each guitar, but they also stay cleaner that way, as I have yet to have to wash one of these.
I always use this when putting my guitars away, and I always wipe the guitar down too.
My hands do not sweat either, so my strings last a very long time in conjunction with using this device.
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Spikedog007
Life is good, it really is.
For the fret board, I use this...http://willcuttguitars.com/accessories/fret-doctor
For the rest, I use this...http://www.amazon.com/Virtuoso-Premium-Instrument-Polish-Cleaner/dp/B0088Q50BM
Both work incredibly good.
For the rest, I use this...http://www.amazon.com/Virtuoso-Premium-Instrument-Polish-Cleaner/dp/B0088Q50BM
Both work incredibly good.
Bill SAS 513
Just another old guy in a T-shirt
After working on (actually just setting up) many different brands of guitars, I think it's safe to say it depends on each different guitars' history. I've seen a PRS or two that definitely needed some moisture added to their boards...and I always use PRS fingerboard products. Where and how a guitar is stored, and in what climate has a lot to do with the condition of the FB. As with anything pertaining to PRS guitars, just a very little at a time makes a big difference. And certainly don't store them in a hot attic or damp cold basement...common sense, right??
Living in Maryland, which has ALL the climate extremes, I treat my PRS RW boards once a year...
And kinda makes me think...yeah, Paul really does like a challenge...central Maryland, right on the water...MAN!!!
Living in Maryland, which has ALL the climate extremes, I treat my PRS RW boards once a year...
And kinda makes me think...yeah, Paul really does like a challenge...central Maryland, right on the water...MAN!!!
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Mark Ace
New Member
Any recommendations on what to use to get rid of fingerprints and smudges on my new Angelus SE custom. Also is the finish on them nitro. I have the prs products and also Virtuoso which I use on my Les Paul.
markintime
Wood Grain Devotee
For the fingerprints and smudges, I would use a micro fiber cloth, the kind that comes with your iPhone or iPod works great. Once clean, I then use Renaissance Wax to prevent new fingerprints. Also protects against water.
CoreyT
PRS Addiction
No nitro on the Angelus, they are polyurethane like the rest of the SE line.
Mark Ace
New Member
Thanks for the recommendation. CoreyT. Thanks for the info on the finish. What do you use on your Angelus SE?
CoreyT
PRS Addiction
I use that Virtuoso Polish on all of my guitars including the SG which is nitro.
So far I have only polished each guitar once, as I always wipe them down when putting them away.
If they ever get smudged (never so far as I always play with washed and dried hands) I would use a damp microfiber cloth.
ever had to clean or oil a fret board yet.
I do have the PRS stuff, some Nampha, and also these cloths you cut into small squares called Gorgomyte.
Check out the YouTube videos to see how they tke gunk off of your FB if it ever gets gunky.
So far I have only polished each guitar once, as I always wipe them down when putting them away.
If they ever get smudged (never so far as I always play with washed and dried hands) I would use a damp microfiber cloth.
ever had to clean or oil a fret board yet.
I do have the PRS stuff, some Nampha, and also these cloths you cut into small squares called Gorgomyte.
Check out the YouTube videos to see how they tke gunk off of your FB if it ever gets gunky.
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