taking care of guitars

[Sharkfin]

There are a lot of good recommendations here. I will typically wipe down the body of my guitars every so often to remove fingerprints and sweat with a little bit Dr. Ducks Ax Wax. It goes a long way so you don't need much.

For ebony & rosewood I have been using the Fret Dr. stuff for about 4 years. I've never tried anything else so I don't have anything to compare it to. If it ain't broke don't fix it, comes to mind.



For polishing frets I did use the steel wood method, but I found it was messy and a pain to tape off the fret board. This eventually lead me to try Gorgomyte and I have been using that ever since to not only polish the frets but to also clean off the fret board. Then I hit it (the fret board) with the Fret Dr.

I also use Big Bends Nut Sauce on the nut and guitar saddles when I do a string change. I bought a syringe full 4 years ago and have been using it on every guitar I own and still have plenty to last me for another few years. They say it adds life to the string by preventing string breaks at the nut and the saddles. I think they have data to back it up, either way I'm happy with it.

I like to keep my guitars in good working order, I think it makes them play better

[xenophobe]

For polishing frets I did use the steel wood method, but I found it was messy and a pain to tape off the fret board.

I don't tape anything except to cover the pickups. I still use steel wool on all my frets. I just use a fret protector, like the one you have on the bottom of the picture.

I like to keep my guitars in good working order, I think it makes them play better

Absolutely.

[moku]

i forgot to say, sometimes when i get a used guitar with gunk on the fretboard, i use a dremel with a soft pad attachment and carefully clean the frets and board. i found this method effective and quick. afterwards i use fretboard cleaners/oils.

do you guys suggest something else instead of dremel? because sometimes the gunk is so hard to get rid of with just regular fretboard oil.

[xenophobe]

i forgot to say, sometimes when i get a used guitar with gunk on the fretboard, i use a dremel with a soft pad attachment and carefully clean the frets and board. i found this method effective and quick. afterwards i use fretboard cleaners/oils.

do you guys suggest something else instead of dremel? because sometimes the gunk is so hard to get rid of with just regular fretboard oil.

A dremel can easily ruin a fretboard... I would never personally use one. I don't know how many guitars I've bought that had permanent scratches from someone who wanted to do it too quickly. It'll save you a few minutes, but it won't really do a better job unless your frets are already trashed.

All you need to do is get a toothbrush with your favorite fret oil and scrub away. The gunk comes off pretty easily. You may need to oil and scrub, let it sit for a few minutes and repeat if they're really dirty.


Seriously though, all you really need for an effective cleaning kit is a fret protector, some 0000 steel wool, a toothbrush and some fretboard conditioner along with some polish of some sort and wax for natural necks if you have any. Add a few microfiber cloths and you're good.

[moku]

i see. it's soft pad attachment though.... i don't think it would scratch the fretboard. but i'll give toothbrush a try. thanks.

[straycat]

If a board is all gunked up I use a single edged razor blade at 90 degrees to the fretboard and lightly scrape all the gunk to the middle and brush it off.
Then take 0000 steel wool to the board and frets(cover the pick ups with blue tape).Oil the board with lemon or linseed oil.
Not too much BTW if it dries out real quick a little bit more.Never let the oil sit around the frets for too long you don't want the oil to get under the fret and cause it to pop up.
Thats about it, the steel wool buffs the frets nicely so no need to polish the frets if they really don't need it.
This method works for all fingerboards.

[ginsambo]

0000 Steel wool on bare maple boards every few months, I like darker stains but not any crusty shit.
As Straycat I use a razor blade on rosewood but less often an then 0000.
Dunlop products myabe once a year or 15 months.
Clean and oil trems every two years maybe more often if I sweat on them.

I bought a round long haired vacuum brush attachment and labelled it specifically to keep the dust off, especially so it doesn't form a paste on oiled trems etc. It's labelled because if you were to use it to clean the dirt off the floor from your boots and then use it on laquer it will stratch it, sometimes worse than pick swirls. I vac them everytime I clean the place, it stops the dust building up around the headstock and pups and trem.

Main routine is 0000 steel wool every six months and vacuuming, ideally once a fortnight, but usually once a month - this place is a shithole.

Oh and I keep all the guitars, as much as possible out of the case, so you can tell what is going on week to week, trussrods gets adjustment in November and April maybe, if necessary, as relative humidity goes form 78% down to 40% lowest with the central heating on.

Once a year I take my hardcore guitars to a luthier for a fret regrind and dressing.

And I always wash my hands with detergent and anti bac before playing, as eating pizza whilst playing is just fecking gross man, as you have to pick the cheese off months later. Also if you don't there are probably more bacteria on your fretboard than in your average pub urinal. Whilst olive oil is probably beneficial for the board and the bacteria don't bother me so much, the toxic cheese sludge buildup is gross. But I've only got into this habit as I often work with people's sewerage in the course of my job.

Also pull my zippers up and wary of belt buckles and trouser buttons.

[straycat]

When I take a trem down to the parts they get cleaned and treated with TW 25B a milspec dry lubricant and protector.
Brush it on all metal parts and it bonds with the metal and keeps grit and sweat off the metal parts.
Wish I dome my Kramer before I sold it to that sweat hog I wouldn't have had to soak it to get it clean.UGH!

[coloradoman25]

the hardware on mine gets thrown in a supersonic jewlery cleaner when it gets nasty. I use wd40 on that cleaner and it is awesome lol. 30$ at harbor freight. Cleans the trem amazingly well without disassembly within about 15 minutes.

[straycat]

Damn I need to get one of those!!
Thanks for the tip.

[xenophobe]

When I take a trem down to the parts they get cleaned and treated with TW 25B a milspec dry lubricant and protector.
Brush it on all metal parts and it bonds with the metal and keeps grit and sweat off the metal parts.
Wish I dome my Kramer before I sold it to that sweat hog I wouldn't have had to soak it to get it clean.UGH!

Unless the trem is really nasty with funk growing from the gunk, lemon oil and a toothbrush cleans all the nooks and crannies just fine, leaves a little light oil residue and makes brushing the next time much easier.