Guitar cleaning, maintenance

bindog

Hi All

So with all the inclement weather in JHB of late, I have been thinking about guitar maintenance etc...

I got GHS Fast Fret as a gift with my Tak, and I used it for the first time recently to try and clean the fretboard, strings etc, but I didn't feel like it did much to be honest...

What do you suggest for cleaning the fretboard? And should I be treating the top, back, sides with anything from a maintenance point of view?

Thanks in advance

AlanRatcliffe

Fast fret isn't your best product for cleaning IMO. The best stuff for any deep cleaning is still naphtha (Zippo-type lighter fluid - get it from your supermarket's cigarette counter). If there is a lot of buildup and/or the frets need a polish, use fine steel wool. In extreme cases or where the fingerboard needs levelling to remove divots, it might need scraping with a blade (followed by steel wool).

Get a conditioning oil for the fingerboard (not for regular use - about once a year max) and lemon oil for occasional cleans in between. The conditioner will darken the board nicely too.

Other than that, a soundhole dehumidifier is advisable.

bindog

Thanks for the response!

Is naphtha safe for the fretboard or will it dry it out?

I'll start looking for that dehumidifier thingy in the meantime

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

AlanRatcliffe

bindog wrote: Is naphtha safe for the fretboard or will it dry it out?

Completely safe for all woods, plastics, shell and finishes. So safe for everything.

Shibbibilybob

If you really wanna go all out, I can thoroughly recommend this stuff:
http://www.mypaesano.com/rosignolo_guitar_polish.htm

I don't know how much it sells for now, but I bought a set of their products in 2005 for 35GBP and still have the same stuff now. I don't use it often, but when I do, my guitars look amazing for a few months.

Bob-Dubery

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Other than that, a soundhole dehumidifier is advisable.

Don't you mean HUMIDIFIER? It's not necessary on the Highveld right now IMO, but the usual problem here is LOW humidity (and those days will be upon us soon).

AlanRatcliffe

X-rated Bob wrote: Don't you mean HUMIDIFIER?

Nope. ? I'd chuck a dessicant in the box ATM, for the wet weather.

It's not necessary on the Highveld right now IMO

Exactly.