• From: massachusetts
  • Registered: 2010-10-18
  • Posts: 1,674

Topic: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

Did you ever see the Gibson Guitar care kit.For 20.00 dollars you get a tiny bottle of fretboard cleaner(lemon oil).A tiny bottle of metal cleaner(chrome polish).And a tiny bottle of guitar cleaner(Pretty much pledge)A chamois that says gibson on it and a little brush.All things that no guitarist can`t live without.I asked some people with more time under their belts than I have.They said that there is nothing wrong with using pledge.Purists dont use it because it has a smell.So for less than 20.00 I went to wal mart and bought a big bottle of lemon oil,An aerosol can of favor furniture polish and a bottle of turtle wax chrome cleaner.Plus a 3 pack of bigger chamois[(es)? couldnt figure a plural for chamois].I didnt get the tiny little brush but I also didnt miss the tiny little brush after I lost it.So for less than the cost of the guitar care kit,I bought more than 10 times the amount of cleaning products in the kit.Then for good measure,I bought a can of old fashioned Johnson Paste Wax.Now I am all set to clean my guitars for a bit longer than I could with the gibson kit.  I learned all this from asking old timers what they use. Just keep in mind,what did people use long ago before these cleaners were invented? One hard lesson.Dont use Johnson Paste Wax on the bottom of the guitar if you want to play sitting down.It slips off your knee all the time. As always, try it on a small inconspicous spot first.Especially on a satin finish guitar.

Enjoy Every Sandwich
Nothing In Moderation  -- Live Fast. Love Hard. Die Young And Leave A Beautiful Corpse. -- Buy It Today. Cry About It Tomorrow.
  • From: Tooele Ut
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 4,049

Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

Be careful with the wax Joey.  Wax stops up the poors and doesn't allow the wood to breathe correctly.  I think!

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  • From: massachusetts
  • Registered: 2010-10-18
  • Posts: 1,674

Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

I only use the wax on smooth surfaces(my red strat).I would never put it on a satin finish because it would never come off.(voice of experience).My original point is that the little gibson kit is just a bunch of overpriced cleaning products. Plus the paste wax requires a lot of elbow grease to remove the film.If the finish isn`t as smooth as glass or like that on a car.DON`T WAX IT.That is also why you try it on a tiny spot that cant be seen first.

Enjoy Every Sandwich
Nothing In Moderation  -- Live Fast. Love Hard. Die Young And Leave A Beautiful Corpse. -- Buy It Today. Cry About It Tomorrow.
  • auxi
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  • From: Arkansas, USA
  • Registered: 2010-12-20
  • Posts: 255

Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

I have guitar polish. Got it for Christmas. I like it, but I'm sure your concoction works just as well. What would you use for string cleaner?

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Katie tongue
  • From: massachusetts
  • Registered: 2010-10-18
  • Posts: 1,674

Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

I dont use string cleaner.When they start to get disgusting I change them. I do use string lubricant(finger ease). Which seems like silicone but I wouldnt dare spray a guitar with silicone(especially electrics).Spray them both on a floor and they will make it as slippery as ice.I used to buy gibson guitar polish in the spray can.Until I learned that pledge does the same thing for a lot less.

Enjoy Every Sandwich
Nothing In Moderation  -- Live Fast. Love Hard. Die Young And Leave A Beautiful Corpse. -- Buy It Today. Cry About It Tomorrow.
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2007-02-08
  • Posts: 1,914

Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

Pledge and other furniture polishes (including many Guitar Polishes) are really a no no....   Furniture polish especially will build up over time hindering top vibrations on acoustics and thus affecting tone...   Most luthiers will tell you to use nothing but a slightly damp rag and then buff with a dry one.  Also be very careful using any product that contains silicone as it never dries and can complicate future repairs...

[b][color=#FF0000]If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something.
[/color][/b]         [b]Peace of mind. That's my piece of mind...[/b]

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  • dino48
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  • From: los banos,california
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 6,801

Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

Water a soft cloth and a soft toothbrush,the wood is still ( alive as pete said so you need to let it breath,that is why older guitars develop a better tone)

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  • auxi
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  • From: Arkansas, USA
  • Registered: 2010-12-20
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Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

joeyjoeyjoey wrote:

I dont use string cleaner.When they start to get disgusting I change them. I do use string lubricant(finger ease). Which seems like silicone but I wouldnt dare spray a guitar with silicone(especially electrics).Spray them both on a floor and they will make it as slippery as ice.I used to buy gibson guitar polish in the spray can.Until I learned that pledge does the same thing for a lot less.

I have string cleaner (also a finger ease, I think) that works good, just wondering if you had an 'off brand'. smile
I'd be changing my strings all the time if I changed them whenever they were disgusting. Maybe it's my being a girl and wearing lotion and stuff. Dunno why for certain, but they sure get dirty fast...

"absolutely epic and really really loud" ~Zurf
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9 Reply by Guitarpix (edited by Guitarpix 2012-03-06 03:13:21)

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2007-02-08
  • Posts: 1,914

Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

About the wood breathing...  90% of woods absorption and dissipation is done through end grain. Meaning spots like the outer edges of the top and the inside edge around the top and bottom of the soundhole... So applying a heavy finish or even wax to the top (though not recommended) won't really affect the aging process. It will affect tone though.

[b][color=#FF0000]If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something.
[/color][/b]         [b]Peace of mind. That's my piece of mind...[/b]

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  • From: massachusetts
  • Registered: 2010-10-18
  • Posts: 1,674

Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

Just to clarify some things. I dont use the cleaners on a regular basis.If I clean them once or twice a year it`s a miracle.They mostly sit in their cases.Except for my red strat and yamaha apx-4-a. The others get pulled out a few times a year just to keep them running.And the finger ease is the name of the string lubricant. It`s safe to assume that everyone has different ideas about what to use.As far as pledge or paste wax goes.Dont pile it on.A very light thin film is more than enough.If anyone has ever tried to buff off a thick coat of johnson paste wax,(especially on a black guitar)they will know what I mean. My original point is that the Gibson Guitar Care Kit is overpriced household cleaners that can be purchased cheaper seperately. Lemon Oil, Chrome Polish, Furniture Cleaner and a small chamois all in its own plastic case. I can open up another pandoras box if I get into some of the overpriced "SPECIAL GUITAR TOOLS". Except for an ernie ball electric string winder and a hand string winder with a pin puller,I use the cheapest poor quality screwdrivers possible".WHY JOEY" I`ll tell you.The easier the handles break from too much pressure.The easier it is to break them before you put too much pressure on some delicate part of a guitar. A good strong screwdriver(husky or craftsmen) will easily damage a guitar before they break.And I never use any kind of power screwdriver. It`s a pain,but its too easy to crack a pickguard by tightening the screw too much.

Enjoy Every Sandwich
Nothing In Moderation  -- Live Fast. Love Hard. Die Young And Leave A Beautiful Corpse. -- Buy It Today. Cry About It Tomorrow.

11 Reply by naolslager (edited by naolslager 2012-03-06 11:03:27)

  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2009-06-12
  • Posts: 873

Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

I suppose Brill-o pads and Comet are right out as far as guitar maintenance goes?

I do occasionally use Pledge on the bodies of my shiny guitars. But it is used sparingly. The Satin guitars might get a light wiping down with a damp cloth. The fretboard gets lemon oil every once in a while during string changes.

  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

auxi wrote:

I have guitar polish. Got it for Christmas. I like it, but I'm sure your concoction works just as well. What would you use for string cleaner?

New strings.

Someday we'll win this thing...

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  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

Guitarpix wrote:

Pledge and other furniture polishes (including many Guitar Polishes) are really a no no....   Furniture polish especially will build up over time hindering top vibrations on acoustics and thus affecting tone...   Most luthiers will tell you to use nothing but a slightly damp rag and then buff with a dry one.

This is what I use.  A good chamois cloth and that's about it.  Keeping the guitar in a decent environment and just wiping it down on occasion will go farther than anything else to keep it looking good.

Someday we'll win this thing...

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  • auxi
  • Senior Member
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  • From: Arkansas, USA
  • Registered: 2010-12-20
  • Posts: 255

Re: A little knowledge can save a little money.Ask an old timer first.

jerome.oneil wrote:
auxi wrote:

I have guitar polish. Got it for Christmas. I like it, but I'm sure your concoction works just as well. What would you use for string cleaner?

New strings.

Yup, I know. But they sound fine, so I'm gonna wait. I actually have string cleaner that I like, just was thinking a homemade cleaner would be fun.

"absolutely epic and really really loud" ~Zurf
                            ^
                      Life right?
Katie tongue