guitar cleaning

I know there are a fair few guitarists round here so since I'm a relative n00b I thought I would ask you guys. Anyway I've had my guitar for two years and I've never cleaned the fretboard once, so as you can imagine there is plenty of grime on it (and it doesn't sound that amazing any more either). I'm changing the strings again next weekend and was wondering what would be a good way to clean the fretboard while the strings are all off? I don't want to put anything on it that will damage it or make the frets go rusty or anything nasty like that. I don't have any idea of the actual type of wood the fretboard is, but if it makes any difference it is the dark variety. I was thinking of maybe using some washing up liquid on a sponge, but please tell me if this will cause my guitar to burst into flames or whatever :smile:

I learnt the recorder when I was in primary school. Don't know anything about guitars though...

But like you said, someone here probably does.

Thanks for that :rolleyes: I'd also like to hear about what you do; my fretboard has kind of gone white (up near the body, in the 20th-fret-region)

Baby wipes?

Or some kind of alcohol-based fluid?

Just use a wet cloth, most cleaning liquids will damage the wood. Use soap as a last resort.

I'll ask "Guy down the hall #2"- he's a guitar freak. Or just wait for Doc to cruise by- I know he's a guitarist (or at least I think he is...).

well its about damn time you cleaned that instrument Jeff....shame on you...

ive always used Martin's Guitar polish, available at any guitar shop, about 4 bucks a bottle...but, you need to make sure all the grime is gone in the cracks between the frets..i use polish, a very fine soft cloth, and a toothpick along the edges....and do not rub against the grain, it scuffs the wood, and do not let the polish dry, or it leaves a film.....its a buffing polish, so youll have to rub the s**t out of it, literally..... :smile: ....it gives undue wear if ya dont....

DO NOT USE WATER AND SOAP...or other cleaners....any alchohol or spirit based products, all dry out the wood, no matter if its rosewood (which is what it sounds like you have) or maple....eventually leaving large cracks from shrinkage....a good guitar is a fine musical instrument, treat it well, and itll treat you well, (mines even gotten me laid)

Doc B... :dodgy:

water + wood = warpage

not really something i ever fancied doing with any guitars. i always just scrape the gunk off with a small penknife when i'm changing strings.

Brasso: Is there anything you can't do? lol

I've had some nice experiences with guitars, the first I had (POS) I cleaned only once with a little wet rag . . . it was a maple neck, but a pos squire. Now there are sections of the neck that look a bit . . . green. Short story shorter, water of anykind rots wood. Unless it's a sealent don't put it on.

Since I have no money I ususally use those dry swiffer whipes to get the grime out. But just to mention, getting 2 years of grime out isn't going to be easy.

Some kind of special fluid sounds good, I'll have to ask the guy in the shop... they are normally pretty helpful. Thanks for the advice :smile:

I don't know anything about guitars, but I do know somthing about solvents disolution... ect. If you don't want to buy some special guitar cleaning stuff (which is probably the best option) I'd recomend somthing like vegitable oil, or even mineral spirits (paint thinner). these should act as nice non-polar solvents, disolving the skin oils, but not penetrating the wood deeply the way water does...

The best thing about the Snarkpit is that no matter what you ask about there's always at least one person who is the master and can tell you the answer :smile:

This has nothing to do with cleaning guitars, but, what "axes" or acoustics do you guys play?

I've got a POS Squire strat (1st guitar) then I wised up and got a Ibanez AW100 natural . . . ohh man it sounds so nice. (It sounds better then most Gibsons in my opinion, Gibsons sound a little too low at times, mine has a nice ring to it especially in the C and D area of notes). My electric is like in a case in my closet I don't touch it anymore lol.

Brasso, if you say you've got like 5 Martins I will hurt you lol (jk).

Hmm, I have a Fender Strat- it's not terribly good, but I find that other guitars just look awful, especially Gibsons and their weird roundness! But electrics suck except for solo purposes :razz: so have a really nice sounding Alvarez acoustic...

I tried to learn from the old fart in the house, but it didn't work out as good as I wanted to... :sad:

I like how Les Pauls look and play, I don't like how heavy they are, I'd actually prefer an Epiphone Les Paul rather then a Gibson, I don't want my instrament, which is going to get abused by being played, to be a liability, so I don't want gold pick guards and such. . . But Strats looks worse . . . goddammit I hate my electric. The only thing Fender makes that is good are Amps, and I've heard their basses are good too, but I don't play bass so. However if you've heard how low their acoustic guitars are, it doesn't seem very unlikely lol. For a time I really liked how Ovations sounded, but then I listened to them again lol.

Is it just me or does the dreadnought design kick ass? :biggrin:

By the way, I need to get some new strings and I'm a little partial to Earnie Balls (since having the electric and all) however, I was wondering if you guys had some preference for acoustics? I don't like Nylon strings, but any other suggestions would rock.

[EDIT] Learning how to play is not a one time deal lol, you're always learning. the guitar master blabity glook (can't remember his name, he lives in Spain, he trained Estaban) maybe he doesn't have anything else to learn, but anyone but him is still learning lol. I mostly learned what I know by learning songs from tab sites and noticed paterns in rythem and chord configuration, then I started playing with friends on mine who will always tell you whether you're good or you should practice more because you suck . . . there's an abundance of sites online where you can learn all sorts of crap, give it a go. I also think it's better if you learn on your own, because then you learn it the way that's best for you instead of someone else influencing you with their preferences. If you do what you want, people adding in later will just add to your ability, not detract from it. Too many people try learning the hardest crap when they start so they give up immediatly, like barr cords . . . if you tried learning those without any cauleses, you'd really hurt your hand (I know several people who push themselves too hard and end up cutting their fingers up.) So, just try it out on your own, you're your best teacher the first couple years of playing, after that you can have people give you tips . . . but you should really figure it out your self first, or at least give it a shot. anyway . . . this edit is becoming blathering so off for now [/EDIT]

My friend has a PRS :kitty:

I never got callouses when I tried to learn - but I couldn't press the strings down cos my fingers are double-jointed and bend further than they should backwards. Hence, every time I tried to press down on the strings, my finger would bend backwards instead of the string giving way...

Stupid bendy fingers!

I always use wooden furniture cleaner. We have a product here called "Mr. Sheen", it works wonders for me everytime.

i would imagine that furniture cleaner is similar to a guitar polish.....if it works for you with no residual effects...more power to ya....to me, its worth the 4 bucks a bottle for a good cleaner, especially made for fine instruments..../*my 2 cents...

Doc B... :dodgy:

ps....i taught myself how to play many many years ago....and if you can avoid doing it that way, i'd say, go for it....a good teacher would have saved me alot of hate and discontent inthe learning process....point a to b in short order....on the converse, i wouldnt be as c**ky about my playing as i am today... :heee:

W00T!!!! LETS ROCK!!!!

Ah, the furniture polish idea sounds promising, I am expecting that if I go in and ask for something that says 'guitar cleaner' on it, it will be ?20 :sad:

Just use water and a cloth, get the edge of a knife to scrape out chunks and crap. It's relatively easy. Also you should get guitar polish, or apparantly (based on fender guitars) car polish- Fenders are/were painted with car paint...

I'll show lep when I get home :razz:

Brasso: The problem is, most guitar instructors aren't good teachers. And yes, you will learn amazingly fast and become very good more quickly, however, what I was saying is that most teachers influence their students playing style way too much. Instead of giving pointers and try helping they tell the student how to do it the teachers way . . . which is wrong in certain situations. I mean this for things like, preference of genre of music you're playing, what if the instructor is partial to country? If they aren't a good instructor they will make the student learn country music and base everything off of that. That's the kind of crap I'm talking about. I also said, if you get an instructor after you've been playing for awhile, it would be better, since you have your own techniques and the instructor will only add to what you know, not try to make you re-learn how to play the G cord, for instance.

That's all I was saying. I mean hell, I'd like some lessons on picking properly (at high speeds lol).

Oh well.

I thought about having some lessons now that I have some idea what I am doing, but then I thought the instructor would hate me because I probably have a load of bad practices and ways of doing things that I would be reluctant to change... Like when you have driving lessons after going with a parent from whom you picked up a load of bad habbits, which the instructor then has to try and drum out of you.

Lessons are good after a year or so. They'll correct things you are doing incorrectly and help you develop your own style a bit. No point in learning other peoples styles unless you wanna play just thier music...

Myrk: My point exactly.

Everyone else: Do you guys have any pointers for Tremelo-Picking, I'd have much higher self-esteem if I could at least attempt it. In fact any pointers on any picking techniques would help, except upstroing, I'm a pro lol. I would greatly appreciate any help on this, every other person I ask is like "ha, I don't know" or just a complete ass, whose like "busts out 20 notes in 1.5 seconds like that". Thanks in advanced. Also, any reference to books on it would help too. :biggrin:

I can't actually do it myself but I think it's a case of finding a song you like that has the technique that you want to learn in it, then just practicing it over and over until you can do it... in doing this you will probably end up developing whatever the technique is on your own.

ok....1st lesson in fast double picking....pick your favoite scale position in your favorite section of the guitar...bear in mind, that to do the same scale on lower registers, you need to work on keeping your fingers spread, wrist twisted to accomodate, and remove the ansilary movements...picture the playing of a piano....hands move flat and clean from side to side, but at a minimum....now, pick the first note in the scale twice, go to second note, play twice, etc etc, until you complete the scale....go slow at first, as to clearly "sound" the note.....scale going up. scale going down.....repeat.....repeat...and once you start to get comfortable with it, gradually increase the speed, keeping the clarity of the notes....do not increase the speed if you start muddying the notes.....do this in all scales, in all modes.....practice practice practice.... :wink:

dont think i missed anything....feel free to question/ comment..

ive been shredding a long time, and it works well....

i have a few students, and they are doing quite fine.... :smile:

Doc Brass... :dodgy:

EDIT>>>> i was just thinking....i could prolly send you small lesson clips if you need them...wav files....

EDIT>>>> a very, very important point i forgot to mention..never ever forget to include the pinky finger in your exercises...once neglected, its a bitch to reinstate...this does not include the fact that some may be missing this particular digit, in which case will definately change your whole format of application... :smile:

Well I got round to it. I asked the guy in the shop and he told me I needed this Dr Stringfellow 'Kyser' Lem-Oil ("made in USA"). It was ?5 but he said it would last forever, its a whole bottle and you only need a few squirts each time you use it, so it looks like it will last a long time. Anyway the fretboard has come up pretty much like new... one worrying thing though is that it says on the bottle 'lethal if swollowed'.

.../me pictures jeff with bottle in one hand, guitar in the other, flopping and twitching like a fish on the deck, yelling "i hate the guitar....i hate the guitar....f**king Brasso is an asshole!!!!" :heee:

dude....dont drink it.../runs

Doc Brass... :dodgy:

What a vivid imagination you have is all I can say to that :smile: ty for the help.

ah ha, i always thought that i recognised your avatar Doc.

i remember reading the news not too recently, about a little town in Latvia i think it was. one of the small baltic states that used to be part of the ussr. back then, some of the local 'laid back' types had been covertly meeting every week to listen to music. [spoken through a reverb pedal]and indulge themselves in other illillegal activites that, L L luckily luckily evaded the attentions of the law)[/spoken through reverb pedal]

when the country gained its independance, the locals tore down all the statues of stalin etc. so the local council decided that, as the town square looked a bit bare now, they thought they should ask the locals what should replace them.

the group of subversives took it on themselves to petition for a statue of frank, making fake credentials for him, and enlisting help from oversees to back them up. they done it mainly as a joke, but it worked a treat.

it always puts a smile on my face to know that they got away with it. i think frank would have liked it too.