Forum - SOUND ADVICE : Guitar Technology

Indeed, I have mentioned something along those lines in the past. But as this is a new thread I ought to put it into it's original context.

RULE NUMBER ONE.

Never, and I mean NEVER, confuse cleaning a guitar with polishing a guitar or restoring a finish. It's easy to get lazy with language and end up getting confused and possibly making mistakes.

Cleaning means removing all the muck, dirt, grease and old polish to get you back to the original paint. And yes, whatever name we use... polyester, acrylic, lacquer, cellulose, French Polish, emulsion... it's all paint.

Soapy water will remove most of the the grime from your guitar. HOWEVER, you must take care with soapy water. It has a habit of soaking into any exposed wood and is very good at working into cracks in the finish. Capillary action can draw water into a fine crack with ease. The wood underneath can, and will, swell. And over time the crack will get bigger. Capillary action can also draw water between the wood and the finish making them separate over time.

So, if you are using soapy water to clean a guitar be patient. Don't get lots of water on the guitar. Use a damp cloth only, not a dripping wet one. Work in small areas and wipe it dry as you go. Avoid any cracks or splits in the finish, including screw holes. Work around those areas very carefully using cotton buds. Literally wipe around with the cotton bud and then wipe dry with kitchen roll. Resist the temptation to soak dirty areas to get all the dirt in one hit. Wipe with the damp cloth and dry the area several times if required.

Unless absolutely necessary avoid solvents. Cellulose and French Polish are especially vulnerable, but even some polyester and acrylic finishes can be dulled by them. The sticky residue from old stickers, gaffa tape or sellotape might need a solvent to remove. Use the pads of your fingers to remove as much as possible. Resist the temptation to use your fingernails or scrapers because they can scratch or groove the finish. The good news with solvents is that they evaporate quickly. If you work under an electric lamp, apply the solvent very sparingly with a cotton bud, and quickly clean up with kitchen roll you are generally pretty safe. There are proprietary solvent cleaners for removing sticky residues, but you need to check the ingredients and instructions carefully. If you must use a solvent, I would recommend good, old fashioned, petrol lighter fluid. Again, if there is a lot of residue to remove it is best to remove it in stages rather than soaking it. Finally, if you have had to use a solvent, leave it for a good 24 hours before you attempt any restoration or polishing. You want to to ensure that any solvent that has got into the finish has fully evaporated. If you apply a coat of polish over fresh solvent you risk trapping the vapours so they can't escape and there is the possibility that they can cause damage.

My preferred cleaner is White Spirit. Simply because it is what is generally used to clean wood before it is finished and between coats. If it is good enough for the guys who made your guitar and applied the original finish, it's good enough for me. But again, if there is any damage to the finish it is best to damped a cloth/kitchen roll with the White Spirit to apply it and to make sure you wipe it off quickly.

OK, now your guitar is clean.

POLISHING

Polishing is a NASTY word. Because it can mean two completely different things which can cause a lot of confusion. One meaning is to create or restore the original shine that is the final part of finishing the paint/lacquer. As we are talking about cleaning guitars, not making new ones, I call that Restoring the finish to avoid confusion. The most important thing to remember about restoring a finish is that you use abrasives. Whether you use T-Cut, Brasso/Silvo (similar to T-Cut but a finer grade of cut - Silvo is more aggressive than Brasso because silver is a harder metal), Jewellers Rouge, Autosol paste, or Colgate tooth powder (yes, that is an abrasive too. I was taught the trick by an Indian Jeweller when I visited there and brought a couple of large tins back with me), they are all abrasives and they work by removing the finish. Every time time you use them, you are literally wearing the finish away.

That newer than new, flawless, gleaming look can get addictive. But every time you polish the scratches out you are taking 1/10th of a mm off the finish. And it is irreversible. Learn to love your scratches and the character they add to your pride and joy.

Polishing your guitar, just like polishing your car, is putting a nice, shiny, protective coat on the finish. And just like polishing your car, you make sure it's clean first. Applying a polish is NOT cleaning. If you carefully wipe down your guitar with a clean cloth and then apply a polish, all you are doing is smearing a layer of grease and dirt evenly across it and then sealing it in place with the polish. I have seen guitars literally sweating and covered in condensation when they spent 10 minutes in sunlight solely because they had been wiped down and polished regularly without being cleaned 1st.

Personally, I'm not too bothered about polishing my guitars. I prefer to wipe my hands before and after playing, and then wipe the guitar clean with a clean duster. And when I change the strings I take the chance to give it a proper clean with White Spirits.

OK, sorry to write such a long essay on such a simple seeming topic. But a little extra understanding goes a long way and helps prevent long term damage, especially where abrasives are concerned.

Andy

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When the going gets weird, the Weird turn Pro.