cleaning guitars

[jdrnd]

I just bought a new Artist Korina. What do you use to keep the the guitar clean? i.e Removing finger smudges etc.. What about metal and plastic surfaces?

[Guest Hellrider67]

Here's what I use:

...with a soft cotton cloth.

[Jeff R]

For routine cleaning, the Dunlop 65 stuff is great, affordable and readily available.

To really clean a guitar finish, I use a polish that's distributed by GHS. It's in a black bottle with a red label. It hardens a little like a light wax and it takes off stuff the 65 can't touch.

I stay away from that milky crap sold by Gibson and Martin. Over time, it leaves a film on the finish. That's how I learned about the GHS stuff - trying to remove old Gibson and Martin polish residue.

[Guest Hellrider67]

Just a hint for anyone like me who has lots of black guitars; Turtle Wax's black colored wax works excellent for taking out fine scratches and keeps the balck looking a very nice deep gloss. It's the best thing I have found for black.

Because it's colored, it has pigments in it that can stain things, so if you have a white pickguard or something like that, tape it up or just try to avoid getting the wax on other parts of the guitar. Other than that, it works great.

[jdrnd]

Hellriders stuff seems harsh. The dealer sprayed the guitar with windex before putting it in the case and handing it to me. I thought windex was harsh too.

I'll try the GHS polish. Thanks

[Guest Hellrider67]

Actually the Quick Detailer products are very good. They spray on like water, not wax, and you just wipe everything down including plastics, etc. I use it on my show cars between waxes. It's very user friendly and doesn't require much effort.

[kizanski]

Actually the Quick Detailer products are very good.  They spray on like water, not wax, and you just wipe everything down including plastics, etc.  I use it on my show cars between waxes.  It's very user friendly and doesn't require much effort.

Yes, that stuff is great (the Armor All stuff, too).

I used to use it on my GTO all of the time.

[jdrnd]

What do you think of Pledge?

[serial]

Cool-didn't know about the black Turtle Wax. I need to get some of that...

[Steve Haynie]

Years ago I bought a bunch of the original Martin guitar polish. It was great stuff.

Today it seems that the Dunlop 65 polish is the way to go for most people. Wax polishes like Gibson polish will build up over time and need to be cleaned off of the guitar. They also show fingerprints and swirls way too much.

[Guest Hellrider67]

Cool-didn't know about the black Turtle Wax. I need to get some of that...

It works awesome, but like I said, waitch out for getting it on anything that might stain black, like plastics pickguards or pick up trim rings. I usally mask them off quickly just to avoid any potential problems

[sw686blue]

What do you think of Pledge?

Stay away from Pledge. It creates a build up of wax. Hellriders suggestions are good. I use and continue to use Meguire's or Mother's detailing stuff. Excellent.

[Guest Hellrider67]

when i see muscle cars, i can't resist posting pics

[silentman]

Another fan of the Dunlop 65 stuff. I have a kit that has fingerboard cleaner, fingerboard oil, cleaner, polish and string glide. Stuff works great.

[bobbymack]

The Dunlop stuff is okay, but these 2 products are hands down the best I've used:

Guitar Honey for the fretboard, Glyde Cote for the rest of the guitar...

Check out what Glyde Cote did for this L '58 LP Jr:

http://www.darrenriley.com/1958LesPaulJuni...restoration.htm

You can order both products from Darren, or Glyde Cote only at http://www.stellingbanjo.com/order/

[Jeff R]

Guitar Honey is GREAT for rosewood boards. I keep a bottle of that around too.

[bobbymack]

Guitar Honey is GREAT for rosewood boards. I keep a bottle of that around too.

Yep, I should have mentioned it is not for maple boards...rosewood, ebony, macassar, pao ferro, etc all good...

[Jimbilly]

I've been using Griots Garage speed shine for a while now, I'll bet it's the same stuff as that quick detailer. Use it with a bar of paint cleaning clay on your guitar, that'll get it looking good.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?L1..._1001&SKU=11146

[Stike]

What do you think of Pledge?

Shit.

[jdrnd]

okay I got it. Avoid Pledge and gibson guitar wax. Try Dunlop 65, black turtle wax, guitar honey, GHS black bottled red labed guitar cleaner, Quik detailer, and glyde coat, meguires or mothers detailer, armour all, and possibly martin guitar cleaner. Oh and the GTO and muscle cars are cool.

[sirDaniel]

MCChris hasn't chimed in on this thread.

The silence is deafening

[jdrnd]

What about Windex?

[Faber]

I never use anything stronger than the moisture of my breath, a soft rag and elbow grease

[sw686blue]

What about Windex?

Obviously, you didn't.

[Steve Haynie]

Windex should be considered in the most extreme cases of guitar crud. Otherwise avoid using it and stick with the polishes we've named off. They clean and polish.