Basic Vintage guitar TLC for dumbies

[pawnshopjunkie]

Hi,
I have recently started my collection of Teisco's, Kingston's, and other Japanese makers. I don't want to have run to my local guitar house everytime for some basic pots & pickup cleaning. Does anyone have some basics on this that will keep it simple. I want to learn to do this basic cleaning at home. The more I save the more I can buy!

Thanks,

MS

[VintAxe]

Hey PSJ,

The first thing you need to purchase is contact cleaner. I buy Deoxit D5 at my local electronics supply house. It's not cheap stuff, a small can will likely run you $15. However, Deoxit will fix 99% of your scratchy/nonfunctional pot and switch problems. All you've got to do is unscrew the pickguard and spray Deoxit into the slots of pots and switches. Don't re-screw the guard until you've tested the electronics and are happy with the results. Sometimes it takes 2-3 sprays before everything is up to spec. Give a little shot to the input jack as well. Pickups don't need to be cleaned, the problems are always pots and switches.

Deoxit D5 is the best darn stuff money can buy. sb

[pawnshopjunkie]

sb,

I knew I was in the right place!!!!! You're the man.

PSJ

[Say No To Vorderman]

just got a guitar this morning and the fretboard is really grubby, what's the best thing to use to clean away the gunge between the frets?

thank you

[VintAxe]

There are a variety of opinions on cleaning fretboard grunge from a rosewood or ebony fretboard. Maple boards will need a different treatment than what I suggest below.

Most people suggest removing the worst of the grunge mechanically with a guitar pick or a razor blade (scrape with the grain).

After the worst gunk is off you can rub with:

1. A little detergent dissolved in water
2. Naptha (lighter fluid)
3. Rubbing alcohol
4. lemon oil (I use Jim Dunlop)

You can rub with:

1. An old tooth brush
2. 000 steel wool (messy, the broken bits can stick to your pickups)
3. Thin, green, nylon scrubbing pads for pots/pans

After the board is clean, rub in some lemon oil, let it penetrate and then buff off the excess.

Happy cleaning, sb

[Say No To Vorderman]

cheers..i lashed out £3 on a proper cloth from a guitar shop and another £3 on some lemon oil..last of the big spenders did the job magnificently

[cheepaxes]

For cleaning and polishing finished surfaces you might buy a bottle of Virtuoso cleaner and a bottle of their polish. I used these on my Harmony Rocket and it came out amazingly nice. The stuff is designed primarily for nitrocellulose finishes, like on old Fenders, but it works well on pretty much anything. *Not* recommended for unfinished surfaces like unfinished bodies and fretboards. I've been meaning to use it on some of my grubbier guitars and basses.

See http://www.virtuosopolish.com

I'm a customer, not an employee.

-Scott

[Not Steve]

[Astrochimp]

A warning on contact cleaner- it can remove paint and melt cheap old 'plastic'.