cleaning questions

[sacpunk]

I have had my guitar for almost a year and really dont play it much. I've decided im definitely going to invest alot more time with it so i pulled it out of the hardcase and examined it the other day. Its really dirty so i used some dunlop guitar polish stuff on it and did a good job. How do you clean your elec. guitar? And maybe my most important question. I noticed some small rust spots on the pickups. How should I treat that and 2nd....would it effect the sound of the guitar? Thanks in advance

-sacpunk

[ESP_Viper]

I thuroughly clean my guitar when I change strings. I take all the strings off and I clean the frets and fretboard with an old cloth diaper and some string cleaner. One of these days I am going to have to oil the neck. I will probably take it to a guitar tech and have him to a really good cleaning and treating job on it. I also wipe down the body with a soft rag. Be sure it truly is soft, because some rags can leave small surface scratches in the finish. Pickup rust: I can't really help ya there, I haven't ever encountered that with my guitars. I have played really old guitars with rusty pickups and they sounded fine, don't let it bother you. To avoid more rust leave the guitar in a place where it is not very humid. Basements are the worst place. I have no choice but to keep my instruments in the basement so I have two dehumidifers running.

[jaytee]

dunno what to tell you about the rust..somebody else should be able to say....but
i have an acoustic...so....

guitar polish is the best way to go probably for the body...

if your fretboard is "bare" or unfinished (like rosewood)...get some lemon oil....itll soak it up and clean it and keep it in good shape...as if you were feeding it..
.but if its a glossed or finished fretboard...i think ive been told that regular guitar polish will be fine there.....i dont have that so....not an authority

try not to get lemon oil on a finished surface....its messy....you can get it at any hardware store or even walmart or the supermarket in the regular cleaning supplies/furniture polish aisle....i paid about 4 bucks for a good size bottle...it only takes a little...

--jt

[Coffee]

I use double boiled linseed oil on rosewood fretboards. The odour is not as nice as lemon oil but I believe it the be far superior to lemon oil for this purpose. You don't need to oil the fretboard each time you change strings. Make sure you clean all the grunge off the fretboard. A stiff toothbrush is good for this if you don't go too long between cleanings. If it's really grungy and crusty, you can use a superfine steel wool to loosen it up and get it off but go easy. You don't want to damage the rosewood, just get rid of the crud. Dead skin cells build up fast. That's the same crud you have to clean off your computer mouse rollers from time to time. Dont go overboard with the oil, just moisten the rosewood without leaving a bunch of oil on it. It may take a couple of days, if you over do it, to penetrate and allow you to play without getting an oily feeling on your fingers.

Don't use regular linseed oil. It absorbs slower and leaves the oily feel longer. Double boiled is cheap anyway. I bought mine at a hardware store. 1 Liter (quart) for $4.

[Sandman_96707]

You don't have a Squier do you? Mine rusted fast and the black lettering on the knobs faded to green and is coming off.

[fizz]

How long do you have to leave the lemon oil for?
will extra soft tissues do the trick?

[jaytee]

doesnt take long...and really takes very little oil on the cloth...if youre not too crudded up you can clean up your fretboard in a minute or two....if its bad you wanna let it soak a few minutes....really you are gonna wipe off the excess and it kinda doesnt matter how long i dont think.....as long as you dont overdo it and let it run all over the place....doesnt need that much....dont need puddles...just get it damp/wet

i dont think id use tissues...sounds linty...how bout an old sock?

hmmm...see when i was a kid i had to help my mom polish furniture......i bet your mom could give you a few lessons...lol....practice makes perfect

--jt