Keep em clean

[stingraynz]

Hi all!

 

I recently picked up my first Gibson. Its an SG Natural Burst finish.

I really want to keep this in tip top shape for the next 60 odd years that i'm around.

 

Can anyone suggest what products to use and which to avoid?

Any tips are welcome!

 

Thanks all

[Bob Isaac]

This is a widely debated topic and you will get many suggestions which will include

 

Clean lint free cotton cloth

 

Gibson pump polish

 

Virtuoso polish

 

Bob

[kidblast]

+1 to virtuoso, in fact, if use both the virtuoso cleaner and polish, you'll be a happy boy.

 

you may want to check out some fret board conditioning products too. Some people just use regular products (like boiled linseed oil or other wood spirits) Lemon oil is good as long as you can find some that is 100% lemon oil. (The stuff you will find in grocery stores is not really intended for using on guitars, some have other by products and/or alcohol.

 

But check out Gerlitz Guitar Honey. I use this personally and I like it, Keep in mind, only needs to be done maybe twice a year.

[BigKahune]

.

I use the pump polish for quick clean ups.

 

Virtuoso cleaner for heavy grim like arm haze.

 

And Virtuoso polish three or four times a years.

 

 

.

[CoreyT]

I use Virtuoso Polish and cotton cloths on all of my guitars.

They are very slippery :D

 

Have not had to use the cleaner yet, as my guitars only date from the present back to spring of 2012, so they are very clean.

[Seizure]

Dry Natural Lambskin Chamois. NO POLISH or any other liquids .

 

Keeping my satin finish.....satin looking.

[disaster]

I use the Gibson polish. I started using it after I bought my SG. The gloss finish on the neck is the best playing neck I've ever had. I contacted Gibson and asked what they recommended. They proclaimed their polish is the very thing used at the factory. I'm a believer. I use it on the neck all the time. It keeps the neck fast & sweet as new. Great combination.

[GibSinCity]

Dry Natural Lambskin Chamois. NO POLISH or any other liquids .

 

Keeping my satin finish.....satin looking.

 

+1 on the Virtuoso for gloss finishes.

However in this case, Seizure is correct.

Using Virtuoso, or any polish I'd imagine on a satin/faded type finish will most likely give it a kind of semi-gloss finish.

I've done this on a Faded V.

Also, I only use the polish.

Using a liquid "Cleaner", as opposed to just a polish on these types of finishes may take away some of the already thin finish.

 

Here's a link to a thread with pics. where Virtuoso polish was used on a Les Paul Standard Faded.

 

http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/2621-virtuoso-polish-on-my-faded-lp-finally/

[stingraynz]

Thanks everyone really helpful stuff.

 

Seems like the finish is the issue...

 

mine is high-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer

 

so any further thoughts?

[sg50]

You should wipe all of your oil and sweat from the guitar every time you finish playing. I keep part of an old T shirt handy for the purpose. Your own human residue will erode the hardware (frets, bridge, pickup covers), and quite possibly wear the nitro itself. The exact rate of corrosion depends on your physiology and the amount of excretion you leave on the guitar. You may have noticed that some people's guitar strings last much longer than others... and that's often due to oil and sweat and the ensuing corrosion.

 

It's compounded by dirt. The addition of solid material helps trap oils and water and hold it against the guitar which can speed up the wearing process. If you've ever seen a dirty fretboard (google it if you are unsure), it's the result of oil and sweat mixed with dust and dirt that forms a scum on the fretboard. It makes a paste, and clings to the wood -- particularly around the frets. It's much more visible on maple than rosewood, but it's there on most fretboards. This mud stains the fretboard, so even after you clean the build-up, the marks remain. The same can happen next to pickups, in the bridge, and anywhere else that scum can build up.

 

That worn-in look is often sought after. There's something cool about playing a guitar so much that you've shaped it and formed a bond. Some folks "relic" guitars to fake the look, but that usually looks like excrement. Ever see a guitar where someone sanded away the finish on the lower bout where a player's fore arm would be? (common with "relic" treatment on strats) Except the player's fore arm is really several inches away from the bare wood and never would have caused that wear? It's dumb and it screams poseur. I'm losing focus.

 

The point is that if you want to keep it looking brand new, wipe your scum off of it after each session. It's more effective to prevent wear than treat it.

 

As for polish, Gibson sells a Gibson-branded polish and cleaning kit. It works fine. But I get more miles from a soft rag.

[CoreyT]

The Virtuoso polish is perfect then for your SG.

Mine looks great with it.

 

Besides dry wiping down your guitar after each use, pick up one of these too.

I use it after playing,and it makes the strings last a lot longer.

http://www.amazon.com/The-String-Cleaner-by-ToneGear/dp/B001FSZR4U

 

[badbluesplayer]

Yeah - Cotton flannel is best and make sure there's no polyester thread in the cloth. Like don't use a cloth that's hemmed, because the polyester thread will make big ol' scratches in your finish.

[John Rutherford]

Keep them clean by all means but if you want your SG to get

to pension age in original condition, buy a solid guitar stand and

ban kids, cats, dogs and any other furry critters from within

2 miles of your guitars.