Eeewww!

[C-RAM]

My old Höfner nylon-string has a top crack that may not be worth repairing; the guitar still sounds fine, and I may not do anything about it; however, I did decide to find another, so yesterday DHL brought me one from Heroldsberg, Germany.

 

I let the carton acclimatize to room temp for a couple of hours, then I unpacked and carefully inspected it. A marvelous example of a 45-year-old instrument, and I'm happy with my purchase.

 

HOWEVER - the previous owner or owners clearly did not believe in the practice of wiping down/cleaning; there are literally YEARS of accumulated DNA all over this guitar, and I had to suppress my gag reflex as I put it away and went to wash my hands...

 

Ever dealt with a similar scenario? Most of my instruments were acquired second hand, but I've never seen one quite this gunky. Yeah, we're all different, and some might not even see this as an issue, but I tend to keep my gear clean/wiped off/dusted - forget all that stuff about 'mojo', I don't believe in it or want it.

 

My plan is to take a clean, DAMP terry cloth towel with a diluted solution of white vinegar or Simple Green (maybe both), and slowly and methodically give the entire guitar a once over until all traces have vanished; I figure that should do the trick.

 

Anybody know of a better, more effective method?

[JayinLA]

My old Höfner nylon-string has a top crack that may not be worth repairing; the guitar still sounds fine, and I may not do anything about it; however, I did decide to find another, so yesterday DHL brought me one from Heroldsberg, Germany.

 

I let the carton acclimatize to room temp for a couple of hours, then I unpacked and carefully inspected it. A marvelous example of a 45-year-old instrument, and I'm happy with my purchase.

 

HOWEVER - the previous owner or owners clearly did not believe in the practice of wiping down/cleaning; there are literally YEARS of accumulated DNA all over this guitar, and I had to suppress my gag reflex as I put it away and went to wash my hands...

 

Ever dealt with a similar scenario? Most of my instruments were acquired second hand, but I've never seen one quite this gunky. Yeah, we're all different, and some might not even see this as an issue, but I tend to keep my gear clean/wiped off/dusted - forget all that stuff about 'mojo', I don't believe in it or want it.

 

My plan is to take a clean, DAMP terry cloth towel with a diluted solution of white vinegar or Simple Green (maybe both), and slowly and methodically give the entire guitar a once over until all traces have vanished; I figure that should do the trick.

 

Anybody know of a better, more effective method?

 

The Luther's in the music store I worked in was a big believer in Lemon Oil. He used it almost exclusively for those kind of applications.

[ksdaddy]

Here's a banjo I bought a few years ago.

 

[capmaster]

My guess is the guitar has been inherited and therefore not been touched for years. I know what actually happens to eleven guitars of a bandmate who passed away two months ago today. He was surrounded by them for months lying on what finally became his deathbed, and the entire room is held under monument protection by his widow. She rejects any suggestion to put them into their cases.

 

The good news about old gunk collected within years is that it is usually affected by oxygen, and that may even have protected the finish from it and some light. Oxidized dirt can be removed using water only. In particular old residues of cooking fumes are just nauseous, but it should work for these, too. My way of doing would be wetting facial tissues with deionised water, leaving them there for a short period - a few minutes or so - and remove them while wiping with gentle pressure. I would repeat this until the finish surface is visibly clean.

[Cougar]

Here's a banjo I bought a few years ago.

 

I hope that didn't cost over 5 cents!

[Markini]

Just to be on the safe side, I would ditch the terry cloth and use a lint free cotton cloth. For a real dirty guitar I use a drop or two of lemon or orange based dish soap in a bowl with warm water (not hot), Then wipe it down with regular water. For the purist I would use bottled water or mineral free water of some type.

[Guest Farnsbarns]

Naptha.

[fromnabulax]

A few years I Bought an electric from some guy by mail from down in Texas. As I excitedly opened the case I was hit full on with what must have decades of accumulated cigarette smoke, dog hair and dander, cat funk, cheap beer and who knows what else. I literally began to gag.

 

First thing I did was rush the case out of doors and sprinkle a liberal amount of carpet deodorizer with baking soda in it and locked in my garage for a few days with lid open.

 

Next was the guitar. I know you're not supposed to use furniture polish, but this was an emergency. First I removed the strings, bridge, and everything else that was not screwed down, or bolted down. Out came the spray can of Old English with lemon and thus began a scrub down of the entire guitar. Every possible exposed service was treated. I must have done the entire guitar three times before it started to become bearable.

 

I oiled down the fingerboard, restrung the guitar and started to simply deal with the stink. After a couple of more vigorous rubdowns, the guitar finally seemed to be almost neutral in its odor again.

 

After 4 or 5 days I took a vacuum cleaner to the case which needed a second application of deodorizer and a few more days airing out. I vacuumed it out again after the waiting and it too at least became bearable.

 

That was a couple of years ago and now the only remnant of the hellacious stench is the telling if it.

 

Good luck with yours!

[Riffster]

Here's a banjo I bought a few years ago.

 

 

I hope you were current on your tetanus shot before you worked on that!

[JayinLA]

Here's a banjo I bought a few years ago.

 

 

Proof of E.T. Life ladies and gentleman

I think I would send that one through the car wash, or call the CDC.

[AlanH]

Any pics of the rejuvenated instruments?

[C-RAM]

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys - I already have or can scrape those materials together, save for the deionized water capmaster recommended. I'll try each method on a small spot and see which one seems most effective. Fun way to kill some time this weekend.

 

ksdaddy, I suspect your banjo may have been salvaged from HMS Titanic.

[capmaster]

...

ksdaddy, I suspect your banjo may have been salvaged from HMS Titanic.

Well, that would have cost dearly.

[ksdaddy]

I got it part way rebuilt and then I had a major crisis in my life and abandoned all 'in progress' works. They all went away. There was some interesting stuff too...but it wasn't for me, not then.

 

 

 

 

[Retired]

1452878755[/url]' post='1730683']

Here's a banjo I bought a few years ago.

 

 

That's gross, looks like mold is all over it. You must really be into fixing things!