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Cleaning your beloved SG


sgman

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My apologies if this topic has already been covered in this particular forum. I had posted on the Gibson Acoustic forum regarding something similar but I thought since this is about SG's, I'd get some tips from you guys who own SG's.

 

So what specific cleaning product do you use on your beloved SG?

 

Having only recently purchased mine, I haven't had much of an opportunity to study what is best to use, although I would have thought Gibson's own brand of cleaning product would be the best since they made the guitar and should know the best ingredients to put into making something that looks after the finish of the SG.

 

If a good cleaning product is available online via the Gibson site I'll buy it there, but so far I haven't really seen anything.

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There is a current thread in the Les Paul section about 'Virtuoso polish', with before and after photos'. It convinced me to order a couple of bottles to treat my guitars with. I'm not endorsing it yet but will post with the results once it arrives which maybe sometime as it is being posted across the pond to me.

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I just stop by the local Do-It-Yerself car wash with a bunch of coins and give 'er hell!

 

No, wait....

That's my motorcycle.

 

Nevermind.

 

;)

 

 

 

I don't use anything with abrasives in it.

As soft as nitrocellulose finishes are, you can really open up a can of worms - especially on dark colors.

 

Any old pump polish - or even Windex window cleaner - is okay for cleaning in my experience.

More important (and terribly overlooked) is plentiful soft cotton cloths, or microfibers.

A little patience, lotsa rubbing, and Q-Tips for the tight spots.

 

If you don't play gigs, there's no reason for it to ever get "dirty" to the point of trouble.

Wipe it down with a dry cloth after you play, and store it so dust doesn't collect on it.

 

Your mileage may vary.

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I've had great results on all nitro-finished guitars using the Gibson Pump polish. It's supposed to be formulated specifically for nitro' date=' and even has trace amounts of lacquer to "seal" the finish. Perfect for providing the nutrients your nitro finish needs to be fed.[/quote']

 

+1

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I should add however, that I have heard GREAT things about virtuoso, especially the fact that it blocks UV rays. So if you are doing a lot of outdoor playing in the sun, you might want to look into it. only 4 of my guitars are nitro, so the others usually get the old GHS polish, though I have heard that has mild abrasives in it to break up caked on dirt.

 

THere is also the dunlop spray polish, but that seems to be more for weekly polishing and is more of a cleaner than anything else.

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I've had great results on all nitro-finished guitars using the Gibson Pump polish. It's supposed to be formulated specifically for nitro' date=' and even has trace amounts of lacquer to "seal" the finish. Perfect for providing the nutrients your nitro finish needs to be fed.[/quote']

Ditto. Pick up the Gibson restoration kit...comes with polish, string cleaner, fretboard conditioner, 2 polishing cloths and a pipe cleaner looking thing. Got mine for 12.00

Here's a description from Zzounds...

 

"Give your guitars a new lease on life. With Gibson's Vintage Reissue Guitar Restoration Kit you'll be able to revitalize them and bring them back to top form. This restoration kit includes premium fretboard conditioner, cream guitar polish, two Gibson polish cloths, low abrasion metal cleaner and a metal cleaner application brush."

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Whoa Loneguitar!!!

 

"*** away Neo, enjoy the smell of my backside?????"

 

 

Hold on a minute killer....

 

***?

 

***?

 

Where do you get off calling somebody a ***?

 

If there's some sort of issue here that I'm not aware of, maybe you could send me a PM detailing its nature?

 

Or do you wanna be b!tch-slapped in front of EVERYBODY in the forum - again, and again, again....?

 

 

Do send me a PM, please.

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[tbonesullivan]I should add however, that I have heard GREAT things about virtuoso, especially the fact that it blocks UV rays. So if you are doing a lot of outdoor playing in the sun, you might want to look into it. only 4 of my guitars are nitro, so the others usually get the old GHS polish, though I have heard that has mild abrasives in it to break up caked on dirt.

 

You can get a certain amount of UV exposure as long as outside light is available to the guitar. Hence you get the faded paint effect of Nitro finishes over time. The Virtuoso is supposed to combat this. That said i will post before and after pics when I polsh one of my Gibsons. The long term effect, time will only tell.

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I wipe down after playing with a cloth I treated with Dr. Duck's Axe Wax. A really good treatment for nitro finished guitars. I clean with Martin guitar polish, and then retreat with Dr. Duck's. I called Gibson CS before I used these and checked to make sure they were the appropriate "thing" to use. Oh yeah ... GHS Fast Fret also. Gotta keep those Boomers slippery, ya know?

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My apologies if this topic has already been covered in this particular forum. I had posted on the Gibson Acoustic forum regarding something similar but I thought since this is about SG's' date=' I'd get some tips from you guys who own SG's.

 

So what specific cleaning product do you use on your beloved SG?

 

Having only recently purchased mine, I haven't had much of an opportunity to study what is best to use, although I would have thought Gibson's own brand of cleaning product would be the best since they made the guitar and should know the best ingredients to put into making something that looks after the finish of the SG.

 

If a good cleaning product is available online via the Gibson site I'll buy it there, but so far I haven't really seen anything.

[/quote']

 

 

Also, what would you guys recommend for a Special Faded? Just got mine not too long ago. I'm not sure what kind of polish to use on mine (if any) with the faded finish... Thanks!

 

SG_IMG_0813PB.jpg

 

SG_IMG_0809PB_crop.jpg

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Also' date=' what would you guys recommend for a Special Faded? Just got mine not too long ago. I'm not sure what kind of polish to use on mine (if any) with the faded finish... Thanks!

 

[img']http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww183/telechamp/SG_IMG_0813PB.jpg[/img]

 

SG_IMG_0809PB_crop.jpg

Well using polish will make the guitar more shinny and the faded will slowly go away.

I use a white cloth with warm water on my MM which has a faded finish.

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