Les Paul Cleaning Maintenance and Setup Questions

[JThunderz]

Okay, so I've had my LP a little over a month now and I'm stripping off the strings and cleaning/dusting/polishing it and I have a few questions.....so here goes..

1.) Is there a recommended implement/tool for getting the dust out of the corners? (i.e.- where the neck meets the body on the top and the sides? and right between the fretboard and the frets?) And the dust out of the bridge piece?

2.) I bought some polish for the body (it's a BFG with a light nitro finish)- that's all set; But what about the fretboard? It's rosewood, and decently smooth and clean- I'm not interested in the steel wool thing, as there's no real build-up, but should polish the fretboard anyways? With Lemon Oil or something else? And where can I get it?

3.) And what about the frets? Should I polish those? There's also some slight-slight fretwear on the first two, it's not too bad at all (for now anyways)- would there be any advantage to sanding them down right now, or should I just leave em alone?

4.) I should use the same polish for the back of the neck as the body, right? And this should make the action a little faster, or do I need a special polish/oil?

5.) is there anything else I need to do in terms of maintenance?

 

That's all I could think of for now, thanks for the help..

Oh yeah, BTW, I got "Smith Pro Formula Polish".

[Brodie]

i use my air compressor to clean off all dust, especially the gunk that accumulates in the bridge. You can by little compressed air cans at Home Despot etc. I haven't used any polish or fretboard cleaner yet on my new LP but I think I will go with the Gibson polish/cleaners.

[jmm555]

Hello, new member here, anyway:

 

 

Speaking of a BFG and the LP Faded Series, I have a Gary Moore LP- like the BFG

series. It’s almost raw wood in some places, so I wonder about the polish thing too.

I think guitar polishes are really for guitars with a “finish” on them.

 

Should I use the Lemmon oil on my Lemmon – burst GM,

bring out the orange/lemon color? Haven’t done it yet.

 

Oh that Gary Moore has a nice even dark color rosewood fret-bd to it.

Maybe I’ll use that Meguire’s fret-board conditioner that I got with another guitar on it?

 

(Nice forum, Yes I like Gibsons),

[wolverine]

Just to throw in my .02 ,,

 

Having played for the 30 or so years ive pretty much tried everything out there and ive realized that less is more ,, the first thing that i would caution you about would be " sanding" the frets ,, no way ,, if your not sure dont do it ,, fret dressing should be done by someone that really knows what they are doing ,, you could end up with a mess on your hands ,, frets are "filed" with specific tools made especially for the purpose ,, dust out of corners ,, get a good microfiber cloth and use a little windex I stress a little ,, if you need a little extra help get a fine toothbrush and go easy ,, go easy with the polish on the body especially on those light nitros "less is more " ,, fretboards ,,, theres a ton of ideas and different products for cleaning and maintaining fretboards ,, personally I have always used Lemon oil and have been absolutely satisfied with the results ,, fret Dr is another good one and alot guys swear by Bore oil ,, your action realy wont be affected by waxing the neck but by simply removing the grime it will definately feel "faster" ,, I cant emphasize enough about NOT sanding the frets !!!! if you slip you hit the rosewood and cry ,, if its not level youll cry ,, if you need to replace frets because of a mistake ,, youll cry ,, DONT DO IT !!!!

 

Anyways ,, hope you find this helpful and remember ,,, "less is more" go easy !!!

 

 

Cheers !!!

[LPguitarman]

I use Power Chord Guitar polish for the body and neck and Fret Doctor for the fretboard. Get into the frets and joints with the tip of your fingers and a good cloth.

 

For cloths, I use Viva Paper Towels. They are the closest thing to cotton and you just throw them away when they get dirty. Microfiber cloths just keep rubbing the polish and gunk around. Viva absorbs the polish and gunk. Keep turning the cloth over. I wipe the guitar down with polish and Viva after every use and use Fret Doctor every string change.

[swleary]

Hello' date=' new member here, anyway:

 

 

Speaking of a BFG and the LP Faded Series, I have a Gary Moore LP- like the BFG

series. It’s almost raw wood in some places, so I wonder about the polish thing too.

I think guitar polishes are really for guitars with a “finish” on them.

 

Should I use the Lemmon oil on my Lemmon – burst GM,

bring out the orange/lemon color? Haven’t done it yet.

 

Oh that Gary Moore has a nice even dark color rosewood fret-bd to it.

Maybe I’ll use that Meguire’s fret-board conditioner that I got with another guitar on it?

 

(Nice forum, Yes I like Gibsons),

 

 

STOP RIGHT THERE, LEMON OIL ON THE NITRO.....NO NO...........it'll kill the finish...

 

Best thing to do any of the faded/worn series is just take a cloth a wipe it down...

[BigKahune]

Adding my 2¢

 

You shouldn't need to oil the fretboard more than twice a year unless you in a super dry environment.

 

Wash your hands before you handle/play your guitar.

[LarryUK]

I used to use a quality 1" paint brush for cleaning dust. Still use one for my hi fi. If I remember right(28 years ago). I used to oil my lp custom neck with teak oil. Most modern cleaners would be ok on the body I'd have thought. Mr sheen etc. I wonder if some car polishes would be ok? Really, quality furniture polish should suffice.

[Guest rogerb]

I would like to say I agree with Wolverine's advise regarding the frets. Take the guitar to a qualifed technician to have the frets dressed when it becomes necessary. There are special tools used for that purpose. You might also try Luthier's Choice Fretboard Conditioner for the rosewood fingerboards, you can purchase this at most any authorized Gibson dealer.

[93DMTX]

I, on the other hand don't hesitate to sand frets that need sanding. For me it's not a part of regular maintenance though. For instance never needed to sand my LPC's frets. Just a little buffing with 0000 steel wool keeps its frets smooth.

 

Recently picked up an epi Casino though and after a serious amount of buffing with 000/0000 string bends still had a rough feeling in quite a few areas.

 

I taped up the neck and started with 600 grit wet/dry around the tip of my finger wetting the fret with a little lem oil. Probably about 15 to 20 seconds on average per fret. Then switched 1500 grit wet/dry and repeated. Finished by buffing with the 0000 also with a little lem.

 

Frets now feel like glass, 100% improvement and it plays beautifully.

 

But, again, I don't consider this routine maint. I only do it to address a specific problem.

[RolodexRoulette]

Hey, I noticed this is relatively old, but I've come to a conclusion on this... don't buy any damn oil polish cleaner or any of that crap, especially if its a VOS. Just use a simple soft cloth (one of those for glasses or TV screens) and SOFTLY wipe it down. As for the neck, well yeah maybe some sort of Fret Oil or something, but even then, I don't really mess with any of that stuff. As long as you store your guitar in its case, in a mild temperature room that isn't dry beyond ****... YOU'RE A-OK! Besides, what's a guitar that doesn't look old? Everyone has got new ones

[Josh James]

I used Dr. Duck's Ax Wax on my BFG and it does a great job....makes my taylor look brand new everytime I do it! Like what was mentioned before.."less is more" I use old black work socks when they are too faded to wear they become polish clothes!

 

 

 

J

[MrRoundel]

I was in your pondering position last week. I had just bought my '74 LP and was trying to find out the best way to clean 'er. It seems that there is very little consensus on what to use on nitro finishes. However, I do seem to see broad agreement on not using lemon oil on the finish. I find this interesting due to my buddy, who advised me on this guitar, said that he's used lemon oil for years on his '74, and the finish is still fine. :)

 

I erred on the safe side and just used a microfiber cloth to wipe it down after doing a "fog-breath" on it. I figure that each time I wipe it down after playing it, will remove a little more of any "schmutz" that's there.

I ended up treating my fretboard with a pure mineral oil that is used to moisturize and protect wood cutting boards. It worked fine and the board looks very nice after applying it. I'd bet that either pure lemon oil, or pure mineral oil would be good calls for that. Just make sure that you give the oil some time to really be absorbed, and give it a good wipe, before restringing, as it can be detrimental to string life, etc. Good luck.

[Wayneb]

I have had my LP TV Yellow (1956)and Gibson Acoustic (1951). I have always used lemon oil on both.

[CaptainNemo68]

I always use the "less is more" technique. You shouldn't have to constantly clean and polish your guitar THAT much. I usually just gently wipe the guitar down before putting it up. I might polish it once a year.

 

Like Big K said, the secret to really keeping your guitar nice and clean is to wash your hands before playing. If you do that and wipe down the fretboard after you are finished playing then you shouldn't have that much of a problem. Don't be in a big rush to pick up the guitar after you have just ate six hot wings with grease all over your hands