BluesKing777 Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I thought I would fire up a thread on who keeps their guitar pristinely polished and who prefers to let it find it's own way. I have noticed some in awful condition on the internet, and while I do the appreciate the 'mojo' aspect, I just don't think I could ever, ever leave a guitar of mine down behind the shed or floating in a basement until it looks like the old Ford I had that got towed away, leaving a trail of rust, to the cheers of the neighbours on one side who thought the particular car was ruining their real estate values and left a note to say so in my mailbox not that it upset me even a little... Let's hear some war stories. Gig damage. Friends that damage. It could never be damaged or scratched by me.... BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EuroAussie Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Im not obsessive about keepign them super clean, but i do give them a good rob down every now and then. The SJ in particular gets dirty and smudgy quickly which i tolerate but still like to give it a clean every couple of weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My guitars do get the regular"aged" look from playing and gigging with them. Especially the SongBird. But I do religeously wipe them down after everytime I play. A quick spray of Gibson polish evryfew weeks. Just a matter of taking care of your stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I like to keep them as clean and maintained as I can, but I don't worry about dirt and fingerprints and such. I try and rub the fretbaord out to a state of total clean often when I change strings so it doesn't become a major chore, and, it plays better. I do not worry about scratches and dents, or wear, but I try not to damage them. They will get dented and scratched, but the less damage I do, the longer they will look nice. I also like to have the older ones shined and polished to look as good as they can. I do have one exception: I have a not so old CRAY strat that while it has had some good use, looks really good except for 2 big chunks of finish scraped off the body that really looks out of place that I think I might try and fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G McBride Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I think that a guitar should be kept clean as it is a musical instrument that deserves to be cared for. Some of my guitars are truly works of art. Other than keeping them wiped off and strings changed regularly I don't really baby them but I do like them to look as nice as they can. I am a real stickler for keeping those necks clean and wiped down so they are not sticky at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Taking care of your guitars is a good habit to develop. I have a mixture of vintage and newer instruments, and I maintain them in the same manner. Generally, every time I change strings, the entire guitar gets a going-over, except I don't see any need to polish frets if they are nice and bright. I oil the fretboard and polish out the guitar, starting with a slightly-damp soft cotton rag (these are all nitro finishes), followed by a polish (Gibson or Martin for normal maintenance). I have used Virtuoso for serious clean-up on vintage guitars with non-checked finihses, and it works so well it's scary. Haven't felt the need to use it on newer instruments. I always wash my hands before playing, to try to keep them free of oils and moisturizers, which otherise build up on the necks pretty quickly. I play seated, with the guitars generally tucked under my right armpit, which I realize deadens the sound, but I'm only playing for myself. This means the finish can easily absorb sweat, deodorant residue, etc. To prevent this, I use a cotton rag about a foot square draped over the guitar, obviously keeping it away from the strings. Clearly, if you were performing, you wouldn't want to deaden the sound this way. Yes, guitars are tools for making music, but they are friends as well, and I like to keep them clean and happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 My guitars were all used when I got them and I did my share of riding 'em hard and putting 'em away wet. They all show the miles put on them but for me many of those scars are now memories - that is where the Mojo comes from. I have gotten a bit better at caring for them over the years. I do now wipe them down with cheesecloth after playing and oil the board with Fret Doctor when needed. But I don't really use polish unless there is some gunk or something that I need to clean off. Over the years, the ones that have been with me the longest have visited the repair guy for a good cleaning and buffing mainly to get the several layers of nicotene they had accumulated being played in bars off of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meanstreak Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I'd buy a scruffy one and love it just the same, but if I bought it nice looking and clean I'd like to keep it that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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