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What to use to clean my 1978 L-6s it's dirty


buliwyf

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I bought it just before Christmas and it was and still is pretty dirty but it is set up so well I just wanted to play it instead of giving it the good cleaning it needs.The whole guitar besides being a bit worn is well used and just plain dirty.Luckly there's no cracks,chips or breaks and everything works great including the 6 way switch and all the pots.There's a major stain on the 2nd fret I looked real close and it is just a stain.I was thinking of using some Murphy's oil soap cleaner and a green scrungee unless the scrungee is to much,just happens I have both in the house.Or should I bring it to a luthier to be safe.

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How the heck could a stain like this happen

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lots of stains

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Personally, I use Windex and papertowels to clean years of grime off a guitar. It is mild enough not to hurt the finish and cuts through grease very well. Remove the strings and give it a good cleaning. I would follow that with a good guitar polish using a micro-fiber cloth or shammy cloth.

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When I did a serious deep clean on my Lg1's fingerboard I used naphtha and 000 steel wool. Seemed like the finger grime dated back to when it was first purchased. As for on the rest of the guitar naphtha should work fine, just trade the steel wool for a soft terry cloth towel, turning it frequently so you don't scratch the finish with the dirt you're trying to remove.

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When I did a serious deep clean on my Lg1's fingerboard I used naphtha and 000 steel wool. Seemed like the finger grime dated back to when it was first purchased. As for on the rest of the guitar naphtha should work fine, just trade the steel wool for a soft terry cloth towel, turning it frequently so you don't scratch the finish with the dirt you're trying to remove.

 

Would like to add that if you use steel wool, make sure it is dry (oil free).

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Thanks I appreciate the advice I'll give it a shot,I'm a bit leary of the steel wool though.Do you think the green scrungie would be less abrasive and still work.What could have caused that major stain on the second fret,it,s not sticky nor can you feel it over the fretboard.

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I'd be a bit careful about steel wool - surely the fretboard is varnished and would get scratched, one of those green nylon things would be better but even that might leave light marks if you put your weight behind it.

As for the mark, has it gone through the varnish? I have an old-ish Tele and eventually most of the neck ended up looking like that...I actually got it revarnished but there is still a bit of staining in the wood. It's in the sweat/skin of the previous owner's fingers, I think it's called ph value and might be something to do with alkaline content(?)

I don't think you'll entirely get rid of it if it's in the wood, but you could try an old toothbrush and a very tiny amount of wash-up liquid with a few drops (literally) of water. Brush it to foam only over the mark, wipe it off, then let it dry out. It will look darker while it is still damp of course.

Looks like someone liked playing E and A!

Very nice guitar, with the Protector case too. I once had the slightly cheaper model - Bill Lawrence p/us, no 6-way switch, wine red with rosewood board, very fast....wish I'd never sold that!

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