Searcy Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 It's getting to be bug season here in the U.S.A. and if you play outdoors or just come in from outdoors and play without washing up first remember that DEET can be transfered from your arms and hands to your guitar and melt a nitro finish. This can make it feel sticky, as if the finish isn't cured. In some cases it can ruin the finish all together. Be sure to wash your hands and anything else that might come into contact with your guitar before playing your nitro finished Gibson or Martin or Gretsch ect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Good to know, thanks for the warning... :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Namvet Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 As usual, great advice from you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Thank you. I think I'll repost this in acoustic guitar for the camp fire buys. The Epi guys got nothing to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryUK Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 What's deet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 The active ingredient in many bug repellents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Good call! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Perhaps, add a whole list of chemicals and household liquids that can and/or will harm nitro finishes......... And the best ways to possibly repair the damage done......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Perhaps, add a whole list of chemicals and household liquids that can and/or will harm nitro finishes......... And the best ways to possibly repair the damage done......... Most folks don't run around spraying a whole list of household liquids on their expensive guitars but if there are some you would like to add to the list feel free. Here's part of a post from my blog on the subject. DONT PANIC! ...The important thing is to not freak out and slather a bunch of polishes and solvants and buffing compounds all over the finish. All I did was let it sit for 3 or 4 weeks in the open air of my guitar room with nothing touching the neck and the finish. This allows the solvents to evaporate from the finish. Thats all my Chet needed and it cured back to normal. If your finish cures hard again in a few weeks but looks dull it can be buffed back out. If it looks lumpy I suggest you contact a guitar repair professional who has experience with Nitro repairs. And remember a towel is the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 [thumbup] ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Bone Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Thanks for the warning! This thread could also be sub-titled "A word from the wise" . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Thanks for the warning! This thread could also be sub-titled "A word from the wise" . Hmmmm... I was thinking of a sub title like "A word from a moron who almost ruined a $2000 guitar" but I like that sound of yours better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 It's getting to be bug season here in the U.S.A. and if you play outdoors or just come in from outdoors and play without washing up first remember that DEET can be transfered from your arms and hands to your guitar and melt a nitro finish. This can make it feel sticky, as if the finish isn't cured. In some cases it can ruin the finish all together. Be sure to wash your hands and anything else that might come into contact with your guitar before playing your nitro finished Gibson or Martin or Gretsch ect. How bad does the bug problem get around the start of june? Thats when im flying over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 How bad does the bug problem get around the start of june? Thats when im flying over Down here in the south the bugs will be in full suck by then. Swing on by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rogerb Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 It's getting to be bug season here in the U.S.A. and if you play outdoors or just come in from outdoors and play without washing up first remember that DEET can be transfered from your arms and hands to your guitar and melt a nitro finish. This can make it feel sticky, as if the finish isn't cured. In some cases it can ruin the finish all together. Be sure to wash your hands and anything else that might come into contact with your guitar before playing your nitro finished Gibson or Martin or Gretsch ect. Good advise. I knew a fellow back in the 70's that played bluegrass outdoors, the finish on the top of his Martin D-28 was ruined due to bug repellent from his arm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 I totally destroyed the finish on my second guitar back in the early '60s thanks to Deet in bug repellant. I thought I was just perspiring at an evening campfire. It was the guitar finish. The tale has been told here before, and I'm glad Searcy brought it up again. Also, I wouldn't be so bold as to suggest that even the Epi finishes might be "safe" from various chemicals either. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted May 7, 2012 Author Share Posted May 7, 2012 I totally destroyed the finish on my second guitar back in the early '60s thanks to Deet in bug repellant. I thought I was just perspiring at an evening campfire. It was the guitar finish. The tale has been told here before, and I'm glad Searcy brought it up again. Also, I wouldn't be so bold as to suggest that even the Epi finishes might be "safe" from various chemicals either. m Well, the poly finishes are tougher than nirto but yea, they arn't bullet proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahKeen Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 My step son doesn't get eaten alive much when we're outside, but I am like a hot turd to mosquitoes, if they were flies. So, I spray myself like the dickens! I can be absent minded, so I could easily go into my music room after spraying myself silly, and start playing my guitars. This is good info. Thank you sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPguitarman Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Thanks for the info. I'll keep that in mind if I ever spray myself for bugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidl Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Great reminder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57classic Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Thanks for the info. I'm always using that stuff, unfortunately. It's nasty but better than lyme disease, EEE, and West Nile virus. I wouldn't have thought about it without your reminder. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Since they made DDT illegal the mosquitoes have been an increasing problem for the region where I live. We had quite a few folks come down with West Nile. It was pretty much career-ending for a world champion rodeo rider acquaintance. Folks do a lot less evenings outdoors - even in town where they spray and have larvicides in use at the appropriate time of year. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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