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October 2002
Posts: 30
| I swear I wish my girlfriend was as dirty as my Ovation. I realize my guitar is ebony but the amount of grime and shit that builds up on the fretboard and neck is friggin insane. How can I stop this shit from coming back? I don't want to use a damp cloth on the neck every single time I finish playing the guitar because a) I fear it may harm the wood. b) it would be a huge pain in the ass. Don't get me started on the fretboard either, after about 15 hours of playing it starts to look fu*king nasty...I was using lemon oil during every restring which was about once a month, now i've switched over to a dunlop shampoo and conditioner(not a joke). Someone help me, I fear the time I spend cleaning this guitar will soon start to be more than the time I spend cleaning myself.
also, could it be my case that's making it dirty this way? |
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January 2003
Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | If you don't get much exercize it might be high triglycerides in your sweat. Is it kinda sticky? |
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December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Peoples body chemistry and the environment where the guitar is played both factor in. I have adopted the habit of wiping down the guitar with Dunlop #65 after every use. If you play in a smoking club, and have oily skin, the crud factor is huge, as everything in the air seems to stick to the guitar. For me it's the crud along the frets. |
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December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | When you say "wiping down the guitar..after every use", are you spraying the Dunlop on the body, neck, strings, etc.?
I tend to forget to wipe everything down after playing, but polish the body when changing strings. Another question, is it OK to remove all the strings, polish and then restring?
Bsically what's the best procedure for changing strings?
:confused: |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | While at GC yesterday buying a wall mount (see previous diatribe), I picked up (for the first time) a bottle of Dunlop #65. For years, I had just been wiping down with a guitar cloth when needed and using Pledge during restringing and/or polishing (I know, I know!!, but until I stumbled upon this place, I knew not what I was doing).
This Dunlop stuff is GREAT!!
Gets the finish "squeaky clean" leaves a REALLY nice shine (I swear the color and the grain look nicer but that could be psychosymatic), and a little goes a long way. I'm sold for life! |
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Joined:
December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | Since my previous post I have read on the Ovation web site a "Caring For Your Guitar" http://www.ovationguitars.com/?fa=care
to wipe down the strings with a dry cloth everytime after you play and use the guitar polish sparingly on the rest of the body.
I guess that means use the polish every time after you play...
Change the strings one at a time. Use lemon oil or "conditioner" on the fingerboard and bridge a couple of times a year - then you will have to take all the strings off... |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | ". . . Change the strings one at a time . . ."
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Why?
I have had my CBalladeer for 27 years and my Adamas for 6 years (today, in fact), and I've ALWAYS changed all of my strings in "one swell foop" without any adverse effects. Since I started gigging heavily again, I go through strings more often and I can change out a whole set (and polish) in ten minutes (the Adamas takes a little longer with the slotted headstock).
Have I been doing it wrong all this time?
If I have, I didn't know it (and neither did my guitar - I hope it's not reading this). |
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March 2002
Posts: 15686
Location: SoCal | I'm with you Cliff. All at once. The guitars are fine and it lets me oil the fingerboard and clean the top. |
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December 2002
Posts: 939
Location: Fort Worth, Texas | I've changed all the strings at once and never had a problem - but I normally do the 1st and 4th then the 2nd and 5th then the 3rd and 6th, just seemed like the way to do it.
Here's the quote from the web site:
For routine changes, change strings one at a time. This will put less stress on the truss rod. |
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October 2002
Posts: 61
| clean hands might help :p |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | or just don't change strings like me |
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February 2003
Posts: 86
Location: northern virginia | I never get build-up, but then I suffer from the obsessive habit of ALWAYS washing my hands before playing, and ALWAYS wiping down the stings with Yamaha string cleaner after playing...and then I wipe the strings with a dry cloth because the I've found the string cleaner can begin to build up, too. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15686
Location: SoCal | Use Elixars, then only change the strings about every 3-4 months. Pull all the strings off, oil the fingerboard and bridge, clean everything real well, then more Elixars. |
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February 2003
Posts: 3
Location: Philly | I just keep an old tube-sock in my case. I turn it inside-out, stick my hand in it, grip the neck, and run my hand up and down the neck. It works wonders, and it's always handy to have a rag around. Your strings will last a lot longer if you wipe down the neck and the strings after playing. The acid in the sweat on your hands contributes to string wear and rust. |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | What I have been thinking about trying is those individually wrapped hand cleaner towelettes. Put some in the gig bag and clean my hands before playing. |
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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Those are good ideas BruDev and Trey, a sock is soft and absorbant and safe as far as scratching anything. I always change my strings one at a time because I'm lazy. I keep everything tuned standard and my instruments are pretty good at staying in tune, so I tune each string as I change it so when I'm done I'm very close to being in tune, a quick check with the tuner finishes the job. I certainly would agree that there's no harm in taking them all off occasionally and cleaning everything and dump whatever is hiding inside on the acoustics. Good quality guitars should have no problem with complete removal of strings. I don't recommend putting anything on the strings, just wipe them off, somebody used to suggest keeping a piece of felt in the case and wiping strings even between sets.
Bailey |
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Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 23
Location: Kentucky | I wish there was an icon that implied "I'm stupid".
I've not been able to find boiled linseed oil for the ebony board on my Elite T. Honestly, have not spent a lot of time looking.
What is it and where can I get it? Hardware store, Wal-mart?
Thanks! |
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Joined:
May 2002
Posts: 3005
Location: Las Cruces, NM | Boiled Linseed is a standard wood treatment, I would try a paint store or department. |
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Joined:
October 2002
Posts: 23
Location: Kentucky | Thanks for the direction Bailey.
Heading out to get some today. |
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Cleaning the shit off my O