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Author Topic: Can any one recommend a non-destructive guitar polish for a 75 year-old lady?  (Read 2476 times)

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Offline slimchancer

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Can any one recommend a non-destructive guitar polish for a vintage L-00?
Also, need to remove some old glue res from the pick-guard ? rubbing alcohol perhaps - any suggestions?

Thanks fellas?

Offline Mr.OMuck

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Alcohol is a solvent for some plastics and dyes so I would avoid using it. A little dish soap and warm water on a cue tip or two usually suffices. Avoid any polish containing silicone. I would look at high end antique furniture polish but avoid those with beeswax or paraffin. Beeswax can build up and get foggy over time and paraffin can contain petroleum another potential solvent issue. I don't polish my guitars, occasionally i wipe them down with a barely damp cloth.

I may investigate this:
http://www.kingdomrestorations.com/catalog_g2.html?catId=5287

Here are some links to a polish people on other forums have thought highly of:
http://www.petrosguitars.com/polish.htm
http://www.virtuosopolish.com/page3.php

But you should ask some of our resident luthiers like Todd Cambio
My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music.
Vladimir Nabokov (1899 - 1977)

http://www.youtube.com/user/MuckOVision

Offline onewent

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What Mr O said is good, especially 'keep away from the alcohol'..  
I repair/restore/torture old guitars and have some first hand knowledge with both my personal guitars (which I don't polish) and guitars for resale, which I moderately clean.  First, what's your goal for the guitar re polishing?  Granted, getting some grime off will help preserve the valuable original finish, but won't help playability or sound, so, ask yourself, 'Do I need it to be shiny?'
If 'yes, I do' I'd recommend warm water on a damp cloth, accent on 'damp'..not like washing a car .. and dry immediately..if there are cracks or exposed wood from playing or dings, keep the dampness away.  The best 'product' I've used is Preservation Polish, purchased from Stewart MacDonald http://www.stewmac.com ..No silicone, and gives a nice glow to old finishes.  And I want to add that polishing old guitars is a whole 'nother ball game compared to modern guitars, for a variety of reasons.  So, caution here is the word..

Re the glue on the pickguard .. Gibson L-00's from the 30's have the pickguards attached under the finish, so any glue exposed is from a later repair, or, an added pickguard on an L model that had no pg originally.  What I'd do, is use a damp q-tip to see if it loosens or softens a small spot of the glue.  If so, it's water soluble and safe to proceed.  If not, it's something else, and some skilled folk can remove the glue working carefully with razors, scrapers, chisels or other implements of destruction.  If the glue is really a bother to you, I'd take it to a pro you trust, and, based on your location, we on the forum could give some recommendations.  

Old L-00's are great guitars and well worth taking care of .. my best advice is to proceed cautiously, which by asking here is a good first step..Can you post any photos of the pg area under discussion?  And not trying to alarm you here, but I and others have seen so many really cool vintage guitars terminally messed up by 'well-meaning' repairers/owners .. good luck and hope this helps, and others will chime in with ideas, too..Tom
« Last Edit: May 09, 2010, 09:55:22 AM by onewent »

Offline Mr.OMuck

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Just as long as we're on the topic: Gary Davis used to polish his guitar with....drumroll please.....3 in 1 oil!
My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music.
Vladimir Nabokov (1899 - 1977)

http://www.youtube.com/user/MuckOVision

Offline onewent

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Quote
Just as long as we're on the topic: Gary Davis used to polish his guitar with....drumroll please.....3 in 1 oil!

..and we never saw him play a rusty, squeeky guitar..tw

Offline slimchancer

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Hey thanks for the prompt and informed FB guys, all very useful... 3 in 1!!!! suppose I could do my bike chain at the same time!

I should, however, point out that my newly acquired L-00 is perhaps not one for the purists! It was a rescue job I guess, and has been re-finished front & back, new bridge/saddle and as you can clearly see a new PG, otherwise looks all original construction and machine heads. I guess I just want to brush off the old and ring in the new a little, so perhaps a damp cloth might be the best option here. Would really like to lift the glue on the PG though.  Despite the refinish and non-original appointments, she is certainly loud, smooth and really sings!
Here?s a clip of LB paying her last year before I took up the baton.



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Offline Mr.OMuck

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Original - orshmiginal. If it sounds good & plays good who cares. ;)
My loathings are simple: stupidity, oppression, crime, cruelty, soft music.
Vladimir Nabokov (1899 - 1977)

http://www.youtube.com/user/MuckOVision

Offline slimchancer

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indeed Mr O!

Oh and I meant 'pLaying', not 'paying' of course - been a long day and I'm loosing focus  ::)

SB

Offline onewent

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..cool..I do the damp rag, then the guitar polish, that'd put a nice shine on 'er ..since we're now talking lower risk, I'd get a single edged razor, or a very sharp chisel,  and try to 'pop' the glue off the pg.  And you still might try the water/q-tip, too.  Oh, and lighter fluid may be a good choice, too, especially if the pg guard is attached with rubber-type cement..have fun, nice guitar!  Tom

Offline Parlor Picker

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I'm not recommending it, because I don't know, but just thought WD-40 might be an option for removing the glue, given that the main constituent is fish oil!
"I ain't good looking, teeth don't shine like pearls,
So glad good looks don't take you through this world."
Barbecue Bob

Offline Stuart

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A citrus based product, such as Goo Gone, might be worth a try. But again, first try a little bit on the tip of a cotton swab.

Offline slimchancer

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I'll try the soap & water option first, then perhaps the citrus option, not sure about razor blades and lighter fuel though >:D

thanks for all the suggestions though, really helpful.


Offline onewent

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Slim, don't get too frightened with lighter fluid on your guitar, as long as no open flame is near  :o   When I say 'lighter fluid' I really mean naphtha, which is what lighter fluid is..I think Goo Gone is naphtha based, too, with other additives.  Naphtha is actually 'safer' on your guitar than water, as it will clean, but won't swell exposed wood fiber, so a lot of repair folk use it.
Your plan for warm water first is good. If the glue remains hard, I'd try lighter fluid before Goo Gone or some such product because you don't know what else is in the fluid.  If the guard was glued with rubber cement, the naphtha will soften it.  If not, it may be an epoxy or airplane glue, or who knows what..at that point I'd try the sharp chisel to pop or lift the glue.  This takes some dexterity, so go slow.  
Ultimately, if you really want the glue off the guard, just carefully chisel it off, then cover the top around the guard with paper and get some 220 through 1200 wet/dry sand paper and a dead flat sanding block and have at it..working through the grits will get the guard all shiny again.  Just don't skip grits, and keep it off the finish.  

If you want help from some serious pros, go here:   http://fretsnet.ning.com/ and ask your question..I hang out there from time to time and these guys are good!  Hope you have success..Tom
« Last Edit: May 10, 2010, 04:43:03 PM by onewent »

Offline Parlor Picker

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Slightly off thread, but lighter fluid is used in the second-hand record business for cleaning off dirty marks and adhesive left by old price stickers, etc. because it works well and leaves no residue.
"I ain't good looking, teeth don't shine like pearls,
So glad good looks don't take you through this world."
Barbecue Bob

Offline slimchancer

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Any particular brand - Zippo, Ronson?

the glue itself looks closer to the super glue variety, it's only slight, but looks pretty sold to me. I'm sure if I could find th right substance it would lift.

Offline Stuart

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Slim: If it is Superglue or one of it's close relatives, you should check out the "Superglue remover" pages, such as:

http://www.supergluecorp.com/removingsuperglue.html

http://superglueremover.org/

FYI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyanoacrylate

Some recommend acetone, but I'd be very careful about letting it come in contact with the finish on your guitar. If you want to check on how the solvent of your choice reacts with the finish in a place that isn't visible, take off one of the tuning machines, put a little solvent on the tip of a cotton swab, and test it under the footprint of the tuner. That way if there's a chemical reaction, it will be covered up. However, there's no way to tell whether or not the solvent will react with the plastic that the pickguard is made out of, unless you have a spare to try it on first.

I agree with Tom about the chisel and abrasive paper method being the safest way to go. It will require a little more time and patience, but it eliminates the chance of a chemical reaction between the solvent and the finish and/or pickguard. I've used Goo Gone on various plastics and finishes with no problems, but I have never used it on your guitar--and there's always a first time.

And if you do decide to use Zippo or Ronson, just don't go Jimi Hendrix on us!

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