Guitar Cleanliness

I'd like know a good method for cleaning an electric guitar. What kind of cleaners should I avoid. Should I do anything with the strings? How often should I clean it? ..etc..etc..

Strings - Fastfret
Guitar - Cloth + brush to get rid of dust around pickups (Even if I store in my hardcase they still build up somehow) I don't like the idea of using liquid type formula to clean the guitar.

These days I don't bother cleaning. If it stinks of sweat, scratched or worn out I reckon it gives character to the guitar :D

What's Fastfret and where can I get some?

Does anyone know how to safely clean an acoustic?

Originally posted by Leedogg
What's Fastfret and where can I get some?

http://www.xkms.org/Music123.com-84/GHS-Fastfret.htm

That's fastfret, the thing you see with the wooden handle you rub up and down the strings for cleaning and it makes slide easier. Ask your local guitar store for it, if they dont have it I expect they have an equivilant.

Quick edit: if you're using a guitar thats old or has any cracking on the fretboard I would advise you dont use fastfret as it can get into the cracks and make them worse, otherwise it's fine.

Clean the guitar when you change your strings.
You can get aroung the bridge,pickups and rub the nasty grime that builds up on the fretboard(sound like a tile-x commercial)You can't really effectivley clean with strings on the guitar,but its a good idea to take some cleaner designed for strings and wipe them down once a week(depending on how much you play)Ive heard that the strings last longer,but I havnt noticed.It will make them sound bright again though,like there new.Go to any music shop and they will have cleaning supplys.You could order them online too from musiciansfriend,music123,zzounds e.c.t.
Ives tried the GHS fast fret stick,but it left cotton all over the strings and made the worst sqeaking sound when applying it.Theres 3 basic cleaners.Fretboard cleaner/conditioner(lemon oil)string cleaner and body cleaner.Ive tried alot of body cleaners,but they all leave a thick gunk and swirl marks.Just take a guitar cloth(or soft cotton underwear)and rub it to a nice shine.

And andy82...does dried armpit sweat add character to a guitar?If so then my main guitar is Micky Mouse!

Do [u]not[/u] use furniture polish on a guitar! :eek:

These products contain silicone, which will make it impossible to repair any chips or scratches in the finish.

right, avoid any silicone products...if you ever take a guitar in for repair to a shop that also does finishing-repaints the silicone will migrate into their shop and it is nearly impossible to get it out, it will move around for years and make it nearly impossible for them to do good finishing and re-paint jobs.

I have a copy of Erlewine's repair book and he suggests just using a soft cloth and a tiny bit of water to clean guitars.

I use Dunlop cleaner but you gotta get the gunk off first or you're just polishing gunk and spreading it around.

http://kronosonic.com

I've never used anything but a dry cotton cloth to clean my guitars and strings and it seems to work fairly well. You can just use old shirts or towels. I usually wipe the strings each time before I play it. And I also wash my hands before playing if possible. All this will help keep dirt to a minimum, which in turn prolongs that original bright sound of strings.
David

Thanks for the advice guys. I got a soft cotton cloth that I think will work awesomely. The guitar isn't too dirty despite nearly 2 years of daily use. By the way, I've been using the original strings on the guitar for almost 2 years, how long do strings last on the average? I've broken strings on some of my other guitars before, but never on the one I use the most.

Two YEARS!! :eek:

Don't wait until they break - the length of time varies, according to a lot of factors, but there will be a loss of tone over time.

I think that if you change them now, you'll be amazed at how much better your guitar sounds!

Originally posted by Lordathestrings
Two YEARS!! :eek:

Don't wait until they break - the length of time varies, according to a lot of factors, but there will be a loss of tone over time.

I think that if you change them now, you'll be amazed at how much better your guitar sounds!

Alright then, I guess my next question would be what strings do you guys suggest I use? I have 2001 Dean EVO with humbucker pickups. Another reason I've never changed the strings is that I like how tightly wound around the nuts they are coming from the factory or whatever. Any time I change the strings on my other electrics, they never look that good around the nuts (almost sounds dirty).

I like tightly wound nuts too...but I really don't care what kind of strings I use, just buy some cheap ones unless you're gonna perform.

Asking "Who makes good strings?" is like asking "Who makes good beer?". You're gonna get a whole bunch of personal-preference answers, some of which you can't get in your area. This is a good time to use the search icon at the top of the page, and type in "strings" as the keyword.

It really is a matter of personal preference.

Originally posted by Leedogg
... Any time I change the strings on my other electrics, they never look that good around the nuts (almost sounds dirty).

Another good cue for using the search icon. There was a link posted that led to a webpage that had a very good description/explanation of how to install a new set of strings.

I can't believe you've had strings on for 2 years. When/If you change them, you'll be suprised at the tone.

I suggest just buying a few brands of strings and trying them out over a period of time. Find the one that best suits your style.

Personally, I prefer Ernie Ball Super Slinky's. Not good for down tuning, but easy to bend/tap and just plain wail on. But like Lord said, you're going to get about 50,000 responses.

Man...I play my guitar every day and don't clean it any more than once every couple of years. Even then, it's a relatively easy job and just includes wiping it down then applying some lemon oil to the neck.
What the heck are you guys doing to get your guitars so dirty?

Chuck - Yes it does!!! Thats a one of a kind smell and it'll make ur guitar unique :D

Well I've got two guitars one decent and the other not so decent but heck I love the not so decent one more cos I put in a lot time into it whilst trying to play guitar. Its got scratches and possibly sweat marks on the fretboard but as long I don't stuff up the bridge/pickup/tuning heads then I let the guitar go wild without cleaning. Me just too lazy.

And with strings... I remember reading a thread by Professor who was making rusty-free strings. He was thinking about selling them or something. I wonder how he's going with them.

Ive been playing Elixer strings since they started getting around.There like $15,but its totally worth it.Longest lasting and best sounding strings ive ever played.GHS,dean markley,fender(bullets)all broke on me fairly fast.The dean markley's B string broke the second day I had them.I had a similar experience with the GHS(boomers).The only other good strings ive used have been ernie balls.Gaugue(thickness)plays a huge role in longevity and tone.If your gonna play with 9's then definitley go for Elixers.If your gonna play with 10's or up,then ernie balls would be fine.You might need to adjust your truss rod too if your changing to a higher or lower gaugue.This is just my experiences with strings so try for yourself strings with different gauges,materials,wound or flat e.c.t.

Later! \m/

For those of you looking for a good cleaner for your guitar, I order a product called "Plexus" from one of my window tint distributors. It works awesome, and doesn't build up. It works to clean your window tint also without changing the color of it like any other ammonia based window cleaner does. I got a large can of it and it has lasted over a year so far with plenty left. So at 6 bucks it worth every penny.

http://www.plexusplasticcleaner.com/

[Edited by hairbndrckr on 09-08-2003 at 06:45 PM]