How Do You Keep Your Mosrite Looking New??

[MWaldorf]

I generally agree with Zak on this - sweat, beer and shmutz protect the finish on my guitars. I use guitar polish when I change strings but that's about it.

As an aside, I think Zak may be the only person who shvitzes more profusely on stage than I do.

[zak]

As an aside, I think Zak may be the only person who shvitzes more profusely on stage than I do.

Yikes, Mel! Can you imagine the size of the puddle I'd leave behind if I wore a MBP getup on stage??
Happy birthday!

[oipunkguy]

I don't think I've seen any postings on this yet, but I was just wandering how the rest of This Crew keeps their Mosrites looking 'Like New Condition,' well at least cosmetically. I myself, WAX my guitars once every few months.... No, you heard me right, as long as the guitar has a nice shine to the surface already, I actually use "PURE" Carnuba Wax on my guitars...... Now keep in mind, I'm referring to guitars that have a Healthy Finish on them already. Others are going to require other procedures or steps as far as getting them into that type of condition.
Does anybody else here wish to share their Secrets?


I set up guitars and basses for a living, and when I'm not doing that, I refinish guitars, antique furniture, and restoration work on both.

when I first bring in a grimy guitar, I'll clean the finish surfaces with either naptha or low order mineral spirits. for particularly bad grimy surfaces, I may use cream Gojo for an auto supply store. Yes, I said Gojo. it's an awesome tool for removing built up tobacco stains, or any other containments that can get on a guitar finish. keep in mine, you only use the cream version in a white can, not the kind with the grit in it in the orange can. if you use gojo, rub it in gently with a soft cloth, and clean it off gently with another clean cloth. then let it dry over night to do a final rub out cleaning.

on overly rusty of dirty metal parts, such as a bridge, i sometimes will remove them and spray them down in WD-40, but this is usually only reserved for parts that are very dirty and/or rusty. in most cases a quick rub down in lemon oil works just fine.

also, be careful with lemon oil, it can darken some metal parts, I find it does this more on nickel, and pearl inlays on fretboards. this usually is only the case with over applying.

For polishing, I've used just about every wax out there, and it's all personally taste, but my favorite is a brand called black magic. I like it even better then the really expensive car waxes.

for scratches and finish scrapes, I'll buff them out with 2000 or 4000 grit buffing pads, followed up with finesse it II polish and a buffing wheel. but this is a judgment call. sometimes buffing up an old finish is the worst thing you can do.

for polishing frets, if heavily tarnished, an easily working silver cleaner works well, and then I will clean off the silver polish and fret board with a terry cloth towel and a little bit of rubbing alcohol. then I recondition the fretboard with a little bit of lemon oil.

for light tarnishing on the frets, you'd be amazed on just using a terry cloth towel dry on them with a little bit of elbow grease will polish them up well.

I would not recommend putting any oils directly on the guitar finish. it will damage them.
cheers all,
Aaron

[oipunkguy]

Lemon oil concentrate is used in restoring the dried out woods in antique furniture. I use linseed oil on gunstocks as it is a varnish type of substance that actually creates a thin layer when rubbed on the surface of raw wood eventually building up a layered finish. I used to use Linseed oil on fretboards and finally had to use lacquer thinner to clean off the build up. Lemon oil will revive dried out wood while allowing it to breath. It doesn't seal the wood pores and doesn't build up. I should also mention that a saturation of any type of oils on a fretboard can damage the wood by softening it allowing fret to become loose. I apply it then wipe it all off. Only a microscopic amount will remain.

I'm actually an antique furniture dealer. any one that uses lemon oil on finished furniture is an imbecile. it will ruin a finish, but still many people do this. I only put lemon oil on unfinished woods, like a rosewood fretboard, or the inside of a drawer in a piece of furniture.

[Diceophonic]

IMO and you can kick my butt but........ a guitar is meant to take the war wounds, belt buckles, sweat and the elements etc.. weather you own a vintage piece or new let the guitar age gracefully and naturally let time do it's thing forget about the polish and cloth the only things I clean on my guitars is the grim and gunk off my strings, fretboard and back of the neck so it's nice and slippery for maximin playability and action that's what really matters not how clean and shiny it looks but.... unless you're thinking re-sale in the near future then wax her down and yes I do give my guitars love i'm just not crazy about always cleaning them the polishes cause more finger prints etc.

Let rust & dings rule!!!

[Damon67]

I would never use lemon oil on a fretboard. Mineral oil with a touch of beezwax is the only way to go for me.

Mineral oil is not animal or veggy based so it will never spoil, the beezwax (tablespoon to cup of mineral oil) gives it a more resistant to liquids/oils etc surface. This is the same process used by many people I know including luthiers that build and sell guitars for tens of thousands of dollars per instrument.

Use what you want, but I'm telling you, this is the stuff.

To save some time and headache, I believe Gerlitz Guitar Honey is the same concoction. A bottle runs maybe $6, and it lasts forever.

I use Dunlop 65 for most everything else, though I use bowling alley wax on my hand rubbed oil necks.

[tonetti]

I as well dont really clean my guitars, Ill wipe them down when I change the strings, thats about it. A prefectly clean spotless guitar, really doesnt stand out to me, Now, an old dirty, beat up guitar, immediately catches my interest.

Here's my 68'

[dubtrub]

Well folks, I have a HUGE correction to make regarding my use of lemon oil. After all this hoopla over lemon oil being bad for fretboards, I dug out my 25 year old bottle of lemon oil , only read the barely legible label "orange oil'. Well that had me dumbfounded as I have told people for years to use lemon oil. There is a big difference between the two. After researching the difference on the internet, I find that lemon oil contains mineral spirits, where orange oil is all natural. Lemon/Orange Oil.

For all those folks I've steered wrong over all these years, I apologize.

[Dennisthe Menace]

I, the Menace has posted earlier on this thread:

I actually had quit using the lemon oil a few years back. For some reason, I started thinking that the 'lemon' part is acidic. Acidic type chemicals dry up the natural oil in the wood. So I thought that at the same time you are administrating the lemon oil onto the fretboard, you are also drying it out...???? But that's just me I'm using a small amount of linseed oil onto the fretboard every other time I change strings.....

Again, maybe I should rephrase a few things on my earlier post...I had quit using lemon oil AND orange oil, due to both being ACIDIC....period. I don't care how the manufacturers made it, or what additives, ACIDIC is ACIDIC. Any NATURAL Citrus type added to a cleaner or application for natural wood, is going to dry up the Natural Oils that are already in the wood. I have been using boiled linseed oil for quite a while and have had good results with it. After reading a few responses, it got my little mind curious . But I do remember reading a Taylor Guitars Flyer a while back called "Wood and Steel." And even in the Flyer (or Magazine?), THEY RECOMMEND using Boiled Linseed Oil.....BUT. THIS STUFF IS ALSO HIGHLY FLAMMABLE, SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL if you are going to try this at Home .

[dubtrub]

Well, check out what other's have posted about their experience. Google search They use, boiled linseed oil, un boiled linseed oil, lemon oil, orange oil. Bottom line there is no definitive answer just a bunch of differences of opinions. My suggestion to everyone is to use or not use what ever you like. There are pros and cons to everything. I know what has worked for me but it may not be your cup-o-tea.

I know one thing for sure. Too much use of linseed oil puts a gloss film on the fretboard. Too much of any oil will soften the wood securing the frets. My recommendation is, if you use any substance on the fret board, clean it, oil it and wipe it dry as you can get it especially along side the frets. If you are unsure, don't use anything but sweat, slobber and beer. Course that can ruin the fretboard too.