This article shares insight into the major issues related to cleaning
of guitar. Follow these guitar cleaning tips to increase the longevity
of your guitar.
Guitar, a dynamic musical instrument, is played in almost all kind of
music; be it pop music, rock music, lounge music, country music or even
contemporary classical music. The modern music can`t be imaginable
without guitar.
The demand of guitar in every music sphere has made it one of the most
sought after musical instruments. As guitar is an expensive musical
instrument, it only makes sense to take proper care so that you can
continue playing it for years to come. Here are a few tips discussed in
the following on how to clean this amazing musical instrument so that
its longevity can be increased.
Dust is the main form of debris that is collected on the surface of
guitar. Don`t let dust cover on your guitar for dust buildup that can
actually affect your guitar`s performance. A very simple approach to
keep your guitar clean is by regular dusting. You can wipe off your
guitar with a clean and soft cloth. You can either opt for any of your
old but clean cloth or you can purchase special cloths that are
available in music stores.
If you are a bit fancy about your cleaning, then you can choose many
products available in the market that are designed for cleaning
guitars. Guitar cleaners, fancy cleaners, liquid solvent and even
solutions especially meant for cleaning the fretboard of guitars are
available. If your guitar has a matte finish surface, it is suggested
to use a water-based guitar cleaner as the creamy polished cleaners
have a tendency to be slightly abrasive.
Often sticky residues from tape or stickers are left on guitars, which
are a bit tough to remove. Use only mineral spirits or any other
lighter fluid such as naphtha to remove the stains on your guitar.
These solvent won`t harm the finish of your guitar. You just have to
damp cloth with the solvent and wipe off the tape and stickers of your
guitar. It might be surprising, but if you clean and dry your hands
before you start playing on your guitar, it will significantly lengthen
the life of your strings.
Like cleaning, polishing is equally important. A polish from a good
brand not only gives your guitar an excellent shine, it also preserves
the wood of your guitar. However, you should always choose a polish
that is designed specifically for guitars as any general polish might
ruin the smooth finish on guitars. But be careful of covering only the
major surfaces of your guitar. Areas such as bridge or tuners or even
the neck region of the guitar should not be polished.
Another major area which needs regular cleaning is the fingerboard of a
guitar which includes the strings and the fret wire. These areas are
prone to high-temperature and humidity and also of acidity by the
constant touch of the player`s hands. The lower-end manufactured
guitars especially suffer from this fret buzzing problem.
Though some simple adjustments raising the string action can correct
the problem for some time, but this is not a permanent solution. If the
surface of the fingerboard is not much damaged, a simple application of
lemon oil can prevent the wood from further cracking. It is suggested
to use a piece of extra fine grade steel wool to clean the fingerboard
of your guitar. Don`t wet the steel wool; just rub it in up and down
motion of the fingerboard area without catching the ends. The frets
will be shiny only after a few motions.
Last but not the least is how and where you store your guitar. A
guitar-case is a must and it should not be stored in too humid , warm or
even too cold surroundings. Also make sure it does not get bumped
around. An interior closet is the best place to store guitar.
About the author
Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for PoloMercantil
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