The best — and least expensive — way to improve your guitar’s
appearance, as well as its tone, is to administer a thorough cleaning.
But there are a few guidelines that need to be followed when tackling
the dirt, grease, perspiration and smoke that may have accumulated on
your guitar, either from regular use or neglect; otherwise you risk
permanently damaging the quality and resonance of your instrument.
Whether it’s an acoustic or an electric that you’re aiming to clean,
these tips still apply. If you have a vintage guitar, you’ll need to
take special considerations, as explained in a note below.
Remove your strings.
Ideally, you should clean your guitar each time you change the
strings. With your strings off, you have much better access to your
fretboard. Plus, you don’t want your strings to come into contact with
any oils, polishes or damp cloths that you may use during the cleaning
process. Play it safe by removing only two or three strings at a time so
that you don’t cause the neck tension to go out of whack.
Clean your fretboard.
Even on a frequently played guitar, the fretboard really only needs
to be cleaned once or twice a year. That’s because it’s important not to
mess too much with the natural moisture the fretboard picks up from
oils on your fingers.Begin cleaning your fretboard with a soft, damp
cloth (an old T-shirt or sock will work) that you have wrung out as much
as you possibly can; you don’t want to see any drops of water on your
fretboard. Work the cloth down the fretboard, making sure to use
different portions of the cloth so that you’re not just transferring
dirt from one fret to another.
If your fretboard has accumulated some significant grime, you may
need to follow your rag cleaning with a very light brushing with some
extra fine #000 or #0000 steel wool. Please note that tiny steel wool
particles can stick to the magnets in your pickups. It’s best to cover
up your pickups when cleaning with steel wool.
For spots that are particularly hard to get at, you can try using the
edge of a credit card, a damp cotton swab, a pipe cleaner or a small
toothbrush.
If you notice that your fretboard has dried out or developed hairline
cracks, you may finish this process with Gibson’s Luthier’s Choice
Fretboard Conditioner. Alternately, you can rub one or two drops of oil
(mineral, almond or linseed oil) into the fretboard to condition it.
Make sure to wipe off excess oil with a soft, dry rag.
Polish your finish.
All you generally need to clean your guitar is some elbow grease and a
soft, dry cloth. If a dry cloth is not cutting it, you may use a damp
cloth that has been well wrung out.
Several times a year, you may want to use a polish after you’ve done
your cleaning. Almost all Gibson guitars are treated to several coats of
a high-quality nitrocellulose lacquer. This is a finish that ages
beautifully but that is porous. For that reason, you need to be
discriminating when selecting a polish. We recommend using one of two
products specially formulated for Gibson brand guitars – our Pump Polish
and our Luthier’s Choice Hi Gloss Polish – both of which have become
industry favorites. In a pinch, you may also dilute Murphy’s Oil Soap
for use as a guitar polish. Make sure to squirt your polish onto a rag,
not onto the surface of your guitar. And remember to clean not only the
top and back of your guitar, but also its neck.
Whatever you do, don’t use furniture polish on your guitar. These
oils can permanently alter the resonance of your guitar, as the wood
experiences a change in density when it soaks up these polishing agents.
Tidy your tuning keys.
Spray a dry cloth with glass cleaner and polish each of your tuning keys to get them gleaming.
Clean your bridge.
A damp cloth should suffice for cleaning your bridge, but you may
want to use a pipe cleaner or small toothbrush here for significant
grime.
Polish the pickups.
If your pickups look rusty, you’ll want to unscrew their faceplates
with an Allen wrench and, being careful not to disturb the wiring, clean
the rust with a rust-dissolving agent. If you don’t spy any rust,
simply polish your pickups with a soft cloth.
Protect your guitar.
It’s tempting to hang your pride and joy on the wall or to leave it
resting on a stand, but it’s not a good idea. After playing or cleaning
your guitar, put it back into its case where it belongs
