What do you do to clean/polish your Tele?

J-Paul · August 6th, 2003, 12:02 AM

Products ... techniques?

Extra points for advice on '52ri (nitro?) finishes.

Fuzzy, you've got a stable, please weigh in.

Colo Springs E · August 6th, 2003, 01:43 AM

....I don't polish my guitars.

You asked...

-Eric

Impala · August 6th, 2003, 05:28 AM

not cheap but you get what you pay for.....

Raymond · August 6th, 2003, 09:01 AM

For daily cleaning just get an old 100% cotton T-shirt; breathe on the finish and apply a lot of elbow grease. That's it! The same for maple necks. Rosewood fingerboards would need a couple of drops of lemon oil every 6 months to avoid cracking during the cold and dry months.
Despite the "relic" frenzy, some of us can't stand those little scratches, so once every one or two months, I apply a little bit of polish. In guitar cleaning, less is better!. The ones that not contain silicon are deemed to be the best, though I can't tell the difference.
Go to your Public Library and get a copy any of the Dan Erlwine's books about guitar maintenance. There he explains in detail everything related to cleaning.
Good luck.

Butch Snyder · August 6th, 2003, 09:14 AM

My Les Paul has a nitro finish. I bought the whole Dunlop cleaning kit. What I have found that works the best for me is the Dunlop 65 polish and a soft cotton cloth.

tweeddeluxe · August 6th, 2003, 09:40 AM

my breathe and shirttail the rest of the time. About every 6th string change I wipe the buildup off the pickguard.

I think I used guitar polish once on my '79 strat in the same year.

Tom

S0C7 · August 6th, 2003, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butch Snyder

My Les Paul has a nitro finish. I bought the whole Dunlop cleaning kit. What I have found that works the best for me is the Dunlop 65 polish and a soft cotton cloth.

I use the same method. Considering one instrument is half-nitro (52RI) and the other is poly (my Albert Lee arriving today!), I'm pretty confident that I'm not going to damage the finishes.

Michael R · August 6th, 2003, 09:55 AM

A toothbrush to get all the 'gunk' outta the saddles, when I change strings I just clean the bridge and frets/board and wipe it down with a cotton rag sometimes damp if it needs it. I try to wipe it down every time after playing so it dosen't get too dirty. On other guitars I have so many bottles of guitar polish from gifts that once in awhile (when I get motivated) I'll polish em when changing strings, for guitars that are going to be sitting unused for awhile I polish all the hardware too (don't know if it really does any good but it make me feel better before storing them) and on rosewood necks a little lemon oil when they need it.

LPBlue · August 6th, 2003, 10:08 AM

I generally don't use any kind of polish on my guitars, I just try to keep them clean as I go. The only one of my "girls" that has ever needed serious cleaning is my old Les Paul and that was a long time ago when she got into the beer a couple of times,

imagine that!

The t-shirts, old socks and underwear are great cleaning cloths but what I really like to use are those red or white shop rags you see in a service station. I buy them in a bundle of 20 or so and wash them 3-4 times to soften them up a bit before use. Throw a couple in each case and yer' good to go. The things are durable as hell and will last forever without ever scratching your baby. Keep washing them every so often and they just get softer every time.
J.R.

bo · August 6th, 2003, 10:43 AM

I'm usually just a T-shirt guy when it comes to polishing, although I might step it up a bit and use breath after reading this. I keep a spritz bottle of Fender polish around in case I really sweat on one and muck it up.

boogaloo · August 6th, 2003, 10:53 AM

just cause a friend with a newly potty trained infant gave me a set. Tee shirts 100% cotton are just as good. I polish maybe twice a year- used to use Gibson polish, now I use Dr. Stringfellows. I do it so infrequently it doesn't matter to me. Mostly use a dry cloth diaper, maybe moistened with water if the git is particularly funky. I use a small paintbrush to clean the dust devils and funk from betwixt the machinery on the bridge plate and around the saddles.

Jakedog · August 6th, 2003, 12:17 PM

On the fancy one, nothing on the other two but beer, sweat, and beer-sweat.

Jake

Brad · August 6th, 2003, 12:32 PM

For my main tele, I just wipe it down with a clean, lint free cloth after I play it. Since it's a tru-oil gun stock finish, it is very easy to take care of. For my nitro & poly finished guitars, I use Dr. Ducks Axe Wax. When I got my 71 Tele and 67 335, they had been stored since the mid 70's and they looked like they were rode hard and put away wet. It took a few "light" ( and I stress light with the Axe Wax! ) applications, but it removed all the dirt, grime and cooties from the former owner(s). It takes just a little of the Dr Ducks and some elbow grease to bring back the luster. I bought the bottle over a year ago and it looks like it's still full. There are some excellent products out there for the care and feeding of your instrument. The main thing I would stress is to make sure each time you play your guitar, you wipe it down with a clean, soft, lint free rag.

Big Cookie · August 7th, 2003, 03:36 AM

I use my gig towel to wipe off the sweat, if I press hard enough the combination is enough to remove the coffee stains.

Anonymous · August 7th, 2003, 05:38 AM

... clean/polish your Tele? ;-)

I'm only half-kidding. I've got one sunburst that I bought new, and it's real pretty, so I'll hit that with some Martin guitar polish every now and again. But on most of my Teles, the only part that gets cleaned on a regular basis is the strings. Really. -- CS

cowboytwang · August 7th, 2003, 07:01 AM

I use Neatsfoot Leather conditioner.

One Tele is covered in Snake Skin and another one is cow hide.

August 6th, 2003, 12:02 AM	#1 (permalink)
J-Paul TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 22	What do you do to clean/polish your Tele? Products ... techniques? Extra points for advice on '52ri (nitro?) finishes. Fuzzy, you've got a stable, please weigh in.

August 6th, 2003, 01:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
Colo Springs E Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 5,163 5 Photos	nothing..... ....I don't polish my guitars. You asked... -Eric __________________ Think I'll pack it in and Buy a pickup Take it down to LA...

August 6th, 2003, 05:28 AM	#3 (permalink)
Impala Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA Posts: 253	For nitro use Virtuoso Cleaner & Polish.... not cheap but you get what you pay for.....

August 6th, 2003, 09:01 AM	#4 (permalink)
Raymond Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Herndon, VA Posts: 2,417 3 Photos	Use the breathe treatment For daily cleaning just get an old 100% cotton T-shirt; breathe on the finish and apply a lot of elbow grease. That's it! The same for maple necks. Rosewood fingerboards would need a couple of drops of lemon oil every 6 months to avoid cracking during the cold and dry months. Despite the "relic" frenzy, some of us can't stand those little scratches, so once every one or two months, I apply a little bit of polish. In guitar cleaning, less is better!. The ones that not contain silicon are deemed to be the best, though I can't tell the difference. Go to your Public Library and get a copy any of the Dan Erlwine's books about guitar maintenance. There he explains in detail everything related to cleaning. Good luck. __________________ "That's a hard pill to swallow, buddy; when you find out what the blues is all about"

August 6th, 2003, 09:14 AM	#5 (permalink)
Butch Snyder Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Lebanon, OH Posts: 643	My Les Paul has a nitro finish. I bought the whole Dunlop cleaning kit. What I have found that works the best for me is the Dunlop 65 polish and a soft cotton cloth. __________________ Cheers, Butch Snyder

August 6th, 2003, 09:40 AM	#6 (permalink)
tweeddeluxe Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: MD Age: 51 Posts: 733	I use an ice scraper for the thick stuff... my breathe and shirttail the rest of the time. About every 6th string change I wipe the buildup off the pickguard. I think I used guitar polish once on my '79 strat in the same year. Tom

August 6th, 2003, 09:55 AM	#8 (permalink)
Michael R Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Mystic CT Posts: 579	A toothbrush to get all the 'gunk' outta the saddles, when I change strings I just clean the bridge and frets/board and wipe it down with a cotton rag sometimes damp if it needs it. I try to wipe it down every time after playing so it dosen't get too dirty. On other guitars I have so many bottles of guitar polish from gifts that once in awhile (when I get motivated) I'll polish em when changing strings, for guitars that are going to be sitting unused for awhile I polish all the hardware too (don't know if it really does any good but it make me feel better before storing them) and on rosewood necks a little lemon oil when they need it.

August 6th, 2003, 10:08 AM	#9 (permalink)
LPBlue Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Markdale Ontario...oot in the woods Age: 52 Posts: 267	I generally don't use any kind of polish on my guitars, I just try to keep them clean as I go. The only one of my "girls" that has ever needed serious cleaning is my old Les Paul and that was a long time ago when she got into the beer a couple of times, imagine that! The t-shirts, old socks and underwear are great cleaning cloths but what I really like to use are those red or white shop rags you see in a service station. I buy them in a bundle of 20 or so and wash them 3-4 times to soften them up a bit before use. Throw a couple in each case and yer' good to go. The things are durable as hell and will last forever without ever scratching your baby. Keep washing them every so often and they just get softer every time. J.R. __________________ It didn't make that smell when it was new, PULL THE PLUG!

August 6th, 2003, 10:43 AM	#10 (permalink)
bo Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 1,766	I'm usually just a T-shirt guy when it comes to polishing, although I might step it up a bit and use breath after reading this. I keep a spritz bottle of Fender polish around in case I really sweat on one and muck it up.

August 6th, 2003, 10:53 AM	#11 (permalink)
boogaloo Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: S/E Pa. Age: 52 Posts: 1,129	Cloth Baby Diapers just cause a friend with a newly potty trained infant gave me a set. Tee shirts 100% cotton are just as good. I polish maybe twice a year- used to use Gibson polish, now I use Dr. Stringfellows. I do it so infrequently it doesn't matter to me. Mostly use a dry cloth diaper, maybe moistened with water if the git is particularly funky. I use a small paintbrush to clean the dust devils and funk from betwixt the machinery on the bridge plate and around the saddles. __________________ "..and I've got some tricks up my sleeve...oh yes indeed! It might come back to haunt 'cha..don't you throw that Mojo on me!"

August 6th, 2003, 12:17 PM	#12 (permalink)
Jakedog Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cleveland,OH But my heart's still in TE Posts: 3,051	Dunlop 65... On the fancy one, nothing on the other two but beer, sweat, and beer-sweat. Jake __________________ "Them that don't know him won't like him, and them that do sometimes won't know how to take him..."

August 6th, 2003, 12:32 PM	#13 (permalink)
Brad Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 1,294	Clean guitars For my main tele, I just wipe it down with a clean, lint free cloth after I play it. Since it's a tru-oil gun stock finish, it is very easy to take care of. For my nitro & poly finished guitars, I use Dr. Ducks Axe Wax. When I got my 71 Tele and 67 335, they had been stored since the mid 70's and they looked like they were rode hard and put away wet. It took a few "light" ( and I stress light with the Axe Wax! ) applications, but it removed all the dirt, grime and cooties from the former owner(s). It takes just a little of the Dr Ducks and some elbow grease to bring back the luster. I bought the bottle over a year ago and it looks like it's still full. There are some excellent products out there for the care and feeding of your instrument. The main thing I would stress is to make sure each time you play your guitar, you wipe it down with a clean, soft, lint free rag. __________________ We don't stop playing because we get old, we get old becasue we stop playing.

August 7th, 2003, 03:36 AM	#14 (permalink)
Big Cookie Banned Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ennis, Texas Posts: 693	Terry cloth I use my gig towel to wipe off the sweat, if I press hard enough the combination is enough to remove the coffee stains.

August 7th, 2003, 05:38 AM	#15 (permalink)
Anonymous Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 0	Why would you want to... ... clean/polish your Tele? ;-) I'm only half-kidding. I've got one sunburst that I bought new, and it's real pretty, so I'll hit that with some Martin guitar polish every now and again. But on most of my Teles, the only part that gets cleaned on a regular basis is the strings. Really. -- CS

August 7th, 2003, 07:01 AM	#16 (permalink)
cowboytwang Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: mojave desert Posts: 1,569 14 Photos	? I use Neatsfoot Leather conditioner. One Tele is covered in Snake Skin and another one is cow hide.