Removing Sticker Residue

[ian_45]

Just took of those CE and "Don't throw this in the garbage" stickers off the neck plate of my 52' RI and a sticky residue was left behind.

Just wondering if anyone has tips on how to remove this residue without damaging anything.

Any suggestions are appreciated,

Thanks Guys.

 

[DOGGONE]

Lighter fluid or DW40

 

[stinkymommasboy]

goo gone

 

[old goat]

Use your mamma's nail polish remover (acetone). I can't imagine it would do the finish any good so just use a little on a cloth and keep it off the wood.

 

[1955]

GooGone, lighter fluid

 

[JeffTele]

Duck tape. Stick it, pull it off. Repeat until residue is gone.

 

[Kyluckyman]

goo gone

I bought a MIM Tele a few years ago that was covered in stickers and Goo Gone got 'em off.

That was a great guitar! A friend heard it and had to have it and the amp for his son. He made an offer I could not refuse.

Goo Gone works!

 

[Minky]

I've tried a couple of things. But gasoline seems to work and pretty much everyone has some.
Just put a tiny bit on a rag

 

[TwangBilly]

Funny you ask this, I've had my Tele for four years and those are the only two stickers I haven't removed! Lol! I was just thinking the other day about taking them off. I thought it was quite comic to leave that "don't throw in garbage" sticker on it! Lol! I was thinking of using a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol on a cloth or Q-tip, it has worked on Manu things like that for me. But I definitely do NOT think it should get on the wood/finish! I think it would soften the lacquer and make it cloudy and gooey. A buddy of mine wiped down a Les Paul with pledge once and it did that. I'll let you know how the alcohol works.

 

[flyingbanana]

Naphtha or lighter fluid works great...or this guy.

 

[Mark Davis]

WD-40

 

[AJBaker]

Use your mamma's nail polish remover (acetone). I can't imagine it would do the finish any good so just use a little on a cloth and keep it off the wood.

White spirit (turpentine more or less) works for me.
And please don't use acetone, that'll melt the finish right off!

 

[ian_45]

I've tried a couple of things. But gasoline seems to work and pretty much everyone has some.
Just put a tiny bit on a rag

Would the gasoline/lighter fluid leave odors afterwards?

Would be easier just to use something like that if it works rather than picking something up i'd only really use once. (unless goo gone works much better than other methods)

 

[guitarzan13]

lighter fluid

 

[Ronkirn]

Lighter fluid's scent dissipates rapidly, Gasoline's odor can linger for months… and do not use acetone or fingernail polish remover (contains acetone), or Lacquer thinner (also contains acetone) anywhere near a guitar… any guitar…. be safe… that stuff will dissolve most plastics and any nitrocellulose lacquer faster 'n you can say dagnabbit…. I hate it when that happens….

To remove stickers… WARM 'em with a hair dryer first…CAREFULLY.... that softens the adhesive…. often it will all come away with the sticker…. any remaining goo can be cleaned with WD 40, Mineral Spirits, or Naphtha which is lighter fluid.

I wouldn't venture from those three. You never know what additives are in some "mystery solutions".. which would get ya back to that Dagnabbit comment..

Ron Kirn

 

[gtrguru]

The products my company sells have adhesive labels intended to be removed by the consumer. Sometimes the supplier's quality varies and the labels can be difficult to remove. We always recommend a warm hair dryer.

 

[Ryan0594]

Get it off with an atom bomb... it will survive, it is a Tele after all!

Seriously though, I've never understood those stickers... who's gonna throw a brand new Tele in the trash?!

 

[h2ocreeker]

Another vote for WD40. Worked great on my EJ strat that had the stickers on it for years and those very difficult to remove safety stickers off of a few motorcycles.

 

[Silverface]

WD40 should go nowhere NEAR a guitar, period. It's basically several sovents and kerosene and while it will not hurt most finishes itself, if it gets in any nooks or crannies (under a pickguard edge, pot washer, bridgeplate) it attracts dirt like a magnet - and dependig on WHAT is in the dirt/dust it can hurt the finish, or cause microabrasion, resulting in scratches you are completely baffled by a year later. Keep that stuff in the garage and use it on grage door springs or rusty gate hinges. There's NO reason to use it on a guitar with safer solvent easily available.

Goo Gone and similar products work fine, but you're paying 5x the price for tinted lighter fluid, aka "VM&P Naphtha". Naphtha is usually the best choice as it will not hurt lacquer, polyester or polyurethane one bit and it leaves no oily residue - and residue is what attracts dirt and dust, which scratch the finish. I keep a squeeze bottle of Ronson lighter fluid (a few bucks at the grocery store - initially) in my shop and studio, and refill them from a gallon can purchased at a commercial paint store (where it's about 1/10 the price of lighter fluid..which, again, is a fraction of the cost of Goo Gone).

The squeeze bottle are handy as you can 1) control the amount you want for sticker and other gunk removal (like the black stuff that rubs off cheap, crappy guitar stands) and 2) squeeze it to get some pressure for things like flushing out trems, tune-o-matics and pedal steel guitar changers (where it's widely used, again because it leaves no residue).

It's really the smartest choice. Or you can buy solvents that leave their own gunk (WD40) or spend an exhorbitant amount of money for essentially the same thing (Goo Gone).

FWIW I've been doing tech & finish work since the 70's and in the paint business as a "day" job dealing with all sorts of solvents for 36 years. Not trying to blow my own horn - but I do know this subject well and hate to see people use products that could hurt their instruments.

 

[AJBaker]

Lighter fluid's scent dissipates rapidly, Gasoline's odor can linger for months and do not use acetone or fingernail polish remover (contains acetone), or Lacquer thinner (also contains acetone) anywhere near a guitar any guitar…. be safe that stuff will dissolve most plastics and any nitrocellulose lacquer faster 'n you can say dagnabbit…. I hate it when that happens….

To remove stickers WARM 'em with a hair dryer first…CAREFULLY.... that softens the adhesive…. often it will all come away with the sticker…. any remaining goo can be cleaned with WD 40, Mineral Spirits, or Naphtha which is lighter fluid.

I wouldn't venture from those three. You never know what additives are in some "mystery solutions".. which would get ya back to that Dagnabbit comment..

Ron Kirn

A friend once cleaned his Swiss army knife with acetone, the plastic part turned permanently soft and gooey.