How to clean guitar finishes and hardware

Naphtha cleans dirty hardware, degreases finishes and raises wood grain for final sanding before applying a finish.
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[@manifestgtr]

I use this stuff on everything, man. Cleaning oil and grit off fretboards, degreasing metal parts, cleaning up metal bridges and saddles, even cleaning the algae and old grease off my fishing reels (same stuff as the expensive cleaner...no lemon scent). Then when you’re done, you can give it a good huff, sit back and watch some cartoons. It’s everything the snake oil salesmen used to promise us back in the day!

[@christopherharv]

I put some in my toothpaste for an extra bright smile!

[@stewmac]

@troyrod27 Dan Erlewine suggests soaking rusted screws in naphtha with a little bit of oil mixed in. Pat them dry, then clean them with a wire wheel on your Dremel tool. Wear eye protection and gloves while that wire wheel is spinning!

[@mrmoa]

I believe the use of Naptha on guitars was pioneered by Jimi Hendrix.

[@midrangesupport]

that's funny

[@dennisterrell5036]

Pro trick : watch series on InstaFlixxer. Me and my gf have been using it for watching loads of movies these days.

[@maxlennon5564]

@Dennis Terrell definitely, I have been using instaflixxer for since november myself :)

[@HBSuccess]

Naphtha is the main ingredient in some brands of lighter fluid, which is why @Davey4557 and others on KZbin use lighter fluid to do cleaning etc. Naptha won't dry out fingerboards as much as rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is also not a de-greaser.

[@stewmac]

@azfryguy Hey, Azfryguy. We recommend our Nitrile Gloves #6062 (naphtha would soak right through cotton gloves). Dan often uses a pipette (#1155) to control how much Naphtha he uses, and he suggests wearing an apron. Work in a well-ventilated area!

[@tonedog2020]

Can you advise on how to clean the finish of a relic Fender Stratocaster with nitrocellulose lacquer, which has a lot of cracks?

[@andres.hidalgo.a]

Thanks for the info. What can I use as a nafta replecement? or if the finish has cracks...

[@azfryguy]

So wear gloves with naptha correct? Is it also ok to use Stewmac cotton clothes with naptha? please answer cause im buying naptha and need to know if I should get gloves and cotton clothes. Thank you!

[@Mayron85]

Can I use naphtha to clean an unfinished maple fretboard?

[@robertsissom4848]

what can I do to clean the back of the guitar neck off with its a LG 0 gibson

[@freddiebowers1125]

could tell me how to make guitar strings stop stinking I use elixirs and they have a real metal smell after a while, I think it might be corrosion I bought the D’Addario string conditioner isn’t working that good

[@joeyfalcone_]

i'm changing the bridge on my telecaster and my old bridge left rust stains on the finish of the guitar. how do i get that off without ruining the paint?

[@peeblesj1131]

Should i use any kind of fretboard conditioner after using naptha to clean my board between string changes? Will using only the naptha dry it out too much?

[@TheDarkP0et]

Will cleaning the hardware with Naphtha and 3-in-1 attract dirt and dust?

[@andres.hidalgo.a]

Thanks for the info. What can I use as a nafta replacement? or if the finish has cracks...

[@NewtaoV]

Is it safe to use on Gibson golden hardware as well? #StewMac

[@ruben8355]

Hi, good video. I have a request, I'm building a guitar project, drilling the holes of the neck I carried the body with a friend of mine because it has a drill press, the base of the drill press had some automotive grease, so the body ended up stained seriously. Is there anything I can do to clean the wood? I was planing to staining the body with the DYE kit and simply spraying nitro lacquer for the finish, but now it looks awful.

[@rednoise0]

In my local hardware store I find something labeled "VM&P (Varnish Maker and Painter's) Naphtha. Is that the same thing as the product shown here, which is labeled simply "Naphtha"?

[@nono-xw6qd]

rednoise0 yes

[@megatabolizer6695]

I do have an old '68 Gibson Southern Jumbo. It looks like the one in the video. How do I clean it?

[@born2grooveu]

what would you use to clean a flat finish guitar?

[@ha-jd7wl]

What do you use for nickel plated hardware with tarnishing/mineral deposits?

[@mcafee1971]

Wow !! Love It. Thanks Guys Great Videos

[@songbyrdsings1]

Wow!

[@user-wh9nf8un1f]

Does WD40 work too?

[@fretboarder4752]

hi. whats the best method for removing finish clouding on a vintage lp jnr in the arm rest area. its gotten under the finish in that area.. thanks..

[@evilcowboy]

sand past the cloudy spots with sand paper and then work your way up in grits to get the shine back ending somewhere around 3000 grit for a show car finish. Then polish with a polishing compound and then wax it.

[@fretboarder4752]

hi. I managed to get it removed with virtuoso polish thanks..

[@azfryguy]

@stewartmacdonald So I should buy Naptha, Nitrile Gloves and old piece of t shirt or something. Thanks

[@Bamacher59]

Too bad they don’t ban Democrats in California

[@threadatlas]

@@Bamacher59 Too bad you replied to the wrong comment.

[@WillVRam]

0:51 what is "damp sand". I dint find any product here in portuguese language.

[@stewmac]

Hi Fadden! This is just the name of the procedure Dan is describing when discussing raising the grain of the wood before sanding, not a product name. Hope that clears up the confusion!

[@WillVRam]

@@stewmac thank you

[@stewmac]

@@WillVRam More than happy to help!

[@angrytroll27]

Is naptha the same as shellite??

[@stewmac]

Shellite is the Australian name for Naphtha. Standard Naphtha may be slightly more concentrated than Shellite but this can vary.

[@angrytroll27]

@@stewmac Thanks guys!! Ive got an ebony fretboard here that get pretty messy pretty quickly and I dont want to use oil to clean it all the time. But with that said I only clean/oil the board about every 3 months.

[@apinakapinastorba]

What exactly is this naphta you are referring to?

[@Michael_Print]

+apinakapinastorba Naphtha is a general term that has been used for over two thousand years to refer to flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixtures

[@apinakapinastorba]

+Michael that was exactly why i asked :3

[@Michael_Print]

Oh I see.

[@onpsxmember]

basically lighter fluid. You want exactly that kind.

[@apinakapinastorba]

onpsxmember thanks a bunch!

[@davidbergin6184]

Is there any way to fix or mitigate a checked finish?

[@Briansmusic-]

A little riske' shaking that can overtop of that guitar.

[@DistantReality]

What types of oil work well for this?

[@DistantReality]

as in to mix with the naphtha

[@evilcowboy]

DistantReality The oil he is using is 3 in 1 oil which was used widely back in the old days. It is nothing different than mineral oil. So here are some of the oils you could use. 3 in 1 0w-20 motor oil (very thin and works) hoppes gun oil (very nice stuff) mineral oil lemon oil oils you should never use in this case are boiled linseed oil tung oil basically any oil that is meant to treat wood is a no no on metal. Those oils dry and cure and is used for hand rubbed finishes because it protects wood. They are fine to use on a fret board or neck if you want protection on the wood. But be warned the more coats you apply the more it builds up eventually getting you a finished surface very similar to a varnished surface.

[@HBSuccess]

Don't.

[@caulinrocker1]

SECOND COMMENT ... MY SKILLS ARE INCREASING

[@VictoryGuitarShop]

Shouldn't you be wearing a mask with that chemical?