How To Clean Vintage Guitars - Guitar Maintenance Lesson

How To Clean Vintage Guitars - Guitar Maintenance Lesson
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When it comes to a vintage instrument, you are very often dealing with nitro finishes that have worn down. On the guitar we are using as a demo, you can also see checking, which is essentially where cracks have started to appear on the body. These fine cracks mean that you don't want to go anywhere near the guitar with a pump polish as it can get underneath the nitro and start staining the finish. Instead you should use a polish specifically designed for vintage instruments such as Virtuoso polish.
Just as before, you simply need to apply a small amount to the blue towel and start cleaning the body. With vintage instruments, you should go on a case by case basis, and if you are in any way unsure about putting product on the finish, don't! Simply use the blue cloth to wipe the finish to remove the base level of dirt. As a guide though, when you do use the polish, this is the rough amount to use: (See website).
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[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Cleaning an Archtop Guitar is also easier if you take the floating pick guard off to make other areas more accessible.

[@Walks-With-Pride]

A renowned California luthier told me that the best thing to use for cleaning any guitar is Pledge Furniture Polish. I have been using it for years on both vintage and new guitars with great results. Pledge is what most guitarists used back in the 50s and 60s.

[@M_EvoBass]

My grandad used car polish to buff up his 1950s gibson, think he did it tops 10 times He used pledge on the fret board once every year at best but other than that gave it a wipe down with a bit of pledge sprayed on a cloth. He never ever opened the guts unless he really had to. Guitar got stolen by a burglar just before he died. It was his pride and joy, total bummer that day. The only thing that cheered him up after the theft was when I went to see him after I won a few grand on the horses and bought a car. He was well chuffed for me😊

[@bobpedone6168]

I tried the virtuoso polish and cleaner on my vintage 335. It had 40 years of smoke, wax and fingerprints on it , it was a mess. I tackled one of the "ears" on the rear of the guitar as a trial and the cleaner made the finish a sticky, cloudy, mess! After thinking I just ruined the finish I kept rubbing and rubbing for close to an hour and GRADUALLY all the funk came off, it looked almost new,BUT it was way too much work to be feasable. My hands were practically bleeding and my hands are used to hard work. What I concluded was the virtuoso may work but you need to use a buffer and strip the guitar completely to do it properly, it would take a week to do it by hand with questionable results. Honestly I felt the Virtuoso was a rip off, no better than any other polish and way more expensive. This video shows a pristine guitar being cleaned, any polish can do that. I wish virtuoso would post a goo dvideo of a DIRTY guitar being restored....

[@saxonsteve]

This is great advice! I just purchased a vintage Les Paul and it is a friggin mess! Going to bring it to a professional Luthier.

[@graham6229]

Firstly take the guitar apart ! Pickguard off, strings off, knobs off, bridge off and tailpiece off. Then get a micro fibre cloth and warm water dampen it. Then wipe the guitar and dry it. Then put it back together, strings on and tuned and leave it alone for 20 years .

[@shaunw9270]

What about Wood Silk beeswax furniture polish ? A lot of people into antiques swear by it. Doesn't contain silicone or water . Any thoughts ?

[@xxxdani310xxx]

So it would be safe to put wood oil soap and lemon oil on a vintage rosewood board? Like on a 1966 Fender Jazzmaster?

[@loraljohnson]

I am pretty much old school, and have played guitar for 49 years (geesh...). I have always used linseed oil until recently. I discovered a product called F-One Oil, and it's available on Amazon. It is fantastic and just makes your fretboard look great. I cannot imagine using anything else since I found this product.

[@kennethlastinger5116]

I have a vintage 1978 guitar, and it has some dark splotches that go above the wax? Is their a way to remove it or do i have to get the guitar entirely refinished

[@bobpedone6168]

Im more interested in cleaning the funk off of a new vintage purchase,fingerprints, gunk,smoke etc. I tried gibson pump polish and music nomad,"one" polish on a small spot on the rear of the instrument. Made it cloudy, white and sticky......The guitar in this vid looked almost clean certainly not funky dirty. How do vintage shops clean thier guitars, or do they??? I once heard of a clay like substance made for that purpose. Any body else??

[@pg123ab]

Ronson lighter fluid (nafta). That’s a great cleaner and de greaser

[@crossroadsheavener7599]

Any idea,s for removing mildew from guitars finish, without harming the finish?

[@pg123ab]

White vinegar diluted with water should do the trick

[@bobpedone6168]

I recently heard of a clay like product called "gorgomiyte" (sp?) good for deep cleaning.???

[@richardcollacchi351]

never ever use paper towels of any kind they are abrasive

[@yga]

Ooo that's interesting Richard, James never mentioned that at all. What would you recommend using instead?

[@richardcollacchi351]

fiber optic cloth made just for polishing, paper towels will checker or scratch stainless steel

[@yga]

Awesome! Thanks for that Richard - We'll look into the fiber optic cloth :)

[@kingofskateop]

@@richardcollacchi351 It doesn't look like a paper towel, it looks like a disposable polish cloth.

[@rocko882]

Paper towel got lead in it. Blue towel just the same. That took 30%of value down.Now that it has been documented so very close.

[@tobisteffen]

My Gibson Les Paul Standard became dull/cloudy from the Gibson Polish.

[@soapboxearth2]

I've noticed the same thing on my 53 j45. Doesn't happen on my 2011 les paul though

[@tobisteffen]

@@soapboxearth2 It was probably due to fact that I didn’t shake it before applying. Since I shake it, the laquer seems to recover slowly.

[@michaelzschoche2746]

Problem is it’s damn near impossible to find virtuoso polish right now. At least I can’t find any, not even online.

[@alexpollock6932]

Virtuoso Premium Instrument Polish. 4oz bottle www.amazon.com/dp/B005LCTAO4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_ZnjuFbCR7JDPQ here ya go

[@MrSongwriter2]

This dude looks like he could be Simon Peggs brother.

[@physiciansassist1]

My 67 sg is super sticky. Not sure how to clean it

[@yga]

Hi Richard! Hmm that may be a job that James can help you with... well worth dropping him a quick email at [e-mail] He’ll get back to you and help you out!

[@jamescole3524]

​@@ygaoh cmon man i have a 68

[@abbydees8612]

7 minutes... And the take-home message was "be careful" and don't use household cleaning products?

[@silverstone3228]

did he just use paper towel ? can't believe it

[@yga]

Cool! Yeah it's good stuff for sure, and will work on most guitars :)

[@spunnek75]

He just did it... Same here: flabbergasted 😱

[@rich.muzzaman]

Stopped watching when he pulled out the paper towel!

[@austinsandefer649]

Get microfiber cloths at dollar store. I've been using d'addario cleaning kit on my strat style guitar 🎸...

[@thesongtowoody]

virtuoso polish, if it works is only 70 dollars a bottle. if it works. i have never found a method that works for vintage nitro. its gummy and thats it.

[@richardaldridge2971]

This is perhaps the most useless video on the internet. Do it all or don’t do it at all.