Hello,

I bought a 2012 Strat (a black one w/ white pickguard, rw fretboard, not sure about finish) recently and I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for polishes, fretboard oils etc?
I'd be keen to hear about what worked and didn't work for you guys and what you'd recommend

Oh.. and could anyone tell me the name of the body wood and where it's from (the body wood)?

Thanks!
thowradal

*edit about the location

Strats are usually Alder. For rw fretboards I use Dunlop fretboard oil, works great for me. For polishes I just use a rag but I have this On Stage polish I use every now and then.

MIA Strats usually have a made in USA sticker at the headstock. MIM strats say made in mexico and the serial number starts with MX.

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"Music is what feelings sound like"

I like the products from Gerlitz - http://www.gerlitzusa.com/

But, don't get obsessive, that can age the finish too fast. You usually only need to do a full detailing w/product once a year.

Most times, just wipe with a microfibre cloth lightly moistened with some slightly warm distilled water (15 sec. in the microwave) - $0.95/Gal. at Walgreens, etc.

cheers!

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'11 FSR Am. Vtg. Ltd. Ed. CAR '57 Stratocaster (SN# LE02639)
'14 American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster
'12 Telebration Empress Telecaster
'99 Deluxe Nashville Telecaster
'12 FSR Telecaster HH
'10 Heritage H-535
'99 Martin DC-1E
'13 Lanikai Tenor Ukulele

+1
Dunlop 02 fretboard oil/cleaner
microfabric cloth
any guitar polish

I even used car polish every now and then.

I'm not sure if nitro needs different stuff but I don't own a guitar with nitro finish. I don't think yours is finished in nitro either, standard is polyurethane.

Strats use ash and alder and as far as I know, Fender doesn't import those. Should be US wood.
Opaque finishes usually are applied to alder while ash bodies usually are finished transparent, it has a nicer grain.
Of course there are exceptions to that rule.

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!

I've given up buying all the ridiculously overpriced oils and polishes. All you need for cleaning is Ronsonol lighter fluid and the only thing I'd put on a fretboard is linseed oil. The people who put nice smelling lemon oil on guitars are, sadly, wasting their time and money. Lemon oil is for furniture. All a guitar needs is linseed oil.

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Gerlitz is good for acoustic guitars. I also use Turtle wax car polish on my strats. I also use Fret Honey on rosewood fretboards, only need to do this maybe once a year.

My favorites are Gerlitz wax, mainly because it is so easy to apply and wipe off and is non abrasive. Naphtha for cleaning, esp. the hardware. Mequire's auto polish to remove fine scratches on the body. You only need some mineral oil for the rosewood fretboard once a year. That's what the oils are you buy at the guitar shop.

Don't forget GORGOMYTE for the frets and other metal bits.

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GUITAR: Fender USA JazzMaster.
BASS: Fender USA 58'AVRI
AMP: Fender USA SuperSonicTwin - Blonde.

The best stuff for deep cleaning (removing a haze spot from skin oils and sweat, etc) is the Virtuoso Cleaner and Polish. Fantastic stuff. It aint cheap. 20 bucks for the pair.

If you're just looking to spot clean, just take a cotton t-shirt, moisten a bit with tepid tap water and wipe off your finger prints and smudges. (steer clear of unsealed fret boards and most of the bridge hardware)

For fret boards, GilgaFrank makes a good point about lemon oil. If you must use lemon oil, make sure it's a solution intended for use on a fretboard, don't use any thing that you'd buy at a grocery store, there's alcohol in those solutions.

I use Gerlitz Guitar Honey, but linseed oil is probably the best "pure" product to use (I think that's most of whats in Guitar Honey). and you can buy enough to last you forever with what you'd pay for a measly amount of a Guitar based/packaged product.

Regardless of the product do not do this (fret board treatment) more than twice, three times a year. Excessive exposure to these oils will soften the glue the frets are secured with and well, we don't want that to happen right?

Cheers!
/Ray

The body wood in that instrument and the finish used partly depends on where it was made and what series it is in. Unless it is some sort of special run or vintage finished instrument it is likely a poly finish.

Note that the OP has a rosewood fretboard. The recommendations being made here by others are only for fretboards/fingerboards that are NOT maple. If maple you should not do anything beyond gentle cleaning or you risk damaging the finish on the maple fretboard cap.

Just thought I should make sure nobody put any oils or polishes on a maple board. Some of the best and most concise information on the net regarding fretboard care for fretboards and fingerboards of all types is here: http://www.muzique.com/schem/fret.htm

I also sometimes use wooden toothpicks to clean really stubborn gunk that tends to build up adjacent to frets as the wood used in wooden toothpicks is softer than any fretboard surface material and safe. I would not use bamboo toothpicks as they are harder. Use care with any sort of scrubbing pads and never use anything metallic to try to clean around frets. Using ultra-fine 000 steel wool directly upon the frets themselves is a time tested and safe cleaning method for the frets themselves.

One poster mentioned using car wax on the painted body. That is fine! The paint is automotive paint anyway so automotive finish products are usually just fine and sell in a larger container for much less than a specialty guitar finish product. I'd avoid any sort of abrasive or "restorative" products such as the brand name "Classic Car Wax" or any other abrasive product or polishing compound unless you have a genuine need to remove abrasion marks such as swirl marks in the clearcoat or topcoat.

Today's modern poly based finishes are pretty much the most durable and easiest to care for finish ever. Poly finishes require hardly anything more than a gentle microfiber cloth dusting to look great. The OP's guitar body finish is black. Black shows everything and some polishes only make it show dust and fingerprints more so microfiber cloth cleaning should take care of 99% of routine poly paint finish maintenance. I've had great luck finding really good microfiber cloths at a dollar store near me called "Dollar Tree." These are pale blue in color making any grime show up on them immediately so you'll know when to break out a new one.

Hello All,

Thank you so much for all your valuable advice!! It's been very helpful!!
Thanks for helping out a newbie!

Oh and sorry for the late reply.. I had no internet the last few days..

thowradal