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Post subject: Caring for my new American Standard Tele
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 7:02 am
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My other guitar is a LP. Typically, I cleaned it with a good furniture polish and then treated the body and fretboard with lemon oil.

I've just gotten my first ever Fender; an American Standard Tele, transparent wine finish and maple fretboard. I see all of the guitar-specific polishes and waxes in the music store and they have me wondering, am I doing the best for my guitars? Are the special purpose polishes and waxes really any different? Do I even want to wax my guitar in the first place? And is a guitar carnuba wax any different than an automotive or furniture carnuba wax?


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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 8:16 am
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1st I would stop using furniture polish and lemon oil on my Les Paul. Assuming its a Gibson - the Les Paul finish is nitrocellulose, which is comparbly much more sensitive then poly on a Fender.

And depending on the type of 'lemon oil' - it can loosen frets. Couldn't even guess what it might do to nitro. And many furniture polishes have silicone - not good on guitars (makes repairs and touch ups very hard to do), though PRS recommends it for fretboards.

You sent big bucks on your guitars, why don't you spend just a few more and get some GUITAR polish (Gibson Luthier's choice brand is great), Fender Spray and Wipe Cleaner is good too, and some fretboard conditioner?


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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 9:16 am
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jmg257 wrote:
1st I would stop using furniture polish and lemon oil on my Les Paul. Assuming its a Gibson - the Les Paul finish is nitrocellulose, which is comparbly much more sensitive then poly on a Fender.


+++++1
Never use furniture polish on a guitar, especially one with a nitro finish.

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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:50 am
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Hi all.

If you like to use a spray wax, Johnson's liquid hardwood floor wax is a good one.

Believe it or not, when I worked at Fender, that is what they used to polish the guitars before they left the factory.

As to what I use, I use the Dunlop 65+ guitar polish, It's all you need.

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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:05 pm
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Congratulations on an awesome guitar. Dunlop make some good cleaning products that are safe for all finishes. I give mine a once over at the end of the day and thorough cleaning every time I change the strings.

Check it out:

http://www.jimdunlop.com/index.php?page=products/maintenance&cat=12


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Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:54 pm
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I know just how to clean that guitar. Send it to me and I'll have it looking good as new. Oh, wait......


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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 5:05 am
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Thanks, everyone. I knew there was a reason I wanted to ask. Dunlop it is!

Do you just polish and treat the fretboard only? Do you not also wax the body and neck?


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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 6:06 am
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The issue with wax, especially on the neck, is it tends to build up enough to be noticible beneath your fingers. It also makes cleaning a bit harder (spray just repels off, build up rubs around). I think that's why I like the Gibson stuff - more polish then wax maybe?

I find if I use a wax I am very shortly looking to get most of it off (with Naptha). When doing a heavy cleaning/scratch removal on a used guitar, I use all the swirl remover stuff & cleaner /wax to get the finish I wanted, then clean it all of with naptha and finally just put on a coat of polish. This seems to give the feel I like.

I like to keep my guitars looking nice - remove fingerprints, and sweat of course, which the wax will help protect the finish from, but I guess you have to find that balance of just 'how much' works for you. Too much cleaning and you'll have swirl marks (though not too much a worry on poly), too little and you get sweat marks etc.

Does this make sense?


For the fretboard, I use a cotton cloth damp with fretboard conditioner, or Ernie Ball wipes, and wipe the board down during periodic string changes. I go sparingly and don't let too much sit on there for too long, as I don't want to loosen stuff.


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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 10:59 pm
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Hey peace field some of us like looking at pics of nice new guitars ya know...... :lol:


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Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 10:59 pm
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Hey peace field some of us like looking at pics of nice new guitars ya know...... :lol:


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Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 8:00 am
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Cooincidentally, I happen to be a professional photographer and took a self portrait of me with my "other" guitar. Haven't had a chance to do any fun pictures of my new tele which really is beautiful, but if it isn't heresy to show off a handsome Gibson, here's this shot:

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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:14 pm
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Do you have a Les Paul too?

Nice Lucille. I always thought the lack of f holes looked pretty cool. Don't those have a "Varitone" switch too?


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Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 5:03 am
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Dub-T-123 wrote:
Do you have a Les Paul too?

Nice Lucille. I always thought the lack of f holes looked pretty cool. Don't those have a "Varitone" switch too?


No, Lucille is my only other guitar, though I do view it as Les Paul-like.

And the Varitone is what convinced me to buy a Lucille instead of a traditional Les Paul. It really allows my so many different tones out of just one guitar. Pretty much everything but the twangy country sound I love so much which is why I think a Tele is the perfect compliment to this guitar.

It was "only" about ~$1400 when I bought it new maybe 10 years ago. I see it goes for $3500 - $4000 now. My handsome new Tele American Standard in Ash was just $1150 and I can't seem to put it down; quite the bargain!


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Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 4:06 pm
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Lovely Lucille but I would like to see your other babies too.I too am a stickler for using only manufacturer approved polishes,waxes can cause a build up over time and silicone or petroleum based cleaners can cause a myriad of problems.There are special polishes and cleaners made specifically for fretboards also,Gibson makes a good one that works great on rosewood.With sealed laquered fingerboards regular guitar polish does the trick as the wood doesn't need the oils as the rosewood and ebony boards do.

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