Most of us don't take as good care of our electric guitars as we'd like to admit. To some, the guitar is precious thing, not to be touched- or even looked at in some cases if its owner deems you unworthy. To others, it's a trusty work horse that has seen better days. However, as much as we may love our guitars, we do not always take care of them- especially when it comes to cleaning.
However, if you most of you are like myself, when you do happen to treat your guitar to 'spa' day, its a wonderful feeling.
Here are some tips and tricks to make your guitar as fabulous as it is meant to be:
THE FRET-BOARD:
To start, wiping your fret board down with a micro-fiber polishing cloth is a great way to eliminate any dust or larger pieces of 'gunk' off of your frets. This will make it easier to clean in the long run.
A good tip to remember is to do this every time you change your strings, to ensure that you keep up with a clean fret-board in between moisturizing and deep cleaning sessions. Every once in a while however, it is good to treat your guitar to a deeper clean.
Lemon oil is a great tool for removing grime, dirt, sweat, and basically any unwanted debris on your fret-board. However, like all liquid-based guitar care products, it is a good idea to keep moderation in mind, as too much moisture can damage the fret board. There are a plethora of myths floating around the guitar community about the dangers and toils of using lemon oil, but we are here to reassure, it's 100% safe.
As you clean your fret-board, is a good reminder to check up on your fret-wire and the state of the wood to double check everything is in good shape.
NECK AND BODY:
One of the best things you can do for your guitar's neck and body is possibly on of the easiest: simply use a micro-fiber cloth (such as the D'addario Micro-Fiber Polishing Cloth which requires no polish), and wipe down the surface of your guitar. Using a micro-fiber or very soft cloth is a great way to remove fingerprints, grime, and dust without damaging the surface of your guitar.
Once you've wiped down the body, it's a good idea to do the same to the neck- you'd be surprised how a dirty and grimy a neck can get from just a few gigs or practice sessions.
Guitar Polish is a great way to give your guitar a great shine, whilst removing any excess dirt or fingerprints you may have missed during routine wipe-downs with a cloth.
A great tip that comes from one of boys in the shop, Miles, is to lay the cloth over the strings and pick-ups when you are spraying the body. This way, you won't get any polish or moisture where you don't want it. Pro tip, Miles!
In saying that, it is important to be careful when spraying guitar polish on the body of your instrument. It is recommended that you spray the cloth directly with the polish before you clean the neck and the head stock so you avoid getting any unwanted residue on the frets or strings.
So go ahead and treat yourself, and your guitar-all instruments deserve to look their best.
Remember: a clean guitar is happy guitar!