Just cleaned by 12 year old guitar properly for the first time ever. The guitar went through years of lack of use out in the open in a damp apartment. I was not optimistic! Following this video the guitar legit looks brand new again. Very easy to follow. Thanks a lot!
With the strings off, go ahead and polish tuning keys and tuner posts. After, use a bit of paste wax on the headstock and buff it out with a drill or dremmel buffing attachment, or a clean cotton t-shirt. Wipe dust from the back and top of the guitar and repeat the same process. If you have bought a used guitar, or your guitar is old and well used, you can apply a little pressure to the blade and get rid of fingernail grooves in the fretboard. Instead of a single sided razor blade, I use a 40mm (about 1 1/2") scraper I bought for 1.99. If you use it straight up and down, it is very hard to scrape away wood even for the ham-fisted. If used at a shallow angle, you can scrape micrometer amounts of wood and repeat as needed until the fretboard is free of grooves. Additionally, for those that are afraid to use 0000 steel wool, you could buy 2400 grit micro mesh and use that. Or, buy a woman's nail buffing pad/eraser for anywhere from $1-$4.
Tack cloth is excellent for removing dust/particles. Woodworkers use it before applying a finish. Inexpensive and available at HD. Handy to have around.
Wow! Been studying this process for over 50 years, and this is the best video I've seen for this. Yeah, I'm not crazy about the razor blade, but it works perfectly if you;re as careful and deliberate as Tony. I like the credit card idea from Matt Brillhart. I do object to the Lemon Oil. Old-timers still use it but it's too thick and you can get a gummy build-up over time. Plus, the slightest drop can ruin the finish, so it's dangerous. I notice Tony says Lemon Oil but uses F-One, a product designed for the task. Music Nomad has a great one as well.
I just wanted to say, thank you SO much for this tutorial. I'm a guitar enthusiast and I play for fun mostly in my bedroom but I hadn't cleaned my guitar in over 5 years..... I know. I didn't realize that they needed so much care just like any other piece of furniture. I bought all the supplies you suggested and got to cleaning following your tutorial step by step and WOW! She's SHINING!!!! She looks beautiful! I'm amazed what a little steel wool, lemon oil, polish a new set of strings can do to an old lil guitar! Beautiful! Thanks again!
Annel Moreno did it damage your fret board in any way? I’m seriously scared that the razor will end up damaging the wood. I wouldn’t dare to try to find out for myself though
@@pedroguzman8125 I actually didn't use a razor. I saw in other videos that some people used a credit card as a straight edge to do it so I ended up using one of those and it worked fine!
literally this is me rn. gonna do this tomorrow because ive had my guitar for years just collecting dust and it really just dawned on me that. ya i should probably learn how to clean the beauty.
For those of you who aren’t digging the metal razor blade, you can buy plastic razor blades that won’t bite into the fretboard. Love this video, you,re the first person to explain how to steel wool the fretboard (with the grain and not across it)
I use blue painters tape after I wax the body that way it comes off clean and easy. I tape off the entire sound hole to protect my pick up and electronics.So I'll do it on all guitars just so it's an automatic practice. The razor blade trick brought my 1930s Cromwell fingerboard back to life. The dots looked like cheap plastic and the board looked hazy and flat. After the dots are mother of pearl and this rich dark reddish color came out on that beautiful old fret board.
I'm so glad I just watched this. I used the same fretboard conditioning oil awhile back, and I realize now I applied it almost completely wrong. I just ordered the F-One polish and conditioning oil again yesterday, and now I know I'm going to apply it right. Another benefit I noticed from the conditioning oil that wasn't mentioned here is that once your fretboard is properly moisturized, it *really helps* with playability. It feels so good. Thanks for this video!!!
And all that oil is getting into your wound strings. Isn’t it a surprise fretboard conditioners were started by string companies. It’s a win win for them, sell you an unnecessary product that makes your strings wear out faster.
I know many guitar techs routinely use steel wool, but I would never use steel wool to clean guitar frets. I prefer to use 000 fine bronze wool. Unlike steel wool, which leaves small fibers that can rust and discolor the finish, Bronze wool resists shedding, and will not rust or corrode. Bronze wool is typically used by glass and marble installers to polish fine surfaces. Even a Scotch Brite pad would be a better choice.
@@BluesManSteele There are scotch brite steel wool pads, however, a scotch brite sponge has a rough, spun synthetic abrasive side. In almost all industrial use, the scotch brite substance has replaced brass wool.
Marc LeBlanc Jesus Is the way, the truth and the life. Religion NEVER saved anybody. It's nothing but traps and Satan twist things to keep you deceived! He gives you the WORLD only to lose you're soul! "What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul? Jesus there's true freedom and peace! He wants to free you from those chains! If you desire He says "come" there is a scripture that Jesus says saying if anyone is thristy or hungry, come drink and eat without cost 💕 When your sick of religion and seeking and never grasping what you desire. When your tired and heavy laden and afraid, etc. Wen you just can't do it anymore. Seek the true GOD. I promise you when you truly seek and want to know God you'll find Him. He says so. If you seek God wholeheartedly you will FIND Him! He will reveal Himself to those that seek Him! If you have never known Jesus - repent and believe the gospel. Jesus loves you. He isn't religion. He doesn't want your worldly possessions or money. All these things don't belong to you but God. He wants you. He died on that cross for our sins. He loves you. You were bought with a price! Jesus Christ died for our sins. A debt we could NEVER have paid. He reconciled us back to God. And invites ALL to come. Take the free gift of salavtion. "Come to me, all Ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 💕 Rev 22:17 "And the spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." 💕 Isaiah 55:1 "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." 💕 John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thrist; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." 💕 John 6:35 "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thrist." 💕 John 7:38 "He that beliveth on me, as the scripture hath said, our of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." 💕 have everything yet are empty? All those possessions, fame, etc! Yet still lacking contentment? Seeking.. still longing.. still thirsting? Never will fill that God given spiritual craving or thirst without Him. John 7:37-38 "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying. If any man thirst, let him come into me and drink. He that beliveth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."💕 He is the well! The source of the soul satisfying water of life - this is for all to read. Jesus is coming back soon! Repent and turn back to God. Repent and believe the gospel! Be born again! Unless you become born again of the spirit you will NEVER enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus sets man free. Get a KJV bible. May the Lord be with those that seek Him 💕 hell is eternal and so is HEAVEN 💕 Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." John 8:24 "I said therefore unto you, that you shall die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins." Romans 6:23 " For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." John 14:6 "Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me." 1 John 14:9 "We love him, because he first loved us." Jesus is LOVE 💕 God is LOVE! God bless you in Jesus name 💕
Old credit cards freshly cut in half work for those wary of razors. Hot dogs could even match the arc of the board as I think of it. Put sticky tape on your jeans leg, peel it off and you have less sticky tape. After the scraping and steel wool, the tape removed from the sound hole works well as a "lint roller" to pick up crud from the finger board. Blue shop towels are strong and lint free.
I have an electric guitar and I have been wanting to learn haw to clean it up a little and I seen you clean your acoustic and it blew my mind it was so clean afterwards I am 13 and I play a play rock and roll and this has helped me learn how to take care of my fender thx for the help
Generally I don't like steel wool, but if you are going to use it, be sure to tape off the pickups and any points where the shavings can creep into and get into contact with the electronics. The dust can get into it and cause issues down the road. Remember that pickups are magnets so any steel wool shavings that get near them are going to stick right to them! Just something to keep in mind when dealing with electric guitars.
hey dude i wanted to buy an acoustic one year ago and i watched your videos for informations ... and now i need to clean my fretboard and i saw you again .... :) nice to listen to your tips and advices man ... good luck❤️
When you have steel wooled I use a magnet to get rid of the filings. I use a telescopic one so I can sweep over floor as well as it picks up any steel string ends as well. Cheers
I wouldn't get a piece of sharp metal near the finished parts of a guitar. Especially the not-flat fingerboard. Not since I had an errant b-string leave a scratch clear across the area above the ninth-fret dot marker on my maple-necked Strat. 25 years later, that linear scratch across the fretboard is more visible than the dents from untrimmed fingernails even though it is a fraction of the width of any of them and far less deep. It does (somewhat) disappear when the guitar is cleaned. And I do that with naphtha. Naphtha, in the form of Ronsonol lighter fluid, is safe for cured nitro lacquers and poly finishes alike. It dissolves finger goo and floats oil-caked dirt in one or two swipes. A soaked cotton swab will remove the gunk between the guitar top and the edge of the fretboard which always escapes the microfiber cloth wipe down. Naphtha will also dissolve wax, so take that into account when using it and where. Cleaning your guitar on top of the family heirloom dining room table will likely end with someone in tears. As with all cleaning methods that involve liquids, apply the stuff to the cloth and never apply it directly to the object to be cleaned. Naphtha also removes the surface oils on the fretboard wood and leaves rosewood and ebony looking dry. So, after you get done polishing up the frets, don't forget to re-oil with whatever you use to recondition the wood. The dried-out look disappears under a fresh wipe of Formby's lemon oil. I apply it generously, to the point of leaving droplets, and leave it to soak for a few minutes before wiping clean. For the rest of the guitar which doesn't get much traffic from skin oil, and isn't near any metal parts, my preferred solvent is saliva. Spit on a handkerchief works better than water for the broad areas of the guitar for removing spots and not having them reappear when dry. Steel wool should be #0000 grade. We used this to make a wooden countertop for a bathroom sink a couple of decades ago. The #0000 came _after_ the 1600 grit wet-dry sandpaper on the (many, many) coats of varnish had reached the point of diminishing returns. We wound up with a surface that was glassy-smooth and deep, deep, deep. We only recently replaced it with faux-granite because the old gaskets on the cutouts for the (now leaky) faucets had allowed water to seep in and swell the wood, making repair impractical. Even though it produces a smooth finish, I wouldn't use #0000 steel wool other than the fretboard simply because you aren't interested in building up a finish with additional lacquer and the steel wool is a subtractive process. Fretboard wood is super durable compared to Sitka Spruce. Fretting and bending notes with steel and bronze a few hundred thousand times in a limited area is more wearing than lightly buffing overall with #0000 once every ten or twenty string changes. And if you *are* worried about the wood, just tape off the frets and binding. Using (news)paper to reduce the amount of tape applied to the guitar finish reduces the amount of goo you have to clean off later and the risk of pulling up some weak areas in the finish. You can always tape over the newspaper or use another material if you don't trust it to be tough enough to survive the cleaning process.
nice ... i use baby wipes all over the guitar , works great on fretboard , metal polish on frets then pure tung oil the whole thing , super finish and no tone loss . great stuff.
I take an extra step and tape off the fret board leaving only the steel frets exposed , sand them with fine steel wool , then polish them with metal polish, my favorite being Autosol metal polish.
When polishing up the board and frets with your steel wool, go perpendicular to where the strings will be. This will leave a smoother surface for vibrato and bends. Yeah yeah grain lines but your smoother vibrato will thank you.
When cleaning an acoustic/electric guitar, wouldn't it be a good idea to completely cover and seal the soundhole to prevent steel wool bits and pieces from getting into the body of the guitar?
You could, but I just kept the vacuum nearby and sucked up the steel wool bits from the fretboard and work area then thoroughly vacuumed out the inside of the guitar.
After the steel wool, I would have either dusted off the tape but left it on, or perhaps replaced it and not remove it till done oiling the fretboard. I would have used boiled linseed oil. I would have used an extra piece of tape and completely covered the hole so no dust could get down inside. But I'm not a pro so take what I say with a grain of salt.
It's justa a bad idea to use razor blade and steel wool on your guitar. Just use a piece of cloth and a little bit of water, or some soft tootbrush if the fretboard is really dirty. You don't want to remove fretboard material or sand down the frets.
If you use a razor blade as a scraper, I highly recommend using plastic razor blades. That's what we always used when scraping anything off the gel coat of boats we worked on because it will never gouge or scratch the finish.
I scrapped the finger board with the razor blade just like you said, and it scratched the hell out of it. Luckily, I decided to stop after a few frets. I then only used the fine steel wool, which wasn't damaging. I used Linseed oil, and it looks beautiful and you can hardly see the razor blade scratches. Glad I didn't use that technique on my newest guitar. Besides that, good video!!
Lol I can’t believe ppl don’t use common sense and listen to everything on TH-cam and take it as fact. Violin players will laugh at you if you ask them if they condition their finger boards with oil. Just a scam by guitar companies. Tiniest bit of water on a microfibre cloth and just rub the grime off. Tbh the water isn’t even that necessary. But using a razor and steel wool is next level stupid
Just use 0000 steel wool on the frets and fretboard at the same time ... cleans well and polishes those frets! Very easy. Then use some Formby's Lemon Oil or pro prepared fingerboard oil. Run the steel wool with the frets, not across it. It won't "weird scratch" the board. After you oil it, it looks great. Been doing that for probably 40 years or more. None of my guitar necks have dropped off, BTW ...
if you use steel wool to clean frets you should deffentily tape up the fret board, and lighter fluid works real well to get rid of dirt on the fretboard too
Old credit card (instead of a razor) olive oil instead of of some fretboard conditioner,that’s been my method for years. And being a electrical guy (or former electrical guy) I never ever have steel wool near my guitars,especially if it’s a pickup on it.. Scotch brite works for me.
I am pretty sure, this is the right way to clean a guitar (razor, steel wool and all). Im just not sure if I'm ready to do it on mine. This is very helpful though.
Take care of your instrument, and it will take care of you. If you need motivation, a guitar that's cared for only gains in value over time. Think of it as caring for your investment.
Got to say your channel is a great one you seem to know your stuff and seem like a really relatable kind of person. I was happy to subscribe 😉 keep it up
Thank you for posting this video. It helped me a lot. I just want to make it all clear. Like you said, only apply lemon oil once or twice a year, I get that. So if I do a regular strings change and cleaning, which I do monthly, all I need to do is to follow the steps in this video except the lemon oil? Right?
Hey guys ... I learned this lesson the hard way... Taylor's expression system *not the latest piezo one* has a few magnetic components inside the body... You're going to want to tape off the entire sound hole as well as get a new paintbrush solely to brush the steel particles off your entire guitar... And then remove the tape. Otherwise those particles end up in the body causing all kinds of static noise through your Output jack and it's a total pain in the A$$ to. Get that stuff completely out. Love the show... Keep it coming.
Thanks for an excellent informative video. I was really hoping you would put the strings on and play some slide with the splint on your pinky. Oh well, maybe next time!
I have orange oil will that work as well as lemon oil? Also whats your thoughts on using a little beezwax on the fingerboard to make it smooth and shiny once its buffed up? I would think the wax would be good protection right? Also whats your thoughts on using a water based stain to revive faded rosewood and ebony finger boards? Lastly can you use a metal polish on the frets if you cover all the wood parts with painters tape? Sorry for all the questions cheers
can you do an episode on how to clean matte/ satin rosewood and richlite fongerboards, im kinda hesitant to put any cleaning solution on my martin. thanks!
I recently bought a beautiful gently used acoustic at an auction for my daughter. I didn't notice how gunky and clogged all the pores in the fretboard grain were until I took some flash photos of the guitar and happened to zoom in. It was like someone who never washed their skin in their life, really gross. It really bugged me, and being slightly OCD I guess, I ended up researching and trying all these same cleaning steps and more but none of it worked to clean out the pores themselves. Razor, #0000 steel wool, mild soap and toothbrush, nothing. So while the fretboard was slightly damp (I had made sure to use very little water or soap and towelled quickly) and drying I put on Netflix and literally went in with a straight pin and hyperfocus and picked every pore clean! It was frustrating yet satisfying, like squeezing blackheads lol. Then after a few days of letting it completely dry, I applied the MusicNomad F-One oil. The oil helped soften some of the stuff I didn't get out the first time so I picked a little more with the pin and called it good. Anyway, I know most probably wouldn't go that far, but I wanted her to look like new, and now she's clean, shiny and beautiful and sounds great, so I'm happy with the results of my labor and my daughter will be beyond thrilled. She taught herself to play bass years ago and now wants to learn guitar.
Is there any particular reason why the essential oil of choice in the fret board oil is lemon? Is it for the antimicrobial properties? Or is it for some action it has on the wood?
I like how this dude cleaned the fretboard. However, I wouldn't have used a rag to clean off the steel wool "dust" from the body. I would've blown it off... and away from the soundhole.
OK! Beware using gafffer's tape on your older guitar and harware. It can still pull off finish and coating as it did on my Sunrise pickup on my Lowden after watching this video, giving my pup a "relic" look. Also, there are a few TH-cam videos posted warning about using steel wool.
Hi Tony, Been Wathcing your reviews for years and always have enjoyed the way you present the instruments with your own honest opinion. I noticed in this video that you have a splint on your finger. I broke my left ring finger about 6 weeks ago. The splint is off now still can't put alot of pressure on it. How long did your recovery take is it as it was before you injured it.
My pinky took about 6 weeks to recover. I actually busted the very last part of the bone, literally my fingertip, caught in a car door... Best of luck with your recovery, it will go quicker than you think :-)
The one thing you forgot to mention, which is pretty much a given, was the headstock. Nothing more of a pet peeve is seeing someone play a guitar with a super dusty and dirty headstock!! :)
Not sure if you're even still seeing these comments, but seriously curious ... why shouldn't we just leave the painter's tape on the guitar (including adding tape around the bridge) when using the 'conditioner' (really just lemon oil)?????
wow he is so devoted to his guitar he wears his slide all the time
LOL I was just about to...........
Samsies
Looks like a finger cast
I thought that was maybe why he was so careful to warn about using the razor blade!!!
@@hyperiusnovani it's a joke pal
I use a credit card size plastic card to scrap the fretboard to get the built-up grime and DNA off. Strong enough to scrape but not scratch.
I've used the edge of a guitar pick many times. LOL...I like the credit card idea.
Me too man, the razor blade is just too risky.
Just cleaned by 12 year old guitar properly for the first time ever. The guitar went through years of lack of use out in the open in a damp apartment. I was not optimistic! Following this video the guitar legit looks brand new again. Very easy to follow. Thanks a lot!
I appreciate the obvious love, care and experience being offered here. And the level of detail. Thank you.
With the strings off, go ahead and polish tuning keys and tuner posts. After, use a bit of paste wax on the headstock and buff it out with a drill or dremmel buffing attachment, or a clean cotton t-shirt. Wipe dust from the back and top of the guitar and repeat the same process.
If you have bought a used guitar, or your guitar is old and well used, you can apply a little pressure to the blade and get rid of fingernail grooves in the fretboard. Instead of a single sided razor blade, I use a 40mm (about 1 1/2") scraper I bought for 1.99. If you use it straight up and down, it is very hard to scrape away wood even for the ham-fisted. If used at a shallow angle, you can scrape micrometer amounts of wood and repeat as needed until the fretboard is free of grooves.
Additionally, for those that are afraid to use 0000 steel wool, you could buy 2400 grit micro mesh and use that. Or, buy a woman's nail buffing pad/eraser for anywhere from $1-$4.
Tack cloth is excellent for removing dust/particles. Woodworkers use it before applying a finish. Inexpensive and available at HD. Handy to have around.
Wow! Been studying this process for over 50 years, and this is the best video I've seen for this. Yeah, I'm not crazy about the razor blade, but it works perfectly if you;re as careful and deliberate as Tony. I like the credit card idea from Matt Brillhart.
I do object to the Lemon Oil. Old-timers still use it but it's too thick and you can get a gummy build-up over time. Plus, the slightest drop can ruin the finish, so it's dangerous. I notice Tony says Lemon Oil but uses F-One, a product designed for the task. Music Nomad has a great one as well.
I don't care what the topic, I absolutely love watching your channel. Thank you
I just wanted to say, thank you SO much for this tutorial. I'm a guitar enthusiast and I play for fun mostly in my bedroom but I hadn't cleaned my guitar in over 5 years..... I know. I didn't realize that they needed so much care just like any other piece of furniture. I bought all the supplies you suggested and got to cleaning following your tutorial step by step and WOW! She's SHINING!!!! She looks beautiful! I'm amazed what a little steel wool, lemon oil, polish a new set of strings can do to an old lil guitar! Beautiful! Thanks again!
Annel Moreno did it damage your fret board in any way? I’m seriously scared that the razor will end up damaging the wood. I wouldn’t dare to try to find out for myself though
@@pedroguzman8125 I actually didn't use a razor. I saw in other videos that some people used a credit card as a straight edge to do it so I ended up using one of those and it worked fine!
Annel Moreno Ohhh I see, this helps a ton, thanks!
literally this is me rn. gonna do this tomorrow because ive had my guitar for years just collecting dust and it really just dawned on me that. ya i should probably learn how to clean the beauty.
Have you cleaned your guitar since this comment?!
in a pinch, can you use beard instead of steel wool?
quarter_moon and_a_guitar ass hairs are more refined so probably would work better but try both and tell me what you get
@@greanmonstamash _what even-_
LMAO 😆😆
@@greanmonstamash Hmmmmmm
Yes but you will need two
For those of you who aren’t digging the metal razor blade, you can buy plastic razor blades that won’t bite into the fretboard. Love this video, you,re the first person to explain how to steel wool the fretboard (with the grain and not across it)
Where do you find plastic razor blades?
I use blue painters tape after I wax the body that way it comes off clean and easy. I tape off the entire sound hole to protect my pick up and electronics.So I'll do it on all guitars just so it's an automatic practice. The razor blade trick brought my 1930s Cromwell fingerboard back to life. The dots looked like cheap plastic and the board looked hazy and flat. After the dots are mother of pearl and this rich dark reddish color came out on that beautiful old fret board.
I'm so glad I just watched this. I used the same fretboard conditioning oil awhile back, and I realize now I applied it almost completely wrong. I just ordered the F-One polish and conditioning oil again yesterday, and now I know I'm going to apply it right. Another benefit I noticed from the conditioning oil that wasn't mentioned here is that once your fretboard is properly moisturized, it *really helps* with playability. It feels so good. Thanks for this video!!!
And all that oil is getting into your wound strings. Isn’t it a surprise fretboard conditioners were started by string companies. It’s a win win for them, sell you an unnecessary product that makes your strings wear out faster.
I know many guitar techs routinely use steel wool, but I would never use steel wool to clean guitar frets. I prefer to use 000 fine bronze wool. Unlike steel wool, which leaves small fibers that can rust and discolor the finish, Bronze wool resists shedding, and will not rust or corrode. Bronze wool is typically used by glass and marble installers to polish fine surfaces. Even a Scotch Brite pad would be a better choice.
What's this bronze wool you speak of? Where might one Google such wool of bronze? haha
Scotch brites are steel. At least the ones ive seen. Taylor guitars uses steel
@@BluesManSteele There are scotch brite steel wool pads, however, a scotch brite sponge has a rough, spun synthetic abrasive side. In almost all industrial use, the scotch brite substance has replaced brass wool.
I was all ready to clean my guitar but realized I didn’t have the ‘Select Size’ paper towels...so I’ll just put it off another year.
How about now
Imagine having a conversation with this guy
A glass of Crown Royal and a 80's CD while I'm cleaning my 🎸 Great video,Tony!
why is a younger Gandalf teaching me to clean my guitar?
Hahahahaha!!
made me laugh so hard. xD
Yes. Tony is "Gandalf the ... brown?"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH
That's Radagast the Brown.
At the beginning of the video you said I would only need one piece of paper towel, that was a lie and a half.
No one ever only needs one paper towel.
Steel wool and razor blades near a guitar make me cringe...
See my video on how to clean your guitar using high grit sandpaper, a chainsaw and a sledgehammer XD
I clean my guitars by dipping them in a 55 gallon barrel of used motor oil and then placing them in a preheated pizza oven for 6 hours.
Dspeir how to basic style XDDDDDDD
How did I not get this rely till now ? That's hilarious :D
Marc LeBlanc Jesus Is the way, the truth and the life. Religion NEVER saved anybody. It's nothing but traps and Satan twist things to keep you deceived! He gives you the WORLD only to lose you're soul! "What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul? Jesus there's true freedom and peace! He wants to free you from those chains! If you desire He says "come" there is a scripture that Jesus says saying if anyone is thristy or hungry, come drink and eat without cost 💕 When your sick of religion and seeking and never grasping what you desire. When your tired and heavy laden and afraid, etc. Wen you just can't do it anymore. Seek the true GOD. I promise you when you truly seek and want to know God you'll find Him. He says so. If you seek God wholeheartedly you will FIND Him! He will reveal Himself to those that seek Him! If you have never known Jesus - repent and believe the gospel. Jesus loves you. He isn't religion. He doesn't want your worldly possessions or money. All these things don't belong to you but God. He wants you. He died on that cross for our sins. He loves you. You were bought with a price! Jesus Christ died for our sins. A debt we could NEVER have paid. He reconciled us back to God. And invites ALL to come. Take the free gift of salavtion. "Come to me, all Ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." 💕 Rev 22:17 "And the spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." 💕 Isaiah 55:1 "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." 💕 John 4:14 "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thrist; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." 💕 John 6:35 "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thrist." 💕 John 7:38 "He that beliveth on me, as the scripture hath said, our of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." 💕 have everything yet are empty? All those possessions, fame, etc! Yet still lacking contentment? Seeking.. still longing.. still thirsting? Never will fill that God given spiritual craving or thirst without Him.
John 7:37-38 "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying. If any man thirst, let him come into me and drink. He that beliveth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."💕
He is the well! The source of the soul satisfying water of life - this is for all to read. Jesus is coming back soon! Repent and turn back to God. Repent and believe the gospel! Be born again! Unless you become born again of the spirit you will NEVER enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus sets man free. Get a KJV bible. May the Lord be with those that seek Him 💕 hell is eternal and so is HEAVEN 💕
Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."
John 8:24 "I said therefore unto you, that you shall die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am he, you shall die in your sins."
Romans 6:23 " For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
John 14:6 "Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me."
1 John 14:9 "We love him, because he first loved us." Jesus is LOVE 💕 God is LOVE!
God bless you in Jesus name 💕
This is an excellent video . Many others don’t suggest the blade to remove deposits on the fretboard.
Thanks very much 👍
Old credit cards freshly cut in half work for those wary of razors. Hot dogs could even match the arc of the board as I think of it. Put sticky tape on your jeans leg, peel it off and you have less sticky tape. After the scraping and steel wool, the tape removed from the sound hole works well as a "lint roller" to pick up crud from the finger board. Blue shop towels are strong and lint free.
You might want to clean/polish the headstock and check the tightness of the tuners before stringing it back up too.
Scott Bell = Agree 100% always.
I have an electric guitar and I have been wanting to learn haw to clean it up a little and I seen you clean your acoustic and it blew my mind it was so clean afterwards I am 13 and I play a play rock and roll and this has helped me learn how to take care of my fender thx for the help
Generally I don't like steel wool, but if you are going to use it, be sure to tape off the pickups and any points where the shavings can creep into and get into contact with the electronics. The dust can get into it and cause issues down the road. Remember that pickups are magnets so any steel wool shavings that get near them are going to stick right to them! Just something to keep in mind when dealing with electric guitars.
I like this dude he knows what he's doing
hey dude i wanted to buy an acoustic one year ago and i watched your videos for informations ... and now i need to clean my fretboard and i saw you again .... :) nice to listen to your tips and advices man ... good luck❤️
Well done. Concise, easily understandable, and obviously worthwhile. Thanks for taking the time to do this.
When you have steel wooled I use a magnet to get rid of the filings. I use a telescopic one so I can sweep over floor as well as it picks up any steel string ends as well. Cheers
I'll just stick to a toothpick and credit cards instead. Razor blade is waaaayy too risky.
Only if you dont know how to use one
I wouldn't get a piece of sharp metal near the finished parts of a guitar. Especially the not-flat fingerboard. Not since I had an errant b-string leave a scratch clear across the area above the ninth-fret dot marker on my maple-necked Strat. 25 years later, that linear scratch across the fretboard is more visible than the dents from untrimmed fingernails even though it is a fraction of the width of any of them and far less deep. It does (somewhat) disappear when the guitar is cleaned. And I do that with naphtha.
Naphtha, in the form of Ronsonol lighter fluid, is safe for cured nitro lacquers and poly finishes alike. It dissolves finger goo and floats oil-caked dirt in one or two swipes. A soaked cotton swab will remove the gunk between the guitar top and the edge of the fretboard which always escapes the microfiber cloth wipe down.
Naphtha will also dissolve wax, so take that into account when using it and where. Cleaning your guitar on top of the family heirloom dining room table will likely end with someone in tears.
As with all cleaning methods that involve liquids, apply the stuff to the cloth and never apply it directly to the object to be cleaned.
Naphtha also removes the surface oils on the fretboard wood and leaves rosewood and ebony looking dry. So, after you get done polishing up the frets, don't forget to re-oil with whatever you use to recondition the wood. The dried-out look disappears under a fresh wipe of Formby's lemon oil. I apply it generously, to the point of leaving droplets, and leave it to soak for a few minutes before wiping clean.
For the rest of the guitar which doesn't get much traffic from skin oil, and isn't near any metal parts, my preferred solvent is saliva. Spit on a handkerchief works better than water for the broad areas of the guitar for removing spots and not having them reappear when dry.
Steel wool should be #0000 grade. We used this to make a wooden countertop for a bathroom sink a couple of decades ago. The #0000 came _after_ the 1600 grit wet-dry sandpaper on the (many, many) coats of varnish had reached the point of diminishing returns. We wound up with a surface that was glassy-smooth and deep, deep, deep. We only recently replaced it with faux-granite because the old gaskets on the cutouts for the (now leaky) faucets had allowed water to seep in and swell the wood, making repair impractical.
Even though it produces a smooth finish, I wouldn't use #0000 steel wool other than the fretboard simply because you aren't interested in building up a finish with additional lacquer and the steel wool is a subtractive process. Fretboard wood is super durable compared to Sitka Spruce. Fretting and bending notes with steel and bronze a few hundred thousand times in a limited area is more wearing than lightly buffing overall with #0000 once every ten or twenty string changes. And if you *are* worried about the wood, just tape off the frets and binding.
Using (news)paper to reduce the amount of tape applied to the guitar finish reduces the amount of goo you have to clean off later and the risk of pulling up some weak areas in the finish. You can always tape over the newspaper or use another material if you don't trust it to be tough enough to survive the cleaning process.
nice ... i use baby wipes all over the guitar , works great on fretboard , metal polish on frets then pure tung oil the whole thing , super finish and no tone loss . great stuff.
I take an extra step and tape off the fret board leaving only the steel frets exposed , sand them with fine steel wool , then polish them with metal polish, my favorite being Autosol metal polish.
This guy is so chill
Very cool of you to post this, thanks!
When polishing up the board and frets with your steel wool, go perpendicular to where the strings will be. This will leave a smoother surface for vibrato and bends. Yeah yeah grain lines but your smoother vibrato will thank you.
When cleaning an acoustic/electric guitar, wouldn't it be a good idea to completely cover and seal the soundhole to prevent steel wool bits and pieces from getting into the body of the guitar?
Rehdman6444 that's probably smart
You could, but I just kept the vacuum nearby and sucked up the steel wool bits from the fretboard and work area then thoroughly vacuumed out the inside of the guitar.
After the steel wool, I would have either dusted off the tape but left it on, or perhaps replaced it and not remove it till done oiling the fretboard. I would have used boiled linseed oil. I would have used an extra piece of tape and completely covered the hole so no dust could get down inside. But I'm not a pro so take what I say with a grain of salt.
It's justa a bad idea to use razor blade and steel wool on your guitar. Just use a piece of cloth and a little bit of water, or some soft tootbrush if the fretboard is really dirty. You don't want to remove fretboard material or sand down the frets.
I always thought it was crazy too.
If you use a razor blade as a scraper, I highly recommend using plastic razor blades. That's what we always used when scraping anything off the gel coat of boats we worked on because it will never gouge or scratch the finish.
NON-STICKY TAPE ? NO SUCH THING. STICKY IS WHAT MAKES TAPE TAPE !
I think he means the gooey stuff that duct tape leaves after itself when you rip it up...
No.....Sticky is what makes "Sticky Tape". You can have tape without the sticky and it's still tape.
How do you clean the white soround which after 46 years on my Ibanez is dirty, thanks.
I scrapped the finger board with the razor blade just like you said, and it scratched the hell out of it. Luckily, I decided to stop after a few frets. I then only used the fine steel wool, which wasn't damaging. I used Linseed oil, and it looks beautiful and you can hardly see the razor blade scratches. Glad I didn't use that technique on my newest guitar. Besides that, good video!!
You scraped it too hard. You have to take it easy with the razor, and go with the grain.
Lol I can’t believe ppl don’t use common sense and listen to everything on TH-cam and take it as fact. Violin players will laugh at you if you ask them if they condition their finger boards with oil. Just a scam by guitar companies. Tiniest bit of water on a microfibre cloth and just rub the grime off. Tbh the water isn’t even that necessary. But using a razor and steel wool is next level stupid
Thanks to YT for recommending you. Worth subscribing for this alone. Greetings from London UK.
Just use 0000 steel wool on the frets and fretboard at the same time ... cleans well and polishes those frets! Very easy. Then use some Formby's Lemon Oil or pro prepared fingerboard oil. Run the steel wool with the frets, not across it. It won't "weird scratch" the board. After you oil it, it looks great. Been doing that for probably 40 years or more. None of my guitar necks have dropped off, BTW ...
What about a satin finish? How does polish affect it? Where can I get the groovy pinky slide you are wearing? Great video. Thank you.
I tend to find spending about ten mins buffering the frets is quite a nice touch. :)
Great Video, Thank You for taking the time to make this, I am do a set up ( for the first time ever ) Fingers crossed.
if you use steel wool to clean frets you should deffentily tape up the fret board, and lighter fluid works real well to get rid of dirt on the fretboard too
Yes, but it dries out the wood, which can have disastrous consequences. It's just dirt, clean it with anything that doesn't affect bare wood.
Awesome video my friend ty for the valuable information I never thought I’d learn this from Steve Earle 👏👏👏👏👏
Be very, very, very , very , careful, says the guy with the splint on his finger.
He has lessons learned
Old credit card (instead of a razor) olive oil instead of of some fretboard conditioner,that’s been my method for years.
And being a electrical guy (or former electrical guy) I never ever have steel wool near my guitars,especially if it’s a pickup on it..
Scotch brite works for me.
I love the look of my ebony fingerboards when freshly oiled and deep black !!
I am pretty sure, this is the right way to clean a guitar (razor, steel wool and all). Im just not sure if I'm ready to do it on mine. This is very helpful though.
Exceptional explanation! Perfect video
I am so sure that you will find good way to make it on woodprix.
Nice to see that
One of my favorite things to do is stare at the freshly conditioned fretboard....😂
So clean, so shiny!
serious man dedication to take care of that
Take care of your instrument, and it will take care of you. If you need motivation, a guitar that's cared for only gains in value over time. Think of it as caring for your investment.
Got to say your channel is a great one you seem to know your stuff and seem like a really relatable kind of person. I was happy to subscribe 😉 keep it up
You can use plastic razor blades. Amazon has a bunch of them. I feel like they’ll do the same thing for the grime without the risk of damage.
Thank you for posting this video. It helped me a lot. I just want to make it all clear. Like you said, only apply lemon oil once or twice a year, I get that. So if I do a regular strings change and cleaning, which I do monthly, all I need to do is to follow the steps in this video except the lemon oil? Right?
Try a little bit of Boiled Linseed Oil to clean fretboard works great.
Wow my guitar is very shiny looking good. Thanks!
This awesome !!! I wonder where is that link for the diy 😊😊
Hey guys ... I learned this lesson the hard way... Taylor's expression system *not the latest piezo one* has a few magnetic components inside the body...
You're going to want to tape off the entire sound hole as well as get a new paintbrush solely to brush the steel particles off your entire guitar... And then remove the tape. Otherwise those particles end up in the body causing all kinds of static noise through your Output jack and it's a total pain in the A$$ to. Get that stuff completely out.
Love the show... Keep it coming.
Thanks for an excellent informative video. I was really hoping you would put the strings on and play some slide with the splint on your pinky. Oh well, maybe next time!
I have orange oil will that work as well as lemon oil? Also whats your thoughts on using a little beezwax on the fingerboard to make it smooth and shiny once its buffed up? I would think the wax would be good protection right? Also whats your thoughts on using a water based stain to revive faded rosewood and ebony finger boards? Lastly can you use a metal polish on the frets if you cover all the wood parts with painters tape? Sorry for all the questions cheers
can you do an episode on how to clean matte/ satin rosewood and richlite fongerboards, im kinda hesitant to put any cleaning solution on my martin. thanks!
Great stuff Tony. thanks. Love your reviews too.
I recently bought a beautiful gently used acoustic at an auction for my daughter. I didn't notice how gunky and clogged all the pores in the fretboard grain were until I took some flash photos of the guitar and happened to zoom in. It was like someone who never washed their skin in their life, really gross. It really bugged me, and being slightly OCD I guess, I ended up researching and trying all these same cleaning steps and more but none of it worked to clean out the pores themselves. Razor, #0000 steel wool, mild soap and toothbrush, nothing. So while the fretboard was slightly damp (I had made sure to use very little water or soap and towelled quickly) and drying I put on Netflix and literally went in with a straight pin and hyperfocus and picked every pore clean! It was frustrating yet satisfying, like squeezing blackheads lol. Then after a few days of letting it completely dry, I applied the MusicNomad F-One oil. The oil helped soften some of the stuff I didn't get out the first time so I picked a little more with the pin and called it good. Anyway, I know most probably wouldn't go that far, but I wanted her to look like new, and now she's clean, shiny and beautiful and sounds great, so I'm happy with the results of my labor and my daughter will be beyond thrilled. She taught herself to play bass years ago and now wants to learn guitar.
Nice video. Thx.Too bad about the pinky. May be you can slideplay with it. ÷D
awesome video, but a correction on your steal wool comment. NOT back and forth (3:54) but "up and down". great video. subscribed.
Is there any particular reason why the essential oil of choice in the fret board oil is lemon? Is it for the antimicrobial properties? Or is it for some action it has on the wood?
Thank you! I just bought a used acoustic guitar that is in desperate need of cleaning.
How about the inside? And bad smell inside an acoustic guitar? U should make a vid bout that.
Thanks for the help!
thanks man it really work so I subscribe, my guitar is so clean
no music or podcast, I play this video every time I do this :)
Just what I wanted.
How about open pore/satin care?
Thank you, very useful/helpful tips! Regards-John.
use a ceramic magnet to clean up the steel wool dust. Just avoid the electronics. Tack cloth after that.
Damn, now you made me look at my guitar .. and daaaamn, gotta give it THAT treatment now haha
Just use dry Magic eraser for not too dirty necks. Works as a charm.
I use the side of a medium pick, instead of a razor, to clean the fretboard.
Amazing! Thank you so much! Learned a lot!!!!
After I steel wooled the fret board, I used some Old English and it worked well.
Finger cast/mini slide?
I like how this dude cleaned the fretboard. However, I wouldn't have used a rag to clean off the steel wool "dust" from the body. I would've blown it off... and away from the soundhole.
OK! Beware using gafffer's tape on your older guitar and harware. It can still pull off finish and coating as it did on my Sunrise pickup on my Lowden after watching this video, giving my pup a "relic" look. Also, there are a few TH-cam videos posted warning about using steel wool.
Hi Tony,
Been Wathcing your reviews for years and always have enjoyed the way you present the instruments with your own honest opinion.
I noticed in this video that you have a splint on your finger. I broke my left ring finger about 6 weeks ago. The splint is off now still can't put alot of pressure on it. How long did your recovery take is it as it was before you injured it.
My pinky took about 6 weeks to recover. I actually busted the very last part of the bone, literally my fingertip, caught in a car door... Best of luck with your recovery, it will go quicker than you think :-)
when you use the conditioner, do you let it sit there for awhile and then wipe it down or wipe it down right after?
TY. It`s time to clean my guitar after 40 years :) (i am a drummer ).
The one thing you forgot to mention, which is pretty much a given, was the headstock. Nothing more of a pet peeve is seeing someone play a guitar with a super dusty and dirty headstock!! :)
"To clean your acoustic guitar, you'll first need to break your pinky on your left hand..."
Great video. Very informative
Lost me at the select-a-size plug. Any tips for removing smoke smell?
Once a year?!?! Its 7 for me! Woopsy! Thanks for the vid
Awesome Video! Thanks
0000 steel wool is best with a fretboard cleaner. No need for sharp things.
Not sure if you're even still seeing these comments, but seriously curious ...
why shouldn't we just leave the painter's tape on the guitar (including adding tape around the bridge) when using the 'conditioner' (really just lemon oil)?????
You certainly can leave the tape on the guitar to protect it from the conditioner if you wish :-)
Would you use the polish on an unfinished/matte body?
Can I maintain a maple fretboard acoustic guitar by the same procedures?
Is anything more (or less) required?