The Best Way to Clean Old Tolex Ever

[@skydemon02]

meguiars convertible top cleaner. You're welcome

[@newking70]

thanks

[@One979]

Hahahahhaha

[@jonr5886]

No doubt 😴

[@JmieYoutube]

Good lookin out thanks man

[@joshuafugate6496]

I waited 6 and a half minutes for that Billy Mays sales pitch 😂. Well done sir👍

[@thebassment1845]

That’s hilarious! 😂

[@paulie855]

Black liquid shoe polish gives 'like-new' results. It also covers scraped areas beautifully.

[@vociferonheraldofthewinter2284]

Now you've gone and made me think. I wonder if some clear kiwi would help with lighter colors... only one way to find out.

[@StephenFinkNRP]

Glad to find this video. I am getting ready to restore a 1964 Vox T60 Bass Cab.

[@thebassment1845]

Nice!!!

[@dwh3039]

Was just cleaning a Peavey Renown and wasn't happy with the results. Found your video and am heading out to get some Meguiar's. THANK YOU!

[@duster413]

Thanks for this. This stuff is inexpensive, readily available and does a fantastic job. Made my Ampeg look like new.

[@thebassment1845]

Awesome to hear!

[@geoffrees418]

This works like a charm and has renewed my 1973 Hiwatt SA212 50 watt combo which now looks fantastic. Thanks very much for the video :-)
Why 3 people have downvoted i cannot think...

[@rdmahurin]

Likely just accidental fat finger down votes. I've done myself in the past.

[@aviatorblc]

I'm a former Jeep Wrangler owner, had some of the Meguires Conv Top Cleaner left over so tried it on a guitar case a few years ago. Been using it ever since. Try a little vinyl top dressing over that - gives a nice sheen but it is rather temporary. Good to know someone has confirmed my discovery.

[@thebassment1845]

For sure! I find shoe polish of all things works really well after cleaning it thoroughly.

[@lynyrddeville]

I have an old 70's era Hiwatt 2x 15 out in the garage hat I've tried everything I could think of on, and it still looks like it got dropped in a mud bog and left to die. I'm hitting Canadian Tire tomorrow and grabbing me some of that magical elixir. I know they have a large selection of those type of products and carry that brand. Goodbye elbow grease, goodbye sweat, goodbye garage flooded by garden hose I forgot to shut off, hello ease,tranquility, and new looking Hiwatt, the perfect canvas to test my razor blade, straightedge and glue rip and tear transplant technique! Thanks for the tip, I do think it may work. Oh,and by the way, every Canadian kid of a certain era, played through Traynor or Garnet stuff for a long time while having visions of Marshalls in our dreams, not realizing that sometimes what you got is pretty damn epic.

[@thebassment1845]

You are right about dreaming about the gear you wish you had, then later realizing some of the stuff you had early on was actually awesome and you tweak the new gear to sound like your old stuff lol. One point I would make is that the brush I used was just as important in getting those results as the product maybe even more important. I just used a kiwi shoe polish brush which seems to be made of natural horse hair and is really soft. Be sure to use something similar. The next episode in the series I actually applied black shoe polish to the cab to even out the color and that worked awesome as well.

[@fraaaaaaaaay]

@@thebassment1845 Would you say the finished look has held up? Did the convertible cleaner or shoe polish leave a noticeable residue when you touch it?

[@stupidusernameidk]

Just used this on a filthy head cab and it looks practically new again. Thanks for the tip!

[@stevelynch7095]

Searched for cleaning tolex (Fender Deluxe) and this came up...thanks 🤘

[@karst41]

Meguires or Lexol leather Cleaner Conditioner is great for tolex. I use it on all my vintage and modern amps. Leaves correct Sheen, and conditions the Tolex

[@fifteen8]

I knew it was going to be something Meguiars. Thanks a lot for showing this. Gonna watch your other vids on next steps and hopefully final protective coating.

[@grunpastur]

Dang man, that is slick! I've tried other cleaners, but never get the junk out of the tiny crevices in Tolex, always that white dust that sticks. I've got some amps to sell and I am for sure going to try this out! Thank you for demonstrating just how effective this is! I'm sure the brush helps with getting the junk out of the crevices.

[@thebassment1845]

The brush is a big part of it. If you have any small scuffs or discoloration I’ve found that shoe polish works really really well.

[@ronaldrichardson9038]

⁠@@thebassment1845dude that ❤❤ vs no this rickdlet’s

[@ronaldrichardson9038]

that’s fucking brilliant …..

[@billherbert4961]

I'm restoring a 1989 Peavey Rage 12watt that recently came to me for free. Yeah, dare to dream! That said, it's kinda nostalgic for me...one of the amps knocking around that I came up with long ago. This '89 Rage was stored under a house for decades but works great after a single spray of De-Ox in 3 pots. IT WAS FILTHY inside and out. But not mouldy which is weird where I live. Dampest New Zealand. The tolex is super high-relief and dirt was stuck in deep. The peaks came clean and black, but the valleys didn't. Had it all taken apart so decided to just paint it. Sanded the top down to half relief to prevent future troublesome cleaning. Used a good filler primer too and that also tamed the topography of the gnarly tolex's gnarls. It's now on the turquoise side of SeaFoam Green, close as I could get in Rustoleum. Metal corner guards are Ivory. It was time consuming to remove the powdercoating on those pieces. Powdercoat react badly with the paint when I tested it and the pieces were surface rusted too. All is topcoated in gloss. Screws are gold and a new silver and black Fender type grill cloth. Was after grill cloth with teal in it but that was $167NZD. Got an off-cut for $25 instead. It looks like a Tone King...but alas, it still sounds like a Peavey. Actually it sounds great for what it is and it's super loud for 12 watts. Not replacing my big twin though. I have a Line 6 practice amp that was my travel amp, but this one is a head turner. And it takes my Fuzz pedal nicely. Haven't tried any others yet. Cheap and cheerful. Love it.

[@thebassment1845]

I bet that thing looks great. I had a late 70’s Peavey Mk III for my first real head. Sounded good, but didn’t have the power to keep up with a drummer in the rehearsal space. If ever find a good deal on a 2 channel Mk IV head I may grab it for the nostalgia.

[@mr.anderson70]

Simple Green and a brush is also a win.

[@Musicalmane]

Thats what I use because it is cheap its like $2 a bottle

[@1thess523]

I knew it was some kind of car cleaner by the shape of the bottle 👍, I have two Marshall heads that could use a good cleaning so thanks for the video 👌

[@jxscene760]

Awesome just picked up a used orange 2x12 and wanted to give her nice clean as soon as it gets in so this is helpful!

[@curtiseverett1671]

hahaha I thought it was Meguiar's bottle!!!! Thanks for such a great tip and great video!!!!! When you first started swirling with the brush, I thought it looked like a bunch of tires haha

[@JoshTolbertUrbana]

Couldn't find the stuff used in this video locally...Ended up trying Mothers VLR. Seems to work just as well! Thanks for the idea.

[@condit79]

Convertible top cleaner for anyone that doesn’t want to watch the whole video to get the product info.

[@joeyvanostrand3655]

I use Meguire's for a lot of finish repair, polishing and buffing of guitar finishes. Some of their polishing compounds are so gentle they can be used on nitrocellulose, with a gentle hand of course. They make great stuff!

[@thebassment1845]

Totally agree!

[@Ratchet2]

Going to give this a try on my old Carvin tube amp. Thanks!

[@NoOne-sn2si]

I have used Dawn detergent and a lot of elbow grease which you can get away with if the cab is actual wood. Don't even think about it if it's a MDF cab though!
I like your way better! Faster, does a more thorough job... I can't wait to try it out.
Thanks for the video!

[@joshshadowens3634]

Holy shit man! This is amazing! I just picked up an esrly 90s peavey and been trying to clean it with no luck. More people need to know about this!!

[@thebassment1845]

Josh Shadowens thanks man! Share it my channel is tiny lol

[@jajahbingsu]

Cool thanks for sharing!

[@jaredini]

I cleaned my Rhodes (1980, like you it's a year younger than me lol) with a nailbrush and soapy water (washing up liquid) then polished it with silicone spray.

[@thebassment1845]

I bet that worked well also.

[@rspratt]

Thanks for this. I've just ordered some off the back of your recommendation. I shall report back...

[@MrPvinny77]

Thanks dude. This stuff really works.

[@Echo_III]

Just ordered it after watching the video. I have two 70s cab and old amp with stains. We will see how it goes! :))

[@thebassment1845]

Shoe polish is a great finishing step if you have any discoloration that needs to be concealed.

[@Echo_III]

@@thebassment1845 That's funny :D I bought a cabinet with shoe (black) polish all over it and now whenever I touch the tolex I have black hands.

[@JH-nl6bp]

I did it with some Mr. Clean multipurpose cleaner. Worked the same.

[@vociferonheraldofthewinter2284]

Very cool, kid. Now let me share with the class my little housewife's trick. Use Meguiar's Hot Rims Wheel Cleaner to degrease your stovetop, cabinets, backsplash, and vent hood. NOTHING takes off kitchen grease like this stuff does. I've use it to clean old cabinets to prep for paint and it got off decades of grunge.
DO NOT LET IT SIT MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES ON STAINLESS STEEL. It will cloud the finish and nothing you do will bring it back. Thankfully, I discovered this on a brand new, but only $140 stove vent and not my $4000 zline stove or my expensive stainless all refrigerator. I sprayed it on, went to take a break, got distracted, and forgot about it for an hour.
But it cleans up my enamel stovetop wonderfully. To return the shine to factory new, rub on the thinnest, lightest coat of Vaseline on the cleaned surface. With those two products, your stove will look brand new for decades. The Meguiar's hasn't hurt my enamel cabinet paint or the poly finish of my wood countertops one bit.
Now I'm motivated to dig through the car cleaning section for more products that actually WORK. The EPA has destroyed all of our cleaning products over the years and nothing in the home aisle is worth spit anymore.
Oh, and find some TSP powder to your dishwasher (1 teaspoon) and your laundry loads (no more than 1 tablespoon). Thank me later. This is the primary reason cleaning products don't work anymore. You can find it in the hardware dept of Walmart or the big box hardware stores.

[@TheGodlessGuitarist]

I've just been given a dusty old Marshall, I tried floor cleaner and a tooth brush which did almost nothing. I then tried some carpet cleaner I found under the sink. That worked really well and on the grill cloth too.

[@jasonhudson73]

How do you clean grill cloth and not tear it up?

[@TheGodlessGuitarist]

@@jasonhudson73 brush gently then vacuum. Then soft brush or wipe with a cloth wetted with a soap or carpet cleaner. Wipe off with clean damp cloth then wait for it to dry and repeat the whole thing.

[@kingmafw]

Great tip! thank you!

[@thebassment1845]

Glad it was helpful!

[@keyboardtek]

I just cleaned a 1960 era Marshall amp cabinet. After using a household cleaner and a brush to remove the dirt in the valleys of the textured Tolex, it still looked like there was some grime left. I think it was because the cleaner was drying out the vinyl. I sprayed WD-40 on it and the oils in it restored the Tolex to a nice deep black hue. I wonder if it will last. I also wonder if other care vinyl cleaning products like Armor All would work as well as what you used.

[@kartman74usa]

Hey man thanks a lot, nice songs either, go irish, best from Mex.

[@michaelcraig9449]

Irish music rules! Rory Gallagher is the greatest for sure!

[@troyredford149]

Nice. I've been using dashboard cleaner but didn't think about that.

[@adamcumbers232]

Thanks dude, this is exactly what I was looking for, great vid.. subscribed. 👍🏻

[@thebassment1845]

Adam Cumbers thanks man! I’ve since learned using like colored shoe polish afterward really helps to blend any variations in the color and sheen.

[@antifeds]

Great tip. Thanks!

[@topcturvee1]

Thank you for sharing this amazing video!!!!!!!

[@Catfish2255]

STP vinyl cleaner works great..Always use a wet warm micro to remove dirt after till rag is clean.

[@ER-yq1lc]

That stuff works great! I would say don't use armour all but use Mother's VLR instead, it doesn't make it all shiny and conditions things as well.

[@johannbach1903]

I figured some sort of automobile dash cleaner would be optimal. Works great with any style product.

Damn!!! I'm going to try that cleaner on my used Fender Super Sonic 100 watt head! Thank you!!

[@edgarr8339]

I use Mcguiers & Mother'z car vinyl & leather cleaner. Good for both plastic, rubber, and safe for colored vinyl or leathers. Use it on my Jordan sneakers and boots too!

[@paulorr7471]

Brian - for tears, I have found that using black jig paint found in fishing stores works great. It is like a rubberized paint. Fills deep scratches and looks like Tolex. last time I bought it, I had to get it thru Bass Pro Shops (or was it Cabellas?) using mail order.

[@thebassment1845]

I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks man!

[@timbuerkle3447]

Jig paint is a great idea. Tried it and it looks great. It did take several coats on the white damaged spots. The bottle recommends priming with white first. Unfortunately my Cabellas is 2 hrs away so I just used the black.

[@lousekoya1803]

Thanks man !!.............Awesome trick !

[@stephensmith799]

‘You missed a bit’ 😀😉

[@rustywidebottom4678]

Dude! Thank you!

[@michaelg6555]

5 years later does this hold up? I have an 80s JCM 800 I'd love to look new again.

[@thebassment1845]

Held up like a champ! Still have to wipe it down every so often to keep it clean and maintain it.

[@GlennMarshallRocks]

Excellent information...! Which of the armor all products would you recommend to give it a bit of a shine?

[@thebassment1845]

Believe it or not… I like kiwi shoe polish for that actually.

[@marlowe7]

yeah this is the best way! thank you!!11

[@bassmusicman2034]

Thanks gotta get some of that…

[@DisabilityExams]

I have a '74 Traynor YBA-1 Custom Special

[@zaz4667]

awesome!

[@whiskeyhangover1438]

I would wear gloves as a precaution. There might be some chemicals that could be caustic. Otherwise great video! Thanks for sharing.

[@markpennington5763]

A wet vac helps immensely for the initial pickup. Or if you have one..L ittle green machine

[@patrickhoglund192]

one clean HIWATT head ... thanks!

[@MineralVW]

when I saw the bottle, I knew immediately that it was meguiar's. ;)

[@randyheath8566]

I use Saddle Soap and it works well

[@davidenoch818]

Off topic question. Were you ever in any Aaron's Training Videos??

[@thebassment1845]

Maybe

[@redsix49]

Gr8 vid here ... I have a 1974 Peavey Classic 4x10 that I bought back in 76 when I was 14...yay... I hauled this heavy mutha everywhere back then. This baby has Never failed me and still cranks...But Now its time to clean it up... Nothing like a 45 year old drink stain down the left front... Everything is original and hope I can make it look like its new or close to it. Can u help me find out what speakers I have or where to look ...I believe they are Scorpions (101610C 67 7403) all 4 are marked the same... TY 4 the Video man.... Meguiars at it again... Gr8 Idea

[@thebassment1845]

Let me see what I can find…

[@redsix49]

@@thebassment1845 Thank you Very much & much appreciated

[@RSchannel777]

6:33 finally reveals McGuire's convertible top cleaner

[@prohib8707]

Spray on and rub it with Lexol vinalex protectant to finish it with nice shine

[@jltrem]

I have a '64 Blackface Champ that's Tolex looked worse than that Traynor. After numerous applications of Howard's Feed-N-Wax it looks nearly new. Smells great, too.

[@RobertNolan]

Well, I'm impressed!
I've got a '68 bassman and cab that might need this. How has the tolex held up since?

[@thebassment1845]

Robert Nolan so far so good. I have since applied some black shoe polish to it an buffed it out to blend in some of the small scratches and the 2 techniques combined are fantastic!

[@carlossalazar4508]

I get using the tape to cover the label but the comments give it away!!

[@Darrin.Crawford]

So besides the great cleaning job, what's the best way to remove and/or lighten up scratches and scuffs on the tolex?? Thanks in advance.

[@thebassment1845]

I am a big fan of shoe polish for that.

[@indiandave1642]

HAD A BAD HOUSE FIRE...GONNA TRY THIS ON MY MARSHALL AMP..THAT SMOKE STUFF IS HARD TO GET OFF

[@riffafrank]

Thanks man but I think there's to much chemical in meguiar's. I will try Murphy's soap oil.

[@bubupianisimo]

I cleaned a 1962 Vox Essex amp. Got the dirt from the tolex grooves real good, but it left behind a terrible white ashy finish. Not sure if it was the Meguiars or if that was underneath the grime. Any suggestions?

[@thebassment1845]

Not sure about the ashy finish. It could be abrasions on the tolex or something like that. I don’t think the cleaner would be the cause. I would use shoe polish on it to give it a consistent finish and add protection. I did that with mine and it works amazing when done correctly.

[@bubupianisimo]

@@thebassment1845 UPDATE: I did use shoe polish but only on the off colored scuffs. Once the amp was clean and ashy I applied leather cleaner/conditioner. Restored about 80% shine. Then I put some Back to Black car trim restoring liquid. Now everything is even and rich deep black shine. No one would guess this amp is from the 60s, it looks MINT! Thank you

[@MrWesWeston]

do you think I can use this on my 1986 Kramer Guitar case? It looks like similar to the Tolex

[@thebassment1845]

I think so. I’m assuming it’s a hard shell plastic case?

[@tomh4244]

I think i should try this on a used Mesa 4x12 White tolex i'm getting, but one question, why this one and not Meguiar's Gold Leather and Vinyl cleaner? Wouldn't it be more appropriate (since Vinyl = Tolex) or why specifically the one you chose there? Thanks a lot :D

[@thebassment1845]

Well I was cleaning the soft top on my Jeep when the idea came to me, so I used what I had. I think the soft bristle brush that I used is a key ingredient as well. The leather and vinyl cleaner you mentioned will likely work as well. For me I figured the vinyl top cleaner was probably formulated just aggressive enough to remove more than 40 years of funk from it.

[@ChuckLopez]

Thanks a lot! Does this works equally on other colored tolex? mine is brown

[@thebassment1845]

Chuck Lopez haven’t tried brown yet but I can’t think of any reason it wouldn’t work.

[@cdefeciani]

how toxic are the fumes?

[@thebassment1845]

Of the McGuire’s? Not any at all…

[@tomdriessen3409]

Would you also consider this on old “elephant skin” like marshall tolex which is a bit more hard plastic-ish compared to flexible tolex?

[@thebassment1845]

Probably not as deeply embossed as the elephant skin. The cleaner combined with a natural horse hair style soft bristle brush like what come with a shoe shine kit should do the trick though.

[@drewhosty242]

I’m going to take a wild guess before this video is done and say that is some sort of car cleaning product

[@thebassment1845]

Welp you weren’t wrong...

[@GoldenGateNum9]

*Now show me sand a floor.. SHOW!, =) thanks guy, it's just common sense now isn't it. I'm gonna try using this on my red Laney cab but I think it might need a new paint job, curious to see how far this will take her though. Thanks again, & good playing.*

[@TKDFORCEART]

Nice ass on the pic ngl

[@kerranz]

Use 303 Aerospace Spray after cleaning, not Armor All, which will go brown or whiteish.

[@thebassment1845]

I actually hit it with the old black shoe polish trick. It keep the color perfect and it’s easier to keep clean now also.

[@SparkyGoldsmith]

Vinyl cleaner on vinyl? NO WAY!!! LOL!!

[@thebassment1845]

I know right?! That’s just crazy!

[@sidewaysrain7609]

Before you begin vinegar and water

[@thebassment1845]

I’ll have to try that…

[@rone6558]

ever try a cleaner called Purple Power?

[@thebassment1845]

Khunt Licker not on tolex yet.

[@Floodland-bn3ol]

6:33

[@rogerbaker5112]

You deserve that 100 to 0 "like" ratio... Wow!

[@thebassment1845]

Roger Baker thank you sir!

[@okiecowpokey]

Use car wax to buff it up!

[@Simple5.0]

I kinda like my half stack looking like sh!t.

[@thebassment1845]

That’s more than valid too.

[@mrmeme-jq6qr]

Wow I know water don’t work

[@matthewnations1564]

Who else just scrolled to the end to see what it was? ?

[@thebassment1845]

🤣🤣🤣

[@buckinghambazoni]

Armor All ???

[@thebassment1845]

Armor All is fine after a good cleaning. I prefer shoe polish actually over armor all though.

[@pensive_]

Tried this product on four old amps I have from the 70s/80s when I saw this video. Not working at all, waste of money. Water and soap and a brush worked exactly the same. Only works a bit on smooth Tolex as he does here - that's all
Not working at all on Blonde/black 70's Marshall and Fender Tolex. waste of time info - sorry.
Tried it on 3 large Ampeg isovent cabinets. It actually got worse! I washed it all off again and just used water and Dove Dishwashing soap which was much better.
Wished it worked, but completely wasted my money. Only works a bit on smooth surfaces.
Dont waste yours.

[@thebassment1845]

Interesting… I’m sorry you didn’t get the same results that I did. The soft bristle shoe polishing brush I used I believe is a large part of how I got the results that I got as well.

[@pensive_]

@@thebassment1845 Meguiar's left white deposits on deeply furrowed tolex like Marshall fender and ampeg. Especially when I used a brush. I first thought that it will go away, as there is no way to get the white foam out of the grooves after brushing. It dries with white deposits. It was especially clear when I used it on the Ampeg Isovent cabs. I have 3 of them. The most dirty one came out cleanest with just water and dove soap and the McGuire's left a white deposit in the furrows which made it even worse. You have to wash it out with water and soap which defeats the purpose. I made videos of it and have two of the isovents with me of which I still have to redo the one that I didnt get to remove the Meguiar's yet which now has white deposits. A lot of washing with water and Dove soap gets them black again, so at least it is reversible. Unfortunately I think the ammonia used in Meguiar's reacts with the white fender tolex as used in vintage Fender amps. The ammonia seems to turn the white tolex yellowish.
As I said, I definitely see that it can work well on smooth non-deeply-furrowed BLACK tolex, but the trouble starts on vintage deeply furrowed tolex and I am particularly worried using any cleaner with ammonia in it on old plastics and definitely not on blonde tolex of any sort.
Meguiars certainly smells very strong of ammonia, but I am not sure if it is listed to contain it.
It is easy to cherry pick anything from the internet to validate anyone's point, but the followiong seemed to be what happened to my old tolex:
Quote "Many of the other cleaners *remove* plasticizers - including all soap-type or ammonia-based cleaners - and will stiffen and eventually ruin tolex. "
That might be why my older tolex seems to be damaged by the ammonia as it already lost plasticity due to age and the ammonia basically cleans, but also ages the tolex immediately.

[@MLEMM49]

Oö