Best Guitar cleaner for my '74 deluxe?

[74Evan]

My guitar is very dirty and is in good need of a cleaning. and i mean the fret board, frets... everything. I was gonna go to guitar center today to pick up a Dunlop Formula 65 guitar maintenance kit. Is this a good cleaner to use for my norlin era Les Paul? Will it ruin the nitro finish on it at all? Anybody got any experience with this cleaner? I don't want to ruin my nice LP. and on the back of my neck, there are spots where the nitro finish got chipped off. If I put cleaner over those spots where the bare wood is will it ruing the wood at all? (spots are very small)

[RobinOC]

You can always write ti Dunlop Customer Service and ask them for advice.

[HOT-BRIT]

lighter fluid for the fretboard grunge. steel wool for the frets, Maestro cleaner and polish for the lacquer

[74Evan]

what about the spots where the finish is gone?

[AXE]

The lighter fluid won't hurt a thing.

[Progrocker111]

Originally Posted by 74Evan

I was gonna go to guitar center today to pick up a Dunlop Formula 65 guitar maintenance kit. Is this a good cleaner to use for my norlin era Les Paul? Will it ruin the nitro finish on it at all? Anybody got any experience with this cleaner?

I have had bad experience with this cleaner. Not very effective, leaves milky stains over the old sweat and gunk on the guitar. The carnauba wax is nice in the kit, but it adds some kinda protective film. Better try Gibson products or Virtuoso products.

[Stromgitarrenspieler]

Don't know if available in the U.S.

Viol Cleaning Fluid - Thomann UK Cyberstore

Doesn't damage the nitro, works great

[74Evan]

So will the dunlop hurt the finish? And I heard the milky spots just need to be worked out more

[Ace Warslave]

Dr dux i think thats how its spelled dam good stuff...

[Ace Warslave]

I have the dunlop stuff to the drdux is way better...

[74Evan]

Do they sell it at guitar center?

[Ace Warslave]

You can buy on ebay.. dont know about guitar centre..

[Who]

What's wrong with not cleaning it at all? More harm is done to these things by "cleaning" them, than there is by just letting them be.

You are not this guitar's "owner", you are merely the most recent caretaker, and the maintenance you do on it is more for the benefit of the next caretakers, than it is for you.

[HOT-BRIT]

You wont do better than maestro

[Progrocker111]

Originally Posted by 74Evan

So will the dunlop hurt the finish? And I heard the milky spots just need to be worked out more

I dont know, cause i didnt use it anymore after this attempt on my 71 Les Paul Custom.

[Progrocker111]

Originally Posted by Who

What's wrong with not cleaning it at all? More harm is done to these things by "cleaning" them, than there is by just letting them be.

My point of view too.

[74Evan]

Can I see a picture of the milky spot?

[Blind_Possum_Chitlin]

I use Lemon Pledge to clean the guitars I buy that are grungy. Use a tooth brush for the fret board and wipe with a nice clean cotton cloth. You will have to do it a few times, depending on how bad the grime is on the guitar.

Afterwards, I use lemon oil on the fret board or Johnson's paste wax. Been doing it this way for 30 years and it has worked for me.

Then, wipe your guitar down everytime you are finished with it, including the strings. Also Peavey guitar polish is great once the guitar is squeaky clean. It leaves a good film behind, protecting the finish and makes wipe downs easier and less frequent.

Lighter fluid...I do not recommend. I tried that on a LP special I bought, because my arm sweat reacted with whatever paint finish was on that guitar? It was dull and the Lemon Pledge was not enough. Lighter fluid made it worse and I thought I had ruined the finish. I got some Maguires scratchX and started polishing. It came back (whew!). Then I kept the Peavey polish on it a little heavier in that area and applied more often on that particular LP. Black paint was the color. I will never buy another black Les Paul. Shows too many smudges.

[tom1965]

I read a lot about virtuoso stuff on here , check it out !

[John Vasco]

Once you've got all the shit off, lemon oil for the fingerboard and Turtle wax for the body and neck.

[ant_riv]

Be careful not to smoke when you use the lighter fluid!

Or if you are going to smoke, remember to film it. Who knows, your video may go viral as LP 2012 version of Jimi Hendrix!

[79standard]

Lighter fluid: Hey, it was good enough for Jimi Hendrix... um... no, wait...

[retrobob]

+1 on the lemon oil for a rosewood or ebony board.

[HOT-BRIT]

Originally Posted by retrobob

+1 on the lemon oil for a rosewood or ebony board.

to condition it but not to clean it

[John Vasco]

Originally Posted by HOT-BRIT

to condition it but not to clean it

That's what I said: "Once you've got all the shit off..."

[retrobob]

Originally Posted by HOT-BRIT

to condition it but not to clean it

Yup. Use after cleaning. Keeps your board nice. Also prevents cracking.

[79standard]

There's a lot of products called "lemon oil" out there, and a lot of them have never seen a lemon. IMO the very best bet for conditioning a fretboard is Fret Doctor. It's great for raw maple necks, too (the whole neck), in case any of you dabble in Fender-style guitars. I won't go near any of my fretboards with anything else.

[Ambrola]

Nothing will clean a guitar as good as Turtle Wax! Rub on, rub off! It has Carnuba Wax in it, and will get all the smoke a junk off. If you realy want to do the fretboard right, scrape it with a razor blade, and then restain with Old English. Now you know my secrets.

[74Evan]

Just used the dunlop stuff and the finish and fretboard is amazing!!!! so smooth and easy to play now I can't put it down!!! The burst looks like something god made it's soooooo sexy to look at especially when the right lighting hits it. I recomdend this cleaner to anyones LP.

[scottyk]

Guitar Scratch Remover Home
Used it personally on an old 71 Custom I had, worked fabulous!