Care and feeding of my guitar

Hi,

IMO the biggest advantage of any oil or other similar guitar product is that is gives folks who like fussing around with their stuff something to play with. :P

One of my guitars is 35 years old and has never had anything applied to it. Nor has it ever needed it. An occasional clean of the neck during string changes has been sufficent. I don't have any trouble sliding my fingers up and down the neck, and so far the wood has never looked dry or starved of oils.

As Ric says, if you do use something then enjoy yourself, but don't overuse it and wipe most of it off again.

Cheers,

Chris

Care and feeding of a guitar?

Care......Whisper gently to it....treat it like you would the love of your life.

Feeding.....I recommend lots of Stones and Creedence riffs, my Tele and Squier Tele seem to thrive on those. Of course, different guitars need different feeding - for an SG, Black Sabbath and AC/DC riffs will impart a healthy glow...for an LP, try some Paul Kossof or Santana lead lines and your sunburst will be brighter than any sun. Strat? I recommend a healthy dose of Gilmour, or if you're feeling inclined, alittle hendrix.....

As Pete Townshend once said, "I don't have a love affair with the guitar, I don't sit and polish it till I can see my face in it... I take it on stage and knock seven bells out of it."

Guitars are made to be played loud, hammer those strings and hit them hard - that's rock'n'roll!

Oh - and treat it to a little slide now and then!

:D :D :D

Vic

Oh - and treat it to a little slide now and then!
Most definitely! :D

Hi Ken :D

I (wood) have to agree with what Ric says.

I like olive oil too.
I'm a bit of a naturalist myself.
If you go with olive oil - don't get the dark extra virgin.
Go with a lighter type.
It will have less of a scent, and will be cheaper.

Also - DO NOT saturate the fretboard.
It will sweat oil for an eternity!
Use a very light amount.

And, as the resident tone freak :mrgreen: ,
I feel it is my duty to inform you that using oil on your rosewood board will alter the tone.
The dryer it is, the 'snappier' the sound.
The oilier it is, the duller the sound.

Tung oil will seal your rosewood board.
You don't want to do that.
Rosewood and Ebony boards are unfinished.

Maple boards are finished.
Oil will do nothing for them, they need a good polish.

Ken

That's exactly what I needed to hear, CitizenNoir. Thanks.
OK, no feeding the fretboard for me.
I do wipe it off with the moist towelettes though. . . . these wetnap type things (you know the ones that are similar to the packaged wet paper towels they give you in restaurants when you are eating ribs and get your fingers covered in rib sauce).
BTW, what's the story on your screenname CitizenNoir? (Isn't Noir french for night?)

Keeping my guitar lean, happy and snappy,
Ken

There are other factors to consider as well. I live way up north and in the winter with the furnace running constantly in below zero weather it gets mighty dry in the house. I run a humidifier, but my guitars do get very dried out. I treat my boards, but only ocasionally, maybe once a year if that and I wipe of all the excess. I only want what soaks in, I don't want there to be any left on the surface. Lack of humidity is probably not an issue in Miami though is it? :lol:

As Pete Townshend once said, "I don't have a love affair with the guitar, I don't sit and polish it till I can see my face in it... I take it on stage and knock seven bells out of it."

LOL, I wonder what he does to his dog if he owns one?
God help his wife. LOL

But, yeh, I get the concept.

Pondering my future sado-masochistic relationship with my guitar,
Ken

I do wipe it off with the moist towelettes though. . . . these wetnap type things (you know the ones that are similar to the packaged wet paper towels they give you in restaurants when you are eating ribs and get your fingers covered in rib sauce).
Those are alcohol wipes. They will do a good job of cleaning but they will dry out the wood.
BTW, what's the story on your screenname CitizenNoir? (Isn't Noir french for night?)
'Noir' is French for ''black'. The name 'CitizenNoir' is reminiscent of the phrase 'Cinema Noir' or 'Film Noir' used for dark, often depressing, morally ambiguous crime movies of the 40's and 50's.

BTW, what's the story on your screenname CitizenNoir? (Isn't Noir french for night?)
'Noir' is French for ''black'. The name 'CitizenNoir' is reminiscent of the phrase 'Cinema Noir' or 'Film Noir' used for dark, often depressing, morally ambiguous crime movies of the 40's and 50's.

BRAVO! 8)

Yes Yes!

I'm big on film noir's.
And Citizen Kane (not noir, though set the standard for noir's mise en scene) is one of my favorite movies.

I'm also into eastern thought, and philosophy in general.

I have a history of working 2nd or 3rd shifts, and when in my 20's practically lived in a 4am bar.
So, CitizenNoir means.... Native of the Night/Dweller of Darkness.

And yes, I have been accused of being a vampire MANY times :mrgreen:

Ken

Review the article at http://songwriter101.com/articles/2938_0_6_0_M/ for more tips on Guitar care and feeding.

-diatonick

If you've got ear problems it can come in handy. :lol:

Here's another care and feeding tip....

Be careful with colognes/perfumes, sunscreens and especially insect repellent against the finish of your guitar. :mrgreen:

I once ruined a coffee table by resting my legs, which had earlier been sprayed with Cutter insect repellant, on it. I tried refinishing it, but couldn't get the polyurethane to adhere. Terrible "fisheye."