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Cleaning your guitar

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(@ezraplaysezra)
Honorable Member
Joined: 12 years ago
Posts: 484
 

Huge point there TR. Wash your hands!!! I am a fanatical hand washer - but the key to killing strings is the grit and grime from your hands. I mentioned I use baby powder to keep my hands dry which I sure decreases the life of my strings but I'm sure the once or twice a year guys would benefit from hand washing and also removing the strings and boiling them. That's an old EVH trick I remember reading about in my youth. Who knows?
But I'm forming a theory about this settling in thing that people are talking bout. Perhaps, new strings for many people are to harsh and sensitive and they prefer a little breaking in, as I prefer the unbroken feel. Because it is more feel than sound to me, though sound is a factor. Some people like a super sharp pencil, I hate fresh hair cuts (from what I remember) and my wife needs a cup of coffee before she brushes her teeth and can't even bare the thought of such a thing.


   
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(@trguitar)
Famed Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3709
 

Not that it wouldn't be discusting to play after eating Cheetos or changing the oil in your car, but the natural oils in your hands are corrosive. Sweat isn't the best but it's hard to stop that from happening. A quick hand wash gets rid of these oils and a variety of bacteria. Forgive my hand washing soap box but I am a nurse. You would be scared by what is on peoples hands. Give some fret jam a snif test some time. Mmmmmmm fine cheese! Yes ... everything nice and clean .... (TR gets a demented look on his face) This is my guitar! There are many like it but this one is mine! Without me, my guitar is useless. Without my guitar, I am useless!

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --


   
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(@ezraplaysezra)
Honorable Member
Joined: 12 years ago
Posts: 484
 

One thing I want to mention. Its kind of funny that this is a post about cleaning your guitar and I garnered so much attention from my constant string changing. I wonder if some of you aren't driving freshly waxed cars with bald tires. Smiley thing. Not a criticism, I just thought it was strange that there was so much conversation around something that has nothing to do with the performance of the instrument and bewilderment about obsessing over the primary physical connection between the player and the instrument.
I hope none of you are those lowly sods who show up with crackling pots, static riddled cords, one pick that you can't locate, no tuner and no replacement strings. If you are one of those guys, take your shiny guitar and hang it on the wall. Nothing is worse than spending precious time sorting some unprepared nimrod's technical issues. It disrespectful. It's doubly disrespectful if said nimrod is wielding a finely polished piece of furniture. Aggravated smiley thing. I play with a guy now and then who plays a stagg telecaster through a cheap solid state amp and never changes his strings and never cleans his guitar, but he is one of the best I have ever played with and always comes ready to rock. Professional results come from professional ethic, not professional equipment. A solid player ready to gig is much more useful than a virtuoso who aint anyday. The next time your polishing your guitar ask yourself "is this the best use of the time I'm spending holding this thing?" If the answer is Yes, congratulations! Now, hire someone to do it for you while you're juggling groupies.


   
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(@trguitar)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3709
 

I agree. My guitars have a variety of fingerprints, most have a collection of dust on the head stock and around the pickups and bridge. The strings, board, neck and that spot where my forearm rests on the body are clean though. My pots are smooth, action is measured and identical on all guitars of like models and tuners that require such are lubed. Intonation is on and neck relief is again constant on like models. (You can't set a Strat and a Les Paul up the same way) My pedals are dust covered as is my amp. They all work though.

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --


   
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(@imalone)
Reputable Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 267
 

I suppose I'm somewhere in the middle, changing the strings is an opportunity to give the whole thing a clean, a good rub with a dusting cloth for the poly-finished (I think) electric, Pledge for the acoustic, dry cloth (or meths) for tuner heads (maybe not for a nice guitar that you don't want to risk getting alcohol on), fretboard oiled. I do like the sound of fresh strings, but the amount I play changing them daily would be crazy. On the other hand I find uncoated tarnish really quickly and I don't like the feel of that, so I do use coated ones, probably not to the taste of everyone and pointless if you get through them quickly. Always a couple of spare sets around though. (No idea how many picks... I seem to keep finding them at the minute.)


   
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(@holmes)
New Member
Joined: 12 years ago
Posts: 1
 

But does it hurt to bend your strings while you're trying to wipe the dust under them and you don't want to replace them? I kind of like the sound it gets when they loosen up rather than the crisp "new-string" sound.


   
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(@minorkey)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 196
 

ism, I just thought it was strange that there was so much conversation around something that has nothing to do with the performance of the instrument
:wink:
I would argue that cleaning the strings is very much a part of a guitar's performance! And how do you afford to change your strings every two hours! Thats just ridiculous! Lottery winner?

If I go blind guide me. If I go deaf shoot me
http://mymusictree.blogspot.co.uk


   
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(@ezraplaysezra)
Honorable Member
Joined: 12 years ago
Posts: 484
 

I suppose I am kind of a lottery winner. But I don't change them every two hours. I don't have an alarm set or anything. I change them every two hours while I'm performing either in the studio or live or rehearsing. I really don't play that much either, I have a newborn and I'm doing a home renovation. I really don't play much between gigs. But last summer I was doing two or three sessions a week and at least two gigs. So probably 10-15 sets of strings but still less money than a 30 rack of beer and I was being paid for gigs. I mentioned before I buy loose strings in bulk so the cost of a set averages like $.40/ string. So I don't pay for packaging or brand names or gimmick, why would I, they only spend a couple hours on my guitar. I spend far less on strings than I do for an hour in the studio and think of it this way, If your traveling more than twenty minute to get to a gig chances are I'm spending less on strings than fuel.


   
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(@minorkey)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 196
 

Ah well you'll be getting money from the gigs to pay for strings then! I couldn't afford to buy strings that often, and as I only play at home I don't need to. If it were necessary to change em that often I probably wouldnt have a guitar! It would be cheaper for me to buy film for my film camera than buy new strings like that!

If I go blind guide me. If I go deaf shoot me
http://mymusictree.blogspot.co.uk


   
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