Few questions about finishes and care of guitars

[67mike]

Hey Guys:

 

 

First question: Is the finish on our Heritage Guiatars is Nitrocellulose Lacquer?

 

Secondly, what is everyone's recommendation on :

 

1) Guitar polish

 

2) Fretboard Conditioners

 

 

Thanks

[jrfreed]

Yep the finish is nitro. BEWARE of leaving your guitar on rubber stands etc as they will eat the finish!!

 

I use the Gibson guitar polish every once and awhile...spray it on one of those soft yellow cloths they sell the guitar shop and wipe it down to remove fingerprints and dust.

 

Additionially I'll use Peavey fingerboard conditioner (i think its lemon oil) every other string change or so. But only when the board is looking a bit pale and dry. Guitars we play daily dont need the oil as they get it from our fingers, they would just need a good cleaning with a brush. (you seen those soft bristle brushes women use for their nails??)

 

EDIT**

OH you dont HAVE to do any of this...I find this is a nice way to spend Sunday mornings in the music room! Pour a hot cup of coffee, spin up some Kenny Burrell or Grant Green and clean/tune some guitars.

[67mike]

Yep the finish is nitro. BEWARE of leaving your guitar on rubber stands etc as they will eat the finish!!

 

I use the Gibson guitar polish every once and awhile...spray it on one of those soft yellow cloths they sell the guitar shop and wipe it down to remove fingerprints and dust.

 

Additionially I'll use Peavey fingerboard conditioner (i think its lemon oil) every other string change or so. But only when the board is looking a bit pale and dry. Guitars we play daily dont need the oil as they get it from our fingers, they would just need a good cleaning with a brush. (you seen those soft bristle brushes women use for their nails??)

 

EDIT**

OH you dont HAVE to do any of this...I find this is a nice way to spend Sunday mornings in the music room! Pour a hot cup of coffee, spin up some Kenny Burrell or Grant Green and clean/tune some guitars.

 

 

Thanks!

[zookroo1]

Virtuoso guitar cleaner and polish is the top of the line if you ask me. Do some searches and you'll find a lot of people agree. It may cost a little bit more, but it will last a long time.

 

http://www.virtuosopolish.com/page3.php

 

Fret Doctor for the fretboard is awesome as well. Searching will find great reviews on this too. Kind of odd website, but click on FretDoctor on the left hand menu.

 

http://www.beafifer.com/

 

Best of luck!

[GuitArtMan]

Another vote for Virtuosso.

As for fretboard treatments, I'm not sure they are necessary for anything other then vanity. Still I like the look of a nicely oiled fingerboard. I've tried just about everything under the sun and have come back to Linseed oil. I don't mind the smell (some do) in fact I kinda like it, it doesn't sweat, and it lasts. The Fret Doctor stuff keapt sweating back out and didn't seem to last very long. I'd have to re-apply after just a couple of months. The Linseed oil still looks great a year or more later.

[FredZepp]

Virtuoso thread

 

Another Virtuoso thread

 

Another Virtuoso thread

 

There are plenty here that recommend Virtuoso, for sure.

[smurph1]

Yep the finish is nitro. BEWARE of leaving your guitar on rubber stands etc as they will eat the finish!!

 

I use the Gibson guitar polish every once and awhile...spray it on one of those soft yellow cloths they sell the guitar shop and wipe it down to remove fingerprints and dust.

 

Additionially I'll use Peavey fingerboard conditioner (i think its lemon oil) every other string change or so. But only when the board is looking a bit pale and dry. Guitars we play daily dont need the oil as they get it from our fingers, they would just need a good cleaning with a brush. (you seen those soft bristle brushes women use for their nails??)

 

EDIT**

OH you dont HAVE to do any of this...I find this is a nice way to spend Sunday mornings in the music room! Pour a hot cup of coffee, spin up some Kenny Burrell or Grant Green and clean/tune some guitars.

sounds like a nice way to spend the day!! Oh and by the way +1 on the Virtuoso cleaner and polish..

[Kuz]

Virtuoso polish

 

Fret Doctor for the fret board

[Guido]

Virtuoso guitar cleaner and polish is the top of the line if you ask me. Do some searches and you'll find a lot of people agree. It may cost a little bit more, but it will last a long time.

 

http://www.virtuosopolish.com/page3.php

 

Fret Doctor for the fretboard is awesome as well. Searching will find great reviews on this too. Kind of odd website, but click on FretDoctor on the left hand menu.

 

http://www.beafifer.com/

 

Best of luck!

That is exactly what I would recommend!

 

I use Virtuoso cleaner and polish and both are the best products to protect your axe.

 

Fret Doctor is the best you can get for your fretboard. Don't use any oils which you often hear in other forums.

Most of the regular oils seal the fretboard and and don't penetrate it.

Fret Doctor penetrates the wood of the board and makes sure that it doesn't dry out.

 

Guido

[Guido]

Virtuoso guitar cleaner and polish is the top of the line if you ask me. Do some searches and you'll find a lot of people agree. It may cost a little bit more, but it will last a long time.

 

http://www.virtuosopolish.com/page3.php

 

Fret Doctor for the fretboard is awesome as well. Searching will find great reviews on this too. Kind of odd website, but click on FretDoctor on the left hand menu.

 

http://www.beafifer.com/

 

Best of luck!

That is exactly what I would recommend!

 

I use Virtuoso cleaner and polish and both are the best products to protect your axe.

 

Fret Doctor is the best you can get for your fretboard. Don't use any oils which you often hear in other forums.

Most of the regular oils seal the fretboard and and don't penetrate it.

Fret Doctor penetrates the wood of the board and makes sure that it doesn't dry out.

 

Guido

[Spectrum13]

As above but I mix a little linseed oil with the fretdoctor mineral oil, let it set for a couple of minutes and polich off.

[EdBoyle]

I rarely post anything on guitar forums. Occasionally, I receive emails suggesting that I respond to errors and misunderstandings. Here are two:

 

To GuitArtMan:

 

The Fret Doctor wasn't "sweating out" of your board...it never penetrated the fretboard wood in the first place. If one has multiple coats of Linseed oil on his board, nothing can penetrate it. The Fret Doctor simply floats on top, like water on glass. The most common comment I hear is how a board "drinks it up."

 

To Spectrum 13:

 

Fret Doctor contains absolutely NO mineral oil; it is composed entirely of expensive vegetable-based components. Mineral oil costs about a buck a pint at the drug store. Adding Linseed oil to Fret Doctor completely defeats its purpose.

 

Regards,

 

 

Ed Boyle

[GuitArtMan]

I rarely post anything on guitar forums. Occasionally, I receive emails suggesting that I respond to errors and misunderstandings. Here are two:

 

To GuitArtMan:

 

The Fret Doctor wasn't "sweating out" of your board...it never penetrated the fretboard wood in the first place. If one has multiple coats of Linseed oil on his board, nothing can penetrate it. The Fret Doctor simply floats on top, like water on glass. The most common comment I hear is how a board "drinks it up."

 

To Spectrum 13:

 

Fret Doctor contains absolutely NO mineral oil; it is composed entirely of expensive vegetable-based components. Mineral oil costs about a buck a pint at the drug store. Adding Linseed oil to Fret Doctor completely defeats its purpose.

 

Regards,

 

 

Ed Boyle

Ed,

This was on a brand new gutiar - never before treated.

Bob

[EdBoyle]

Ed,

This was on a brand new gutiar - never before treated.

Bob

 

I don't have a clue. Many thousands of users worldwide and the FD will usually penetrate most of the junk that people put on their boards. Linseed oil and Tung oil are the exception, and even with them, if the coating isn't too thick, it will still get through. Some silicone based polishes can stall penetration too.

 

Ed

[Guest tomdread]

dont think ive ever used anything other than a dry rag. I dont seem to mess up guitars like some people.

[rjsanders]

have been using products from Bill Chapin and Alembic for yours. would probably go with Virtuoso, if i didn't have those. Scott shop towels are good. Ronsonol (naptha) for strings.

[rjsanders]

<d'oh, chuckle> no, i won't do yours. but have recommended those for "years"

[GuitArtMan]

I don't have a clue. Many thousands of users worldwide and the FD will usually penetrate most of the junk that people put on their boards. Linseed oil and Tung oil are the exception, and even with them, if the coating isn't too thick, it will still get through. Some silicone based polishes can stall penetration too.

 

Ed

No silicone goes anywhere near my guitars, unless it's encased in a mammary gland.

[EdBoyle]

No silicone goes anywhere near my guitars, unless it's encased in a mammary gland.

Like I say, this product has been used worldwide by thousands of users, I dare say on products from just about every conceivable maker. I have never heard of it being rejected by the board on a brand new guitar. I can't even venture a guess.

 

Ed

[Spectrum13]

Like I say, this product has been used worldwide by thousands of users, I dare say on products from just about every conceivable maker. I have never heard of it being rejected by the board on a brand new guitar. I can't even venture a guess.

 

Ed

 

 

Ed,

 

He was being funny. Silicone implants from a breast doctor not fret doctor.

[EdBoyle]

Ed,

 

He was being funny. Silicone implants from a breast doctor not fret doctor.

 

I knew what he meant. I was thinking out loud about a board rejecting FD from brand new guitar. I have seen some cases where it beads up on the surface when a board has repeated coatings of Linseed or Tung oils.

 

Ed

[brentrocks]

i use Lizard Spit polish and lemon oil on the fretbards

[t0aj15]

I use Smith's "GLAS PRO" Formula Polish with a micro fiber polishing cloth on the finish, and for the fretboard I use Formby's Lemon Oil Treatment.

[67mike]

I rarely post anything on guitar forums. Occasionally, I receive emails suggesting that I respond to errors and misunderstandings. Here are two:

 

To GuitArtMan:

 

The Fret Doctor wasn't "sweating out" of your board...it never penetrated the fretboard wood in the first place. If one has multiple coats of Linseed oil on his board, nothing can penetrate it. The Fret Doctor simply floats on top, like water on glass. The most common comment I hear is how a board "drinks it up."

 

To Spectrum 13:

 

Fret Doctor contains absolutely NO mineral oil; it is composed entirely of expensive vegetable-based components. Mineral oil costs about a buck a pint at the drug store. Adding Linseed oil to Fret Doctor completely defeats its purpose.

 

Regards,

 

 

Ed Boyle

 

 

I bought some Fret Doctor and Virtuoso as recommended.

 

I put the fret doctor on my new H150 last night.,.....HOLY COW!!! Many of the areas just DRANK up the fret doctor....I knew my fretboard looked dry!!!

 

Thank you Fret Doctor!