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| Dunlop System 65 |
Perhaps some of you reading this hesitate at the idea of cleaning your guitar and putting on new stings simply because you don't know how. I had a student once who drenched his new guitar strings in vegetable oil after putting them on his guitar. He said he did this because that's what he used to do with his softball glove! Needless to say, the strings were ruined and he had to let his guitar dry out for awhile. Fortunately, the guitar itself was okay.
So, it goes without saying that you need to use cleaning products that are specifically made for guitars- not your moms furniture polish, or some vegetable oil you found in the cupboard.
My own guitar cleaning kit incudes:
Guitar Polish
Polishing Cloth
String Winder/pin puller
Needle-nose Plyers
Lubricant
I like to use Martin Guitar Polish because it's very affordable and easy to apply. All you do is spray it on and then wipe off all the excess gunk and smudges from the surface of your guitar with a polishing cloth. The polish is very fine, so it doesn't leave an oily residue. It will both clean and polish your guitar, plus add a little shine too. You only need to use a little bit, so it lasts a long time.
The Sring Winder is great tool for loosening the strings quickly. There is a notch on one end that makes it easy to pull the pins out of the bridge. The needle-nose plyers can be used to remove the strings out of the capstan hole on the head of the guitar. You can use your fingers if you want to, but metal strings are sharp and sometimes difficult to get out. I have also used a nail-file in the past, but the sharp point can damage a guitar, so I don't recommend it. Whatever you do, be careful not to scratch your guitar.
I also use lubricant on the machine heads (tuning keys) to keep them from sticking so they're easier to turn. Big Bends Groove Luber Nut Sauce is popular among electric guitar players because it reduces friction, limits string breakage, and helps keep your guitar in tune.
You can buy the items mentioned above individually and make your own guitar cleaning kit, or you can buy a kit that's already made by the manufacturer. The Dunlop Maintenance Kit is once such ready-made kit. It includes 3 polishing cloths, 5 products that will clean, shine and protect your guitar without the use of harmful chemicals, plus instructions.
I also use lubricant on the machine heads (tuning keys) to keep them from sticking so they're easier to turn. Big Bends Groove Luber Nut Sauce is popular among electric guitar players because it reduces friction, limits string breakage, and helps keep your guitar in tune.
You can buy the items mentioned above individually and make your own guitar cleaning kit, or you can buy a kit that's already made by the manufacturer. The Dunlop Maintenance Kit is once such ready-made kit. It includes 3 polishing cloths, 5 products that will clean, shine and protect your guitar without the use of harmful chemicals, plus instructions.
So, if the weather is crummy this weekend I think it might be a good time to stay at home and get some guitar cleaning done. Want to join me? I'm sure our guitars will look and sound a lot better if we do!
Till next time...
Keep practicing!
