Smegmacaster!

[cephus]

I bought $20 worth of gerlitz cleaning shit and this guitar still is hazy and streaked. I was really hoping that I could get rid of the cloudiness. WHat can you use to clean a painted guitar, assuming that it has never once been cleaned in 20 years of bar gigs?

Can anyone infer what sort of finish (poly/nitro) is on a late 80s '62 re-issue and recommend a slightly more drastic cleaning solution that won't screw it up?

[Zaphod B]

Cephus -

I'm guessing that instead of cleaning it, you may need to polish it. Think of it like an old car. Maybe there's some kind of polishing media that is compatible with the finish, that would actually remove the smegma like you would polish off the oxidized paint from a car.

If it's a poly paint, then a car polish should work OK (but, as they say, try it first on a small area that's usually out of sight!)

[Zaphod B]

Can Light or Muttley suggest a test for determining what kind of finish is on Cephus' guitar?

.

[cephus]

I called 5th avenue fret shop in grandview, OH. They are highly recommended. The guy told me that he'd clean it up as part of the setup. I have been putting it off for a long time. I need a new nut anyway.

WHen I bought it, I told the guy at the store that he had to change it to a 5-position switch and sheild it. He used paint to sheild it and he did a super shitty job. Thanks, Jon! I am going to slop some more in there before I take it down.

When I took off the pickguard, I can see what color the guitar USED to be. Now it is greenish. I nver put it in the case. That's what I get, I guess. Plus the nicotene stains and skin cells. This thing looks awful. I also used to carry it in a gig bag. The finish is all caved in all the way around the bottom edge. The neck screws had been tightened by me so much that the finish is all fuct around the neck plate, too.

Gawd, I'm proud of that piece of shit. All strats should look like this. No gibsons, though. A beat up gibson doesn't look right. A strat is something you throw in the tool drawer, like real Channel-locks or klein linesman pliers.

[c7sus]

What do you know about Klein lineman pliers????

HD has these car polishers for like $29 and I think they include the little wool cover too.

Then get some McGuires or something else w/o silicones and go to town!

Careful around the edges!!!!

[cephus]

Pulling wire was one of my first jobs when I moved to the big city. Of course, back then, I had some shitty sears companion ones with the red handle.

I put this sissy gold hardware on this thing and it looks fricking suh-WEET!

I hope that whatever dunlop goop that 5th ave has will take this film off.