TLC for recently inherited guitar

H

HapiCmpur

New member
My father-in-law bequeathed me his Seagull S6. It's in need of a little TLC, and I'm wondering the best way to proceed.

The spruce top looks pretty dry, but there are no cracks. The fingerboard looks pretty dry, too, and has become two-toned from uneven wear.

I assume I should apply a conditioner of some kind and that I should also humidify the guitar. I'm just not sure what type of conditioner to use and whether it would be better to condition first, then humidify or humidify first, then condition. The entire body of the guitar, by the way, has a matt finish.

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
I've got a matte finish Seagull as well--but it's cedar not spruce. And mine's never gotten as dry as yours sounds. I know that lemon oil works great on the neck of mine.

Can't speak to what you use for the body. I'm sure someone will come along with some wisdom. I just wanted to chime in and say congrats & good luck! I love my Seagull--hopefully you'll love yours!
 
I'd let the guitar get comfortable in its new home for a couple of weeks first. Lemon oil for the fretboard, any reputable guitar polish should be fine for the body (Martin, Dunlop, etc). Be careful not to over-polish, or you'll potentially un-matte the finish. Above all, though, start playing it. Nothing wakes up the wood in a guitar like making music.

Cheers,
PG
 
There are a variety of humidifiers made just for guitars. Most music stores carry at least a couple of brands to choose from. I've used ones made by "DAMPIT" for years. They work fine. so do the others. Just follow the simple directions and keep your guitar in its case. You will need to recharge it every day or so at first. Rehumidifying a guitar should happen slowly so don't get in a hurry. You can play it during this period if you just keep it in its case when not in use.

Lemon oil is great for fingerboards.
 
Wow! Thanks to all of you who recommended lemon oil. It brought the fingerboard back to life immediately.

pgreer said:
I'd let the guitar get comfortable in its new home for a couple of weeks first.
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That's a good idea. It's in its case right now with a hygrometer to check the humidity. I'll give it some time before I decide if I should hydrate it with a Dampit.

pgreer said:
Above all, though, start playing it. Nothing wakes up the wood in a guitar like making music.
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Ah, yes. The very best form of TLC.

pgreer said:
Be careful not to over-polish, or you'll potentially un-matte the finish.
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This is where I still have concerns. I picked up a bottle of Martin guitar polish this morning, and fortunately I checked Seagull's website before using it. Seagull's FAQ page says not to use any polishes that contain wax on their matte finish guitars. Then I checked the Martin website and found that they also say not to use their polish on their own matte finish guitars. They recommend just cleaning the guitar with a warm, damp cloth. I don't think that's going to revive the finish of my Seagull, but I also don't want to do any harm in the process of trying to revive it.
 
HapiCmpur said:
That's a good idea. It's in its case right now with a hygrometer to check the humidity. I'll give it some time before I decide if I should hydrate it with a Dampit.
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I would encourage you to use the search engine for threads discussing guitars and humidity. There is some excellent information that was posted by "Light". Whether or not your guitar is dried out, a Dampit or other humidifier is a good idea. It's a must in the summer.
 
For starters, you can lay a folded damp rag or paper towel (well wrung out- just damp to the touch) somewhere in the case, and replenish it every day, until you can buy a humidifier.
 
I just noticed that I accidentally got a little lemon oil on parts of the guitar's top while I was oiling the fingerboard and bridge. Interestingly, those parts look really nice now. Would it be a bad idea to rub a little lemon oil into the whole body of the guitar?
 
Keep in mind that the moisture absorption will mostly happen on the inside of the guitar. That wood is not finished. The internal type humidifiers are probably the best - I just bought a new Planet Waves one that sort of hangs between the strings.

I'm sure others will flog me on this, but I just routinely use Pledge on my guitars. If I'm doing a total rehab of an electric, I normally put a coat of car wax to give it total shine (and sweat protection). I don't remember if I've ever done that to my Seagull - I'm thinking that's probably not as wise on an acoustic. But again, I just use Pledge Dust & Allergen (because I don't want to sneeze on my guitar :D).

To be serious though - I don't like the "guitar" polish products. They seem to leave an oily film on the surface of the wood. I like the lemon oil on the fret board though - I use that on old pawn shop guitars and it's amazing how they really come to life again.

Congratulations on your inheritance. It's nice to play something that has a personal history to it - you can tip your hat to him every time you pull off something cool with it. Sounds like your giving it the TLC he knew you would give it!
 
HapiCmpur said:
I just noticed that I accidentally got a little lemon oil on parts of the guitar's top while I was oiling the fingerboard and bridge. Interestingly, those parts look really nice now. Would it be a bad idea to rub a little lemon oil into the whole body of the guitar?
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Lemon oil will not hurt your finish. Even so, I make it a practice never to leave residue of any kind on the finish of my guitars. Whatever you use read the label. Never use anything that contains silicon.
 
Stew Mac has a good conditioner it comes it a red and white squirt on bottle.
I believe it is silicon free as well.
Normally any acoustic guitar I've seen that has began to dry out significantly has a unusually low action that would be your clue to humidify. Is the top
starting to sink yet?
If it is really bad start keeping it in the bathroom when you use the shower.
Are the frets protruding from the edges of the fingerboard as well?

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Accessories/Cleaners,_polishes,_lubricants/Preservation_Polish.html
 
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Milnoque said:
I would encourage you to use the search engine for threads discussing guitars and humidity. There is some excellent information that was posted by "Light". Whether or not your guitar is dried out, a Dampit or other humidifier is a good idea. It's a must in the summer.
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Actually, it's worse in the winter when air is heated, which lowers its relative humidity.
 
Milnoque said:
Whether or not your guitar is dried out, a Dampit or other humidifier is a good idea. It's a must in the summer.
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I'm in Maryland, so the situation is reversed. Our summers are humid; it's the winters that are hard on guitars because the electric furnace dries out the air.

Fusioninspace said:
I just bought a new Planet Waves one that sort of hangs between the strings.
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Yes, I've got one of those, too. Haven't tried it yet, but I like the concept. Unlike a Dampit, it doesn't come into contact with the body of the guitar.

RandyW said:
Is the top starting to sink yet? Are the frets protruding from the edges of the fingerboard as well?
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No. It's not anywhere near that dry. The cedar top bows out just a bit behind the bridge, just like it's supposed to, and all the frets are flush with the neck. The problem is just that the surface of the finish looks and feels dry, and there are many little pock marks in the cedar top around the pick guard, which probably means that my father-in-law had a heavy pick hand.

I think the guitar is in good shape except for the surface of the finish, and since it has a matte finish (or satin, if you prefer), I'm not sure how best to perk it back up again. I'll take a look at the Stew Mac conditioner. Thanks for the link.
 
I just got a very surprising response to an email I sent to the Seagull company about this issue. Here it is:

"We don't recommend using lemon oil on the body. It will leave an oily residue at the surface. You should use a non wax based guitar polish, such as Martin Guitar Polish : http://accessories.musiciansfriend....olish?sku=420111&CJAID=10381297&CJPID=1461461
Do not use lemon oil on the fingerboard and bridge more than once a year."

The surprising part for me is the recommendation of Martin Guitar Polish. I've read that it contains wax and that wax will build up on a satin finish guitar. Interesting.
 
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