Please save my guitar!

R

Rolland

New member
Help!! I just spilt super glue on my bed and without knowing it placed my guitar on top of it. There's a patch of fabric stuck to my strat now. How can I remove it??? I even tried turpentine but the glue is too tough!!
 
You might try nail polish remover, but it has to contain acetone, and some don't, so read the label. The acetone will dull the finish on your ax, but if you rub some olive oil on it after the crap is gone, it should come back nicely...gibs
 
gibs, sounds like you know something about finishing etc. What do you recommend for maintenance on (a) fretboards (mahogany), (b) laquer (as on a strat) and (c) on acoustic guitars (esp. the tops). By maintenance I mean cleaning, re-hydrating (seems like fretboards can really dry out sometimes) and polishing.

[This message has been edited by Tapehead (edited 03-20-2000).]
 
Tapehead - I've been working with antique furniture for years and have found olive oil to be the magic brew...gets out those white rings made when you ignored Mom's advice to to use a coaster, and it cleans finishes and wood while it's giving it some needed moisture...and ya know, if you buy the cheaper brands like Pompei, it's not any more expensive usually than that Scott's Liquid Gold crap...experiment around with it, you'll like the results...let it sit for a minute or so and wipe off the excess so it doesn't get your clothes greazy when you pick up the guitar to jam...I once used it on a 17th century table (1600's) that had been in an old barn for several years, the previous owners didn't know what it was...and that thing looks so cool now they've got it in their house in the entry way...gibs

[This message has been edited by gibs (edited 03-20-2000).]
 
What do you recommend for maintenance on (a) fretboards (mahogany), (b) laquer (as on a strat) and (c) on acoustic guitars (esp. the tops). By maintenance I mean cleaning, re-hydrating (seems like fretboards can really dry out sometimes) and polishing.

Tapehead- Couldn't help but overhear...

I've found that the simpler, the better. And lose the silicone. Fingerboards may lighten, but seldom need much other than a rubdown with a gentle abrasive cloth, like a scotchbrite pad. Some like to use steel wool, but I end up losing the bits and pieces in the rest of the guitar. Not good to get that stuff in the pickups. Fretboards are unlikely to be mahogany - usually if they're not a lacquered maple, they're a polished rosewood, rosewood substitute (pau ferro) or an ebony or ebony substitute (like phenolic). I wouldn't glop much of anything on a fretboard, although oil sure makes it look nice. Problem is, you want a dry fretboard or you will have wet and dirty strings. That's where a nice polishing comes in handy.

Lacquer begs for Pledge! But it's not a good idea for the same reasons you want to keep fingerboards clear. Whether an electric or acoustic, the main objective is to keep the surface clean and let the finish be the finish. If you have to use something (can't resist) then look for a product like Endust that professes not to be a wax. It makes little difference; they all seem to be full of silicone and that's the one thing you don't want on an instrument. You just never get rid of it. Meguiar's Mirror Glaze (check out an auto body supplier, Stewart - MacDonald's or www.lmi.com )is a classic final buffer; just enough grit to clean and polish. It's also used to keep aircraft acrylic windshields clear; not much in the way of oil.

There. I feel much better.



[This message has been edited by Treeline (edited 03-23-2000).]
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Hey gibs, thanks a lot!! I would never have known that nail polish remover works wonders for removing super glue.
 
Thank y'all for the good suggestions. As for my question about mahogany fingerboards, I don't know what I was thinking--I meant rosewood of course. Brain seizure...
 
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