How clean is your guitar?

Danny Bentley · Post by **Danny Bentley** » 3 Dec 2002 9:06 pm

My guitars are pretty clean. I've seen A few that were soo dirty I would have been embarassed to let anyone see them. How clean is yours??
Dan Bentley

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 3 Dec 2002 11:39 pm

I prefer to keep my guitars in their cases when I'm not playing them. However, my steel is a real pain to set up and take down, so I just leave it set up and it's ready to go whenever I get the urge to play it. I've seen covers for steels, but I'm too cheap to buy one. I just throw a sheet of clear plastic over my guitar and it keeps the dust off. Besides, it's such a sharp looking guitar I don't want to hide it.

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 4 Dec 2002 1:33 am

I'm embarassed all the time, so dirty they are...
Each half year I clean them well, except the changers, that I keep in very good condition, all the time.

To me it's just a working horse, but a good one!
And: My Volvo doesn't drive worser when it's a bit muddy

JJ

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Click on the pic!

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 4 Dec 2002 1:36 am

Y'mean yer s'posed to clean 'em???

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<pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com</pre>

Gary Lee Gimble · Post by **Gary Lee Gimble** » 4 Dec 2002 2:10 am

"so dirty they are..."

NOT!

Is simply vintage.

Gary Lee

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 4 Dec 2002 4:13 am

Mine is always dusty, dull, and worn out from thousands of gigs, and I love it that way! Danny, you have to learn to wear that filth like a badge of honor

I do a little polishing every time I change the strings, but in general I'm not concerned about keeping the instrument clean. Like Johan says, it's a workhorse. I have a shiny Emmons P/P that sits in the closet while I take my old beat up D-10 out on gigs. It's been my main steel for 24 years and it's like an old friend to me.

Recently I saw a steel guitar that was all grime and soot from cigarette smoke... it looked like the guy had used it as an ashtray. It breaks my heart to see a guitar that filthy.

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My Site - Instruction | Doug's Free Tab | Steels and Accessories

[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 04 December 2002 at 04:23 AM.]

Jim Vogan · Post by **Jim Vogan** » 4 Dec 2002 5:52 am

I think somebody posted on the Forum that Mooney took his steel to the car wash one day. Somebody barfed on it or some thing like that.

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Jim Vogan Emmons Sd10
G.D. Walker Stereo Steel Combo
Bakelite Ric
Hilton volume pedal

Tim Harr · Post by **Tim Harr** » 4 Dec 2002 8:47 am

I generally keep mine clean, free from smudges and dust best I can...

I give the whole thing a "once over" when I change strings (every month or so)

Sounds like a lot of cleaning but then again I am career military...I am kinda anal about keeping things clean and neat...

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Tim Harr - Carter D-10 8 & 9 - Troy Cook & the Long Haul Band

John Borchard · Post by **John Borchard** » 4 Dec 2002 9:07 am

I used to throw my D-10 in the washing machine but after it shrunk down to a S-6, I decided I should probably at least not put it in the dryer

.

Seriously, though, I clean my steel (dust and polish) each time I change strings. If I have it set up at the house, I keep it covered and I have a nice camel hair brush that I use to keep it (relatively) dust-free. I try to do a more thorough cleaning and lubing every 6 months but it's probably closer to once a year.

John Borchard

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 4 Dec 2002 10:02 am

I cleaned mine one time and lost my "sound". Never been the same since.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Tony Orth · Post by **Tony Orth** » 4 Dec 2002 10:11 am

The tag on my Emmons says "Dry Clean Only"

T

Ken Williams · Post by **Ken Williams** » 4 Dec 2002 10:30 am

Well it depends on which guitar. The steel that I play most all gigs with is pretty clean. The 74 Emmons that I play at home is kinda nasty. I played that old Emmons in a nearby club for many years. Other band members would ask "Don't you ever clean or dust that thing?". My reply was always "No, I'm afraid it would ruin my tone."

Ken

Al Marcus · Post by **Al Marcus** » 4 Dec 2002 10:40 am

It is easy for me to keep mine clean and polished as I don't gig anymore.

So I always keep mine sharp. I have a vinyl cover I bought on the Forum, and I use it when not playing.

I can sure understand that you guys that gig a lot, would have a hard time keeping your guitar clean. I know, as I been there.....al

Dave Robbins · Post by **Dave Robbins** » 4 Dec 2002 12:15 pm

My LeGrande III, that I use for the studio, Grande Ol' Opry, and everything else, is my "workhorse". I consider it a "tool" and is usually being used or in the case ready to go out the door. I don't have the opportunity to clean it up, let alone time to change strings! It gets pretty dusty, but at the same time I try to respect the aluminum parts and not get them smudged up by not handling the guitar from the endplates, etc. (I lift it from the sides, not the endplates!)

However, my '64 push/pull is clean enough to eat on! But, I generally keep it out of "harms way" and only play it on certain occasions.

Someone once told me that all that dust, etc, adds character!!! LOL!

I sure do hate it though when someone writes their name in the dust on my LeGrande's fret boards!

...hmmm...that reminds me...I still have those spilled coffee stains on the pedal bar!

Dave

Ralph H. Moorehead · Post by **Ralph H. Moorehead** » 4 Dec 2002 2:45 pm

I got my Sho-Bud pro 2 from Don Woodbury Years ago. It has so many battle scars that I keep it clean out of respect for old warriors

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 4 Dec 2002 6:36 pm

You could eat off mine. They are restored vintage and I play them out every weekend. I treat them like family.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 4 Dec 2002 7:10 pm

Welllll....my old one's pretty dirty underneath, but decent on the top side.

My excuse?

If it ain't "broke"...don't fix it.

Ron Shepard · Post by **Ron Shepard** » 5 Dec 2002 6:52 am

Doug B. But I just couldn't see the frets
on your ol push pull. I just had to clean er off

Matt Steindl · Post by **Matt Steindl** » 5 Dec 2002 8:44 am

Let me put it this way, I have a St. Bernard that thinks my studio is "his room", and I keep my PSG constantly out and uncovered in case inspiration strikes. Do you think it is clean and slobber free?

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Mattman in "The Big Sleazy"-:
S-10 Dekley, Suitcase Fender Rhodes, B-bender Les Paul

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 5 Dec 2002 5:04 pm

Ron, yes, I noticed you wiped the dust off my fretboard when you played my steel at the Rhode Island show. Funny, I never noticed any dust on it!

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My Site - Instruction | Doug's Free Tab | Steels and Accessories

[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 05 December 2002 at 09:35 PM.]

Buck Grantham R.I.P. · Post by **Buck Grantham R.I.P.** » 5 Dec 2002 8:15 pm

I keep mine clean and oiled just like my pistol. Never know when I might get to pick on it somewhere.appearence is not everything but it helps.

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 8 Dec 2002 5:33 am

I never wear white pants, they are greasy on the knees after a gig

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Click on the pic!

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 8 Dec 2002 7:55 am

I'm with Buck. I keep it clean.
I have a cover that goes on it between sets, or at home when not in use.

I keep a 1" paint brush in my practice area to brush away dust.

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 8 Dec 2002 8:15 am

When I played downtown at The Turf the old 72 P/P was completely brown underneath from the smoke. It stayed there 24 hours a day and even though I had a floor length cover made for it, it still was dirty all over but mostly underneath. The cover kept the spilled drinks off but that's all. I'm playing a Sho-Bud on the gig right now and it's clean as can be underneath and on top. Hey Kevin, remember the P/P over at Duanes? It's the dirtiest guitar I have but only underneath. The 66 P/P has been in the case for the last 6 months and you can see yourself in the knee levers, super clean and polished.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 8 Dec 2002 12:02 pm

Frank, that was one of the most beautiful push pulls that I ever saw.