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Say there's 3 players
1.cleans and polishes his nitro archtop too much (what is too much?)
2.cleans maybe polishes whatever you definition of the right amount is (what is the right amount?)
3. almost never cleans
what happens to each of these guitars after 10, 20, 30 years?
I lean toward not cleaning, but I think too much of an extreme can't be good for my expensive lifetime investment. I would clean more, but for some reason I just ALWAYS get those light swirl marks (micro fiber cloths, any product, ALWAYS). I don't personally mind them I guess, but worry about long term effects.
I'm thinking of longevity and future value. Looking good now isn't as important as it being able to be cleaned up nice easily if I ever need to
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06-12-2026 11:59 AM
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I keep my guitars clean. I believe like a car finish, lacquer needs to be nourished or it will dry out and crack so a good polish/wax is just good maintenance. A good carnauba wax once or twice a year. I clean my neck after every use with a good guitar polish or any auto polish that is silicone free. My 20 year old finish on my L-5 still looks new.
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In 30 years, guitarist #3 owns an ugly guitar...but other than that I have no idea what the implications are.
fwiw I only polish my guitars when I start to notice fingerprints (or armprints) on the body. So that maybe works out to once a year?
But I wipe down the back of the neck and strings after every use. No polish, just a dry rag.
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I guess I'm somewhere in the neighborhood of 2. I wipe my guitars down with soft cloth regularly. I probably should do it before and after every time I play, but it's more along the lines of when I notice schmutz/dust or realize I haven't done it in a while. Cleaning with an actual cleaner (e.g., Virtuoso Cleaner) is a very occasional thing or there's schmutz or hazing that the dust cloth isn't clearing up. Polishing, roughly every string change, or if it looks like it needs it. All of the above applies to all my guitars, not just nitro-finish or archtop (I have one nitro archtop and one nitro solidbody; the rest of my guitars are poly finished).
Originally Posted by joe2758
Re:1, in terms of the health of the finish, I imagine there is such a thing as too much cleaning and polishing with products that incorporate some sort of abrasives, but I don't have a concrete sense of it.
Re: 3 a friend of mine basically never cleans or polishes his guitars (for sure, an early 90s 335, late 70s LP; not sure about the finishes on his other guitars). The finishes look pretty dull, but not checked. The LP has a cherry sunburst, and the red is pretty faded, but that's probably not due to lack of cleaning/polishing. I suspect both could be brought back to full gloss with something like a round of Virtuoso cleaner + polish (though I doubt the red would come back). They have a bit of a grimy feel to them that I definitely don't like, but he's fine with it.Last edited by John A.; 06-12-2026 at 02:31 PM.
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Cheapest cloths that will never leave swirl marks? I don't get how other people just use t-shirts and don't get them...I'm cursed
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High quality microfiber cloths like from the Rag Company. I like the dual pile ones that are edge less. Originally Posted by joe2758
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I don't polish them as such all that much. I always have a sleeve on over the bout playing or use a small towel to keep finish from wear by right arm. I don't even wipe the strings all that much, but I am not hard on guitars in general. If things start getting fingerprints or some build up I will do a polish I use basically it is Meguires Polish. That happens usually maybe every 2 years. Otherwise no need to have it polished everyday.
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ordered. to be honest if i just had a cloth that I knew wouldnt leave marks I'd probably never even think about this topic and just clean here and there as needed...but I was getting the feeling "maybe I should do this as little as possible since I keep getting these marks" Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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High quality microfiber cloths will never scratch. Make sure you wash them once before you use them.
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Any particular way? just water? Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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just water is fine but the Rag Company says they must be washed once before use. When they get dirty of course a little laundry soap and don’t let them get too hot in the dryer as you can actually melt them if you get them overly hot. Originally Posted by joe2758
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Visual inspection each time you use it before putting it away and touchup as needed between good cleanings that depend on the frequency and intensity (and environment) of use.
Kind of like what Vinny said.
Don't ride her hard and put her away wet.
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Anyone use music nomad all in one? I think virtuoso is more than i need for basic upkeep
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I would just add to be careful with any of these products if you have a vintage guitar, especially one that is lacquer checked. The polish can get in the checking cracks, and from what I have heard you won't be able to get it out.
I don't really have an answer for how to clean checked vintage guitars, and so I don't clean them too much! Maybe someone with a lot of experience at that can chime in.
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Naphtha will clean them fine and does not or should not bother a nitro finish. As always minor test in an inconspicuous place is not a bad idea to start but should be fine. Originally Posted by bluejaybill
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would this be for instance weekly use? Originally Posted by deacon Mark
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I would not simply because that implies I am getting the guitar really dirty so it depends. Originally Posted by joe2758
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I mostly just use a microfiber cloth to wipe down between sessions.
Occasionally will get said cloth slightly damp (avoiding glue joints) with a little water if there’s a cloudy spot on the body or the neck gets a little sticky and then wipe it dry after. This was following the recommendation from the Collings folks for regular upkeep (instead of just going with cleaner/polish every time).
I mostly just let the luthier worry about polishing when I take something in for a setup.
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if they’re clean. Even a little dust can leave swirls etc that are visible in the right light. I gently blow any dust off the guitar with an old fashioned rubber film cleaner bulb before wiping. Wash cloths between uses - they pick up a little particulate debris every time you use them. Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
Also be careful about the edges. Many inexpensive microfiber cloths are edge bound with abrasive thread. Avoid these.
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I rarely clean. Like maybe once every 2-3 years. Maybe my tech cleans it when I take em in for fret polishing but I dunno.
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Update:
My rags came in. I used those with music nomad detailer, which is probably little stronger than water.
Very pleased with the result..I'm just wanting clean not any sort of noticeable shine.
The result is sort of brand new clean. Not slick. I think all I needed was the higher quality cloth.
Thanks for the recommendation!
I have developed an aversion to arm socks, but I'm gunna start throwing a cloth under my arm
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Wanna start a debate of lemon oil for the fretboard? Not sure about that either because of differing and strong opinions of knowledgeable people
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And what grit for a BASIC fret polish, just for smoothness
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Frets are different and I would simply use sandpaper depending on frets. Start a 1500 go to 3000 and buff with a dremel tool if you want the shiny.
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Another vote for microfibre cloths. Can’t say I use guitar polish much. I think I’ve had the same bottle for 30 plus years. My guitars all look fine, so I’m not going to fuss that.
FYI I also use a microfibre cloth to clean my glasses. They’re great!
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