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The finish on my 1964 Jaguar was looking hazy so I decided to try to clean it. I tested a product called Virtuoso Premium Cleaner that was recommended to me by a vintage guitar dealer. I had used it before on some Gibson guitars and had no problems.

The first little test area on the Fender finish with the Virtuoso cleaner turned the white cloth red. Obviously the finish was coming off from the cleaner. I stopped right away and regrouped.

What can you use to clean a custom color guitar that doesn't have a clear coat without damaging the paint?

The sleeve of my jumper, if anything.

I tend to leave all my guitars alone apart from the fretboard, truth be told

I'd go with Johnny's suggestion, or one of the cloths that comes with cleaning products like Dunlop or any of the other brands that sell the same cloth.
A little buffing with one of these cloths should hopefully return it's shine without having to run the risk of using any polishing products

For cleaning, you are removing surface contaminants - dirt, grease, funk, DNA, whatever. You need a solvent for this.

In mild cases, that solvent can be a damp rag with a soap or other mild detergent on it. In more serious cases (deep funk!) the best solvent to use that does not affect paint is naphtha (also marketed as Ronsonol lighter fluid). This will dissolve oils and dirt without affecting the paint whatsoever, leaving you with a clean surface that can be shined with a simple cleaner wax (I prefer a light application of Zymöl brand.

I promise you, naphtha will not damage your paint in any way. It evaporates instantly and isn’t harsh enough to soften paint.

Very good points Highnumbers. That must be a Who reference?

I should have given more info. I have tried to clean with Naphtha many times and I find it does well on unfinished wood like a fingerboard or a wear spot on the back of the neck. I have never found it to be a terribly effective remover of grim and buildup on a clear coated lacquer finish.

I have had excellent results with Virtuoso cleaner on vintage Fenders with sunburst finish. Those finishes are very durable with a nice clearcoat, and the Virtuoso removes the sweat, grease and filth reliably and safely most of the time. Then I follow up with Naphtha to remove any residue from the cleaner and finish with a light buff from a dry microfiber cloth.

This guitar is one of those custom colors without a clear coat and it's just filthy. Naphtha took the gunk off the back of the neck where the finish was worn off. On the body I ended up using a tiny bit of water with a trace of ivory bar soap, then drying and buffing that area with a microfiber cloth soaked in Naphtha. It was slow going but it just about worked after several passes. I used a white cloth and kept a watch for any color coming up on the cloth. Tiny amounts of paint did come up in a few spots so when I saw that I just moved on.

Would still love to hear any other experience with safe cleaners for removing gunk and buildup on custom color guitars.

zepset wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 03, 2022 7:56 pm

Very good points Highnumbers. That must be a Who reference?

Bingo! Finally somebody gets it

Interesting about the naphtha, I wonder if using a damp rag with a soap/cleaning agent would be the better route for removing grime first?

I have a '62 Jazzmaster in Olympic White without the clear coat, so I know what you mean about the grime build-up. It shows even more on the otherwise stark white paint.

If the finish is gummy, leave it alone. Some skin oils have enough triglycerides to have a plasticizing effect, and in this case the best course I’ve found is damage limitation.

If the finish isn’t gummy, naphtha is the way.

The other thing here to note is that if there's any finish checking, polish is gonna slither into any finish cracks and gonna be annoying to get out. I'd avoid it on this guitar.

A mild detergent like dishsoap is all i'd use on a really old finish.