Cleaning, Oiling and Polishing Your Handbuilt Guitar

Santa Cruz Guitar Co. Fine Instrument Wax

» Order SCGC Fine Instrument Wax

After you have played your guitar it is wise to take a soft polishing cloth and clean off the instrument. Pay special attention to areas where you may have accumulations of sweat such as the area where your arm rests on the guitar. Sweat will etch the lacquer and will cause permanent hazing of the finish, which can only be repaired by a talented technician. Once a month or so you can use a polish, wax, or a commercial guitar cleaner to remove any buildup that was left after the clean cloth.

We recommend Santa Cruz Fine Instrument Wax to protect the gloss lacquer finish of your guitar. Instructions for use and for ordering are available on this site in the Companion Products section. Green liquid Turtle wax is an acceptable alternative that is readily available at hardware and auto supply stores. It will clean and protect your guitar safely. Be careful not to get any Turtle Wax inside the sound hole, cracks in the lacquer, or edges along the fingerboard extension or around the bridge. It will dry leaving a white line that can be nearly impossible to remove.

There are other commercial specialty cleaners and polishes on the market that may be benign to the finish and work well, however, as we have no knowledge of their formulas we cannot lend our recommendation to any particular brand.

We have an excellent treatment that we use on our fingerboard and bridge. It is a premium oil formula especially designed for SCGC's unfinished wood surfaces. This will be available soon on our Companion Products page. In the meantime we do recommend Dr. Duck's Axe Wax for oiling fingerboards and bridges. It is safe for use on finishes so it is acceptable to have it touch the finish when applying it to the ebony parts. Lemon oil is a popular alternative that can produce good results, however, some commercial brands may contain elements that will harm your finish. Make sure to keep it off the lacquer to avoid etching or softening of your finish.

If your neck has a satin finish it was applied to make the neck faster by reducing drag. Don't use wax, polish or oils on these necks, as it will diminish this benefit.

Use a scratch free cloth dampened with warm water to clean the neck followed by a dry cloth. Avoid any wax or polish in areas that have cracked or worn finish. Avoid any wax or polish that contains silicone. Silicone resists lacquer adhesion and complicates any finish repair in the future.

To restore the satin finish on a neck we recommend the use of micromesh sanding medium in 2400 grit and then 3200 grit. Only a professional who is familiar with this technique should undertake this procedure. We will not take responsibility for any damage caused by performing this technique incorrectly. Feel free to have your technician call us if they are unfamiliar with this procedure.

Instructions for Wax use and for ordering are available on this site at:
» Companion Products section.