650 neck polish

[valenti]

Any suggestions on the best polish/wax/cleaner to use on my new 650 sierra neck? Tung oil doesn't seem appropriate between sets... and I don't want to mess up the "natural" finish.

Thanks!

[doctorwho]

I've not tried this, but the company I bought my tung oil from has suggestions for thinning it with vehicle (http://www.realmilkpaint.com/oil.html); perhaps the thinned-down material might be suitable for between-set wipedowns.

[jingle_jangle]

Interesting page, Gary. The "Before" and "After" floor pictures are misleading...the "before" picture is what an unprotected hardwood (think worn guitar neck!) surface looks like after a lot of use. Note the gray areas. The "after" photo shows the same floor "after" tung oil application. There is simply NO WAY that tung oil alone is responsible for the huge improvement--that floor was sanded, then tung-oiled. They don't mention that 90% of the work and the mess, is in the sanding, making it look like a simple oil wipe is responsible for the obvious glow. If that floor had been wiped without sanding it, it would have DARKER gray areas where the gray areas are in the "Before" shot.

That's off topic, but this sort of advert really grinds my gears.

Seth, here's a good solution for your between sets dilemma:

Go to your local auto parts store and buy a bottle or can of Meguiar's Yellow Wax #26. Buy also a few of those circular foam/terrycloth wax applicators with the sewn edges. Rub a good amount of the Meguiar's into an applicator, and put it into a ziplock Baggie. Leave another applicator dry. Pack both into your case. Between sets, wipe down with the waxy one and wipe the wax film off with the other (dry) one. Should take no longer than 30 seconds. This setup will last several months as long as you keep the Baggie sealed between uses. When it gets dry, add more wax. I prefer the bottle, but the paste wax in a can works just as well.

[valenti]

Paul
Agree about that floor comparo, having owned a house with hardwoods...

I'll give your recommendation a try. The Ric literature is rather specific on what to use and what NOT to use on the guitar itself, but sadly says nothing about day to day upkeep with the neck. One question, however. I went to the Meguiar's site and here's what it says about the yellow 26:

"Hi-Tech Yellow Wax is a premium yellow Carnauba wax blended with silicones, polymers and other waxes."

I thought just the mere mention of silicone(s) on the web site was grounds for banishment? Would I be better off with a pure wax without silicones?

[jingle_jangle]

Good point. I've not checked their ingredients list lately. I've got an old bottle (I'm talking 1996 here...) and they do reformulate on a regular basis.

Yes, I'd avoid the silicone here. Then here's an alternate:

A week or so ago, Joey Vasco asked me about Butcher's Boston wax to maintain a fretboard. I gently steered the conversation away. Let me steer it back (because the necks on these are finished with a matte varnish, and the fretboards that he was referring to were not finished at all).

Same procedure (pad in Baggie, clean second pad, both in case...) but two other natural waxes in paste form are good here: Johnson's Paste Wax (for furniture and floors, yellow can with red stripe, one pound can, $12.99), and Butcher's Boston Amber Paste Wax, red and black can, one pound can, $11.99.

Both of these are the standard for cleaning and polishing wood floors and furniture the old-fashioned way. I've used both on desks and my 1904 Greene and Greene umbrella stand grandfather clock, and they're great. They do contain petroleum distillates, but that's not an issue in the case of a matte finish anyway, because you don;t have to build up successive coats for gloss!

These won't get wasted, either--loads of uses around the house. Either one is highly recommended and no silicone.

[valenti]

I get some this weekend. I assume I can't use Zymol (which works so well on my other Rics)?

[mfb]

Let me steer it back (because the necks on these are finished with a matte varnish, and the fretboards that he was referring to were not finished at all).

I was under the impression that the 650S, as the 650D, was oil finished and not varnished. Am I incorrect or am I reading that sentence wrongly?

Nevertheless I use eucalyptus oil (sparingly) on my 650D, both on the back of the neck (just a small dab on a rag, wipe dry and that's it) and to clean in between the frets (cotton bud tips and wipe with a clean rag). It's not sticky, dries fairly quickly and it's amazing how it removes the soiled spots.

http://www.fgb.com.au/ProductProfiles/BosEucOilPP.htm

...it also helps with sinus ... fantastic stuff.

[jingle_jangle]

You're correct, Manual. I slipped up there. It is an oil finish. Thanks for the correction. (I say this as I look at my 380L; same finish).

I've not used eucalyptus oil. But I like the smell...and if it's a pure aromatic oil, it should work pretty well. Oils like linseed and tung would probably also work, but they do leave a semi-permanent film that should be occasionally stripped using naphtha or they get pretty gunky and dirty.

Seth, the neck is not a high-gloss surface, so it needs a different sort of material to treat it. Hence my paste wax recommendation.

[ken_j]

Paul, I was wondering if you are familiar with Lustre Products Beeswax Wood Preserver? Supposedly an old world formula containing beeswax, carnuba, orange oil, and petroleum distillates but no silicones. I pickup up some of this at a wood working show for use on an antique table but thought that it may work here.

I also have an old can of Meguires pure carnuba paste wax (no cleaner) from 30 years ago.

[jingle_jangle]

I purchased a similar product, if not the same product, at Restoration Hardware (same ingredients, same packaging, different label). Probably a proprietary bottling. I used it on some furniture and it was fine. I'd suggest trying it and seeing if it gets sticky with use. If it does, it can always be taken off with naphtha, and you can use it on furniture instead.

[ken_j]

Thanks. My 650 has CV so I will only use it on the furniture. I was asking for curiosity, future use, and as an alternative for those asking.