Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I recently did a tung oil treatment on my Cheyenne. It looks pretty good, but I would like a little more gloss on the walnut parts. I'm thinking about a little wax. Has anyone tried this? Would it be a problem?

Try beeswax.

Richard and Chris: Having used beeswax on furniture for more years than I can remember, I would not be wild about trying it.

Beeswax, even in small amounts, can get very gummy and picks up dust and residue quite easily. Also, depending on the humidity you may not like the way it behaves. I find that even when well polished it gets sticky when it becomes very humid, a characteristic that you might not like on your guitar.

I have never tried Beeswax on a guitar so my experience using in on furniture may not be relevant here. I do know, that should you decide you don't like beeswax, you will be quite sometime trying to remove it. Bees play for keeps!

I would be inclined to consult RIC, who undoubtedly have given this matter some thought over the years, before venturing down this road.

I tried beeswax on my old Ibanez once and it was a desaster. When you start sweating under the spotlights the wax becomes sticky and at one point it starts to look like the glue you find under a Gatorade bottle sticker!!!
I will not use that anymore...and defenitely not on my Rics!!!

I was thinking more along the line of Johnson's paste wax applied very thin. Johnson's is used on floors, and I have never seen it get gummy. I may experiment on the back of the body first.

I waxed a bass with bowling alley wax once. I do not recommended that at all. I think they make it so it has some friction for the balls as they go down the alley or something. It was also extremely hard to get off and when you put your hand on the neck at any point it did not want to move, was terrible.

Why not look into a tung oil-urethane blend. There are a number of tung oil products that are blended with another material. I would consult RIC before using anything.

Maybe Paul could chime in here.

Here's the tip:

Butcher's Boston Wax or Johnson's Paste Wax for floors. They go on like a dream, buff beautifully, and last.

Both are available in larger hardware stores or home centers, in the familiar flat can with the pry-off lid.

Yes, there are others that work, but to detail all of them would take up too much space. These two are universally available and easy to use. They can also be removed with naphtha if necessary to clean the guitar.

DO NOT use Pledge, Pride, or any sort of liquid. Bowling alley wax is too gummy.

So, I went ahead and put a nice light coat of Johnson's on the walnut parts of the bass. Looks really nice. Adds a glow to the finish. When I get my gold strap buttons from Mike Parks, I will post a couple of pictures.

Glad it worked out for you!

Smells pretty good, too, doesn't it?

Paul -

Yep -- smells good. I have used Johnson's for at least 40 years. The can I have might be 20 years old. The last previous use for it was to wax some wooden drawer glides. They were so slick that my wife pulled one drawer clear out and dropped it on the floor. She was used to it sticking a little!