Maintaining vintage instrument

[gorantzhe]

I bought this beauty recently, [Ibanez AS200 '81] and I'm very aware of what kind of guitar care product will I use as I read that many guitar polishes contains silicone witch can be bad for your instrument. This is my first vintage guitar and most expensive guitar I have, so I don't want to mess up something :-( AS200 haves nitro-cellulose lacquer.

I have few questions,

1. What do you use for maintaining body varnish and fingerboard? Dunlop, Gibson, Planet Waves...etc. Guitar care products?

2. I read that lemon oil can damage inlays?

3. How often should I polish my instrument? Is frequent polishing good or bad?

4. Is Carnauba Wax any good?

5. I like GHS Fast Fret for strings maintaining, but read recently that contains silicone?

Thanks for your replies,
Cheers,
Goran

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Maintaining vintage instrument

I'm not a vintage specialist by any means but the less compounds you put on it, the better off you should be.

Just wipe it with a clean cloth. Moisturize the fretboard a few times/year (there are different products out there) I use linseed oil but I know some people around here who will tell you otherwise.

Just keep it clean with as few chemicals or products you can... should be perfect as long as you take care of it.

 

[shredaholic]

Re: Maintaining vintage instrument

I wouldn't be too disappointed that it's got a nitrocellulose finish - that means that the wood can breathe and will age with time, making the guitar sound better and better as the wood dries out. If it's 25 years old, it should sound pretty good already!

 

[gorantzhe]

Re: Maintaining vintage instrument

No, you didn't get me right
Of course i'm glad about nitrocelulose finish, tonewise, and guitar is best piece I ever hold for my 10 years of active gutar playing, just sounds amazing. And that's why i'm too picky about what gutar care product to use. Afraid to screw up something. I just think that nitrocelulose finishes are less resistant than polyurethane, and must be threated carefully.