Cleaning a 59' Gibson ES-330

[twangthang]

Hi All,

I'm a new member and want to start out by saying hey, nice site you have here! Now for the matter at hand: I just bought a 59' Gibson ES-330 TD sunburst from a friend who has had it for 15 years or so. The pickups are awesome and I enjoy playing it very much. The biggest drawback, however, is a layer (layers) of grunge and a strong smell of cigar smoke which permeates the guitar and case. I'm assuming a fair amount of the surface grunge is also tobacco related. One of the local vintage dealers who looked at it when we were determining price said it should be professionally cleaned. So, any idea where I might find tips on cleaning an istrument like this, and suggestions on how to reduce the cigar oder vibe would be greatly appreciated. What do the pro cleaners use? The dealer I spoke with didn't want to reveal too much about materials or techniques. Thanks,
twangthang

[jackaroo]

Hi, and welcome aboard!

I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't buff the guitar clean- Do not use any mechanical cleaning. In fact, I'd caution against vigorous cleaning by hand. The rubbing compounds used will remove a layer of the lacquer along with the tobacco and mung. So if and when the guitar is viewed under a blacklight to authenticate the finish...it reads funky. People then start to question the validity and originality of the finish, and that in turn affects the value of the instrument.

People here will say..."get virtuoso polish" and that can work, but honestly I think it's a little harsh and needs to be used very sparingly. Additionally, a used guitar that's been super buffed can look a little funny and unnatural, some bits being totally shiny, and others worn out looking- a little incongruous.

So, just be cautious as the guitar sounds like a good find, and certainly is a real collectible. Congrats on the score!

Cheers,

Jack

[esoteric pete]

ive had finish cleaning problems on old gibbys before...

what usually happens is you go to clean it w/ polish or something, and the cloth basically sticks to the laquer after a few wipes, ending in a very dull look on the laquer....always a bummer when that happens...but how do we properly clean these old beauties?

i'd like to know too!

[clemduolian]

Get the Gerlitz spray cleaner (they also make a paste wax..but you don't need that). It's gentle, finish safe and smell pretty good. Great stuff. Also the Gerlitz Honey Oil is the best spray treatment for rosewood and ebony fingerboards. Harvey G. makes great stuff.

[esoteric pete]

im just afraid that if i use any polish and any cloth that it will just stick to the finish like i described above....

[seafoamer]

Leave it alone! You'll wipe the mojo right off it. Grant Green's 330 would prolly set off smoke alarms now.

[esoteric pete]

Originally Posted by seafoamer

Grant Green's 330 would prolly set off smoke alarms now.

where is that 330 now? i wonder....

[dewman]

check out Dan Earlwines book on guitar repair. he uses spit first, some light naptha in the right places, and only if necessary a polish or buffing compound. I'd air the case out. Let it sit in direct sunlight to help get the smell out. House the guitar in a separate case if you can as the case airs out. You might want to by a package of activated charcoal or baking soda to help absorb the odors in the case. The guitar probably needs a lot of time out of the case to help clean out the odors as well. Spit works amazingly well and is chock full of digestive enymes which can help break down water soluble gunk and crud. Check out Dan's book though. Its pretty well outlined in there.

[photoguy]

When my 65 J50 went into the shop for some repairs, my guitar guy (Bill Tippin/Tippin Guitars) cleaned off 30 years of nicotine with Virtuoso cleaner and polish. I couldn't believe how nice the guitar looked after he was done. I've become a big fan of the cleaner and polish ever since.