Using the maintenance tools and specialised cleaning products included in this department, you can buff up the body, strings, and fretboard of your hard-working axe or even restore a vintage bass to its former glory. And, because most of this maintenance gear is universal, it can be used to polish up your ukulele, banjo, or mandolin as well as your guitar or bass.
Guitar Body Polish
If you're playing your guitar a lot, the sticky and greasy residue left behind by the blood, sweat, tears, and tea-spills of your hard work is unavoidable. Guitars are also dust-magnets, especially when you keep it out rather than locked away inside a gig bag or case. Thankfully, you can pick up plenty of bits and pieces to help keep your guitar in clean and sleek condition. A little polishing solution rubbed in with a microfibre cloth will even get rid of more stubborn stains, and you can take things a step further by applying a special polish or detailer to bring the paint-job up to a fine sheen. If your model has a satin-gloss finish, then you'll only ever want to give it a rub down with a dry microfibre cloth, since polishing solutions can actually leave more stains.
Fretboard Oil
Every time you remove old strings to replace them with a fresh set, it's always a good idea to give the fretboard a good clean. There are a few fretboard-cleaning methods, whether you rub it down with a cloth and a bottle of fretboard polish or give it a light scrub with a specially designed brush. Once you've removed any built up dirt, you can also give the wood a good feed with a conditioning fluid, since it can dry out over time, which doesn't just look bad but can result in cracks - something no guitar ever wants to experience. Porous woods like rosewood will need to be fed about once a year using a special oil, like lemon oil. But if you have a maple fretboard, never ever clean it with lemon oil! Maple is a high-density wood and doesn't need to be oiled, so oiling it will only cause damage. Instead, giving it a thorough clean with a dry and soft cloth every now and then will be enough.
Complete Guitar Cleaning or Maintenance Kits
If you've already been scrolling and scrolling through body and fretboard polish and have no idea what you need, then you might want to opt for a complete guitar cleaning kit. These kits will include all of the most necessary polishes and accessories you'll need to keep your guitar healthy and happy, and each element will be clearly marked with what it's for and what you need to do with it. Cleaning kits will include cleaning fluids, fluids for feeding the wood, and maybe even a polishing cloth, while maintenance kits will come with all of the tools you need to change the strings, set up your guitar, or just make minor adjustments to keep your guitar in optimum playing condition.
Besides standard guitar polish, there are other accessories you can pick up to help keep your instrument in top condition. Keeping a hygrometer and humidifier in your case or in the room where you keep your acoustic guitar can definitely prolong its lifespan, since over the years, the wood can dry out and start to crack. While you're cleaning your fretboard, you can also polish up the frets to make sure that the strings can glide over them smoothly during string-bends. If your guitar keeps dropping out of tune, then you can get lubricating fluid for the nut to stop it making that terrifying 'ping' sound every time you touch a machine head. Of course, if you need to kit yourself out with more specialised guitar tools or want to upgrade or do up a model, then see our complete range of guitar tools and parts.
