Da Wonder Wipies...

[jaxadam]

For some reason, my friends like to bring me their guitars to set-up and what-not... I'm gonna start charging...

Well, I've had a few POS's come my way lately, and let me tell you, Da Wonder Wipies turned these things into brand-spankin' new guitars. I've been leaving all of the other stuff in the drawer...

I'll take some before and afters of the next one I do, with a good camera.

I had a nice (well, when it was purchased) Gibson Les Paul Custom brought to me that looked like it had been stored in a smoke room and snotted on for about 6 months, not to mention completely out of whack. I thought I was going to have to get some turpentine out...

Well, I threw on some of those fretboard conditioner wipes, and *Wha-LA!*, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel! With a little elbow grease, the body started to look brand new (well, almost... aside from things that NOTHING would fix...).

I'm a pretty big fan of the fretboard conditioner ones. I did a Schecter Omen 7 tonight that was absolutely disgusting; that fretboard looked like it was gonna crack if I looked at if funny.

My buddy is going to be pretty impressed when he picks it up...

I've used the fretboard conditioner wipes on about 5 guitars now, and I've got to say, I'm really digging them. Two ebony boards, and the rest rosewood.

I like the fact that they do the job, and don't leave you with a soaking fretboard you have to put in the oven for 4 hours.

Anyway, after all of this, if any of you guys are on the fence, these things are pretty cool, very convenient, and get the job done.

This is a phone-cam pic of the Schec I did tonight. Notice the wonderwipes didn't take out the huge ding in the bottom left portion of the body. So it looks *almost* brand-new...

P.S. That fretboard looked orange compared to the body. Now it looks normal.

 

[jongitarz]

I told y'all.....Good schtuff huh?

 

[candid_x]

Likewise, I'm surprised and very impressed with the fretboard Wipes, and also how well they work on MM maple necks, front and back. But it made the rosewood board look like a piece of fine furniture. The necks are slicker to play on too, though not at all greasy or waxy feeling.

I never use polish, wax or cleaner on hard guitar finishes, but based on the fretboard Wipes, I'm having second thoughts about it.

The string Wipes are good too, but the fretboard Wipes blow me away.

 

[Spudmurphy]

I never use polish, wax or cleaner on hard guitar finishes

I don't use any polish either on my AL.

I use a cloth with a couple of drops of lighter fluid on it, and polish off the fingerprints etc.

Because I don't use wax on the AL the 'prints don't seem to show quite so much!!

Maybe I'll be in the USA in August and I'll buy some wipes then - in the meantime I'll carry on using a drop of lemon oil.

 

[Larry]

I used fretboard conditioner on my Taylor last night. Made a world of a difference.

 

[JSX]

It looks pretty damn shiny to me.

 

[candid_x]

I don't use any polish either on my AL.

I use a cloth with a couple of drops of lighter fluid on it, and polish off the fingerprints etc.

Because I don't use wax on the AL the 'prints don't seem to show quite so much!!

Maybe I'll be in the USA in August and I'll buy some wipes then - in the meantime I'll carry on using a drop of lemon oil.

For prints I'll use a warm, damp cloth. If it's really bad, I'll add a tiny amount of dish soap. Lighter fluid seems pretty dodgy to me . Alcohol (not the beer kind ) would be safer, imo, and also cuts through oil and grease. I agree that polish/wax only increases finger printing and smudges. Maybe the Wipes work around this somehow?

WW are not available in the UK? If you'd like, Spud, I can order some for you and ship them to you. You pay all postage, of course.

 

[robelinda2]

man i cannot wait until us aussies get some wonder wipes, whats taking so long?!?!??!!?

 

[lock-ny]

Do the fretboard wipes clean up the frets as well? It must be the climate of my house because my frets keep getting nasty and filmy -

 

[candid_x]

Do the fretboard wipes clean up the frets as well? It must be the climate of my house because my frets keep getting nasty and filmy -

They appear to, yes. But mine weren't in especially bad shape when I used the Wipes, so maybe someone else can offer a more educated answer. I can say with certainty that they leave no film, and they left my frets shiny and clean.

 

[Spudmurphy]

For prints I'll use a warm, damp cloth. If it's really bad, I'll add a tiny amount of dish soap. Lighter fluid seems pretty dodgy to me . Alcohol (not the beer kind ) would be safer, imo, and also cuts through oil and grease. I agree that polish/wax only increases finger printing and smudges. Maybe the Wipes work around this somehow?

WW are not available in the UK? If you'd like, Spud, I can order some for you and ship them to you. You pay all postage, of course.

I guess alcohol would be better. Lighter fluid was a tip passed to me which works just great - only a couple of drops - it doesn't harm the paint - you sayin' mt BCB AL looks bad ! ( Ha! only joking).

Thanks for the offer Bruce - it's just that a have a full stock of "unguents" at the mo and I don't need any wonder wipes just yet. If I'm in the US in August I'll take advantage of the fact that they are cheaper over there and get some.

Spud

 

[jongitarz]

Lighter fluid contains naptha. Naptha has been used for a long time for cleaning vintage instruments etc. I have used lighter fluid to clean an old '50's Kay archtop that I own, and it worked really well. YMMV...Be careful if you use it, and test a small area that won't be seen if it screws up the finish. And no smoking when you use it!

Wonder wipes are WAY safer!!!

 

[Spudmurphy]

Cheers on that one Jon.
The tip to use lighter fluid was given to me by a luthier here in Cardiff who has been in the business of making guitars from scratch for 25 years or so.

he also uses baby oil on fretboards - he says that it doesn't go all nasty smelling after a while.

I will get some wipes though!!!

 

[candid_x]

Interesting.

No Hendrix impersonations for me.

 

[Brian]

The fretboard conditioner works great on cleaning frets as well. There was a method to our madness in selecting orange oil over lemon oil. Lemon oil actually tends to rust steel alloys. Orange Oil works great cleaning frets and really any metal for that matter. I just tried it on an old penny worked great...

 

[jongitarz]

Yeah, but what I wanna know is how did you like the new axe?

 

[Colin]

man i cannot wait until us aussies get some wonder wipes, whats taking so long?!?!??!!?

they're here in Oz now, I just haven't received them yet

 

[HunterSThompson]

Thank You Sterling

I used the wipes on my fretboard for the first time last week ..Picked them up in Beckley while I was out..So I used them...and you know what..I got 10% more back on my Federal taxes then I thought I would this week..Thanks Sterling & Co.

 

[jaxadam]

Nice Dobe in your Avatar, Brian.

 

[Jodizzle]

Jax, or Adam?
Great post! Glad to hear the WW's are doing their job. We'd love to see before and afters when you get a chance!