[Slightly O.T.]: Unfinished Wood Instruments

[Googster]

Sorry to veer off-topic, but my question specifically concerns a guitar I own. However, it could just as easily apply to a mandolin, mandola or bouzouki someone might have lying around. I figured with all the luthiers, do-it-yourselfers, tinkerers and enthusiasts here, someone's bound to be able to help me.

Unfinished wood instruments are the issue: I bought a little no-name guitar at a flea market about 15 years ago as an impulse buy. The body was entirely stripped down to raw wood when I bought it. The neck had (original?) paint on it, but some of that has worn away by now. I thought, what the heck, I'll bring home this little beater, stick it in the corner and use it as the "house axe" till it falls apart.

As much as I've subjected this poor thing to neglect and abuse, it has only gotten better-sounding and more playable over the years. It has a simple, warm, honest tone, great for fingerstyle blues. Plays like butter with near-perfect intonation. It's actually my go-to these days, while my $$$ models spend more time sleeping in their cases.

Well, I've been feeling awfully guilty. This old friend deserves better. I want give this humble guitar a rebirth for the Christmastide.

If you're still reading, and interested, I've provided some below to illustrate some of the details that follow.

1. I need to clean the wood first of all, as there's nearly two decades of dirt in the pores. You can see the outline of dirt around the pickguard (temporarily removed), etc. How does one go about deep-cleaning a raw-wood instrument? I've heard conflicting things. No water-based anything? No commercial furniture wood cleaners? I'm dying to take some kind of soap to it, but I'm resisting the temptation till I learn more.

2. Once it's cleaned, how best to nourish, protect and preserve the wood? I like the raw wood vibe. Should I put a polyurethane on it, or will something like a boiled linseed oil treatment do?

3. What about this neck that’s got paint worn off? Should I strip that and treat it, somehow differently than the body? What would I use to strip it? Just sandpaper? And the fretboard--it’s almost like a rosewood veneer that’s worn off in spots. Besides a cleaning (suggestions?) I’m thinking I’ll leave that alone for now.

4. The tuners: Simichrome and a little 3-in-1?

5. I took it on a road trip to Santa Fe in the middle of winter, and within 24 hours it had developed the crack you see in the back. (I am wracked with remorse.) Can something be done to prevent this from worsening? How would I (or, more likely, a luthier) repair something like that? Or can I just leave it?

I'm not terribly concerned about restoring this guitar to like-new condition. The nicks, scrapes and wear are part of its charm for me. So is the raw wood. I just want to take better care of it, intervene in its decay, because I sort of owe it a debt; it has served me far better than I have served it. I'd like my son to play this sweet old instrument someday.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Good tidings!

Googster

[Big Joe]

The purpose of the finish is to protect the wood exposed to normal every day life, much like a table or chair. If left unfinished it can cause many issues and the wood will develop many issues over time that may affect its life. Would finish prevent the issue you see with the back crack? Possibly, but cracks develop in wood due to rapid alterations in humidity. Finish may have helped, but may not have prevented this kind of damage. On the other hand, the finish does help retard the speed humidity changes may affect an instrument.

Your guitar should have improved in tone over the years. That is a fairly common experience. Depending upon the kind of finish you would have applied, the tone may or may not have improved to such a degree. One of the reasons nitro cellulose is used for a finish on an instrument is because it will allow the instrument to improve over time as the wood ages and progresses. Some heavy poly finishes are like dipping the instrument in plastic and not much improvement is likely to happen.

You are fortunate not to have more damage to the wood without finish. It certainly can be refinished and its look and integrity restored. Needless to say, the back crack certainly needs attention. Overall you are very fortunate your guitar has not self destructed, but we restore lots of old instruments where the finish has disappeared and the instrument has survived. It may need lots of work, but it has survived.

Pictures offer an interesting view to an instrument, but don't tell a very complete story. From the photos it appears there may be some finish left on the instrument producing the gloss seen in the photo. However, a flash may cause that appearance as well.

[AKmusic]

Just my personal feelings - but I don't think I'd do anything to it- as far as a "finish" is concerned. After 2 decades of giving you pleasure and enjoyment the way it is, it deserves to be remembered for what it has been - not what you think it needs to be. Again, my personal feelings.

Especially if the tone of the instrument it sounds good to you now. A finish will change the tone, maybe not enought to really notice, but it will change. But more importantly it will change the guitar, or better - it won't ever be the same as it was. How important is that to you?

I have an old Kalamazoo KG-14 that is in pretty rough shape - 5 cracks in the top and back, worn places all over, etc. I put her back in good repair and playing condition. I don't care about the cracks or other stuff, how does she play and what does she sound like? It sounds great and I love her just the way she is, and I think she likes it too. I'm afraid to do anything that would loose that "mojo".

But I do appreciate your sentiments. Sometimes we feel the need to give back after receiving so much.

Maybe a good cleaning, and maybe a visit to a luthier for a once over or to tweek where you might think it would help. Definitely give it plenty of playing time.

[Googster]

Joe, AKmusic and all:

Thanks for the two (so far) responses to my post. Both very informative, inspiring and heartening--even though they're also contradictory in some ways. No problem there: I can hang with that.

Perhaps I tried to cover too much in my initial post. I certainly plan to bring her in (or send her off) to a luthier for some professional advice/TLC after the holiday crush, but what I most need at this point is to give her a good cleaning.

1). I need some advice on how to deep-clean the unfinished wood (or wood with perhaps a very thin, decayed finish).

2). Will the application of some boiled linseed oil now impede the future possibility of applying a nitrocellulose?

Thanks!

Googster

[Big Joe]

If you want to clean it, that is a simple process. Do not put any linseed or other products on the wood that may be difficult to remove for later finish work. It is really not needed at this point.

If you want to clean, use warm soapy water with a very soft cotton / terry rag. Get the rag damp, not really wet. Scrub carefully with the damp rag. You will be amazed how much crud you will pick up. Repeat if needed. Rinse in the same manner. Use a clean terry rag and clean water. Wipe the instrument with the damp rag and get as much of the soapy water removed as possible. When you are finished washing, dry carefully with a dry terry rag. Do you best to get it dry. It my be easier to do a section at a time. Ie... top first, then back, then rims, then neck. Use the same process, wash, rinse, dry with each section.

When you are done with the above procedure and are sure you have it where you want it, then wipe it with a good micro fiber cloth. Your guitar will be in good shape cleanliness wise and nothing to harm it for future considerations. Water and a good soft, clean rag will do more than all the polishes and most cleaners on the market today. Many of the cleaners are designed to be used on top of finish products. They do not apply well to unfinished wood.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me and I will do my best to guide you through the process.

[Googster]

Thanks, Joe. Beautiful. I'll get right on it!

[dunwell]

Joe, regarding your suggestion of soap and water. I'm sure that would work fine but in the past for anything with exposed wood I had always been told to clean gently, just as you describe, but using TSP (trisodium phospnate) as the cleaner. I have done this with success when refinishing wood furniture such as chairs, etc. Any thoughts on using it here?

Alan D.

[Googster]

Yes, interesting, Alan: I remember reading somewhere on a recent search the suggestion that dishwasher detergent be used on an unfinished wood instrument. According to wiki, sodium triphosphate , a water softener, is a main component in dishwasher soap. Wiki also stipulated that trisodium phosphate is "not to be confused with" sodium triphosphate. (Seems to me if they didn't want confusion, they could have named these better.) Sounds crazy, but does it work?

[dunwell]

TSP is a standard cleaner for projects like hanging wallpaper. After you have stripped the paper and scraped/washed off the glue, etc, you use a TSP wash to de-grease and super clean the surface before gluing on the new paper. It is also used in furniture refinishing for cleaning between coats or cleaning a sanded-off unknown finish, and especially for the combined cleaning and raising grain steps of fresh wood. Usually available as a box of powder from your friendly Ace Hdwr or similar in the paint section or with household cleaners. And just to confuse things even more, IIRR the usual cleaning ingredient in shampoos is sodium siloaluminate. Where is our resident chemist that can sort it all out for us?

Alan D.