Questions about 1980's guitar cleanup and servicing?

  I have a "Martin Stinger SSL-10" Electric Guitar. It has the Floyd Rose Tremolo system on it.

I am kicking myself to this day because for some strange reason I changed all the settings on the floyd rose and I don't know why I done that.

The rollers on the thing are at least 20 years out of use, it's the guitar I've been playing with but I can tell the high "E" string just has a flat sound as soon as I hit any note on that string because of the roller on the floyd rose bridge.

My question is, I'm going to do some servicing with this guitar, I have some new strings so I figured it was time to do a full house cleanup on the whole Electric Guitar.

I've heard some crazy advice in the past as to where or what might be helpful. But I know most everyone reading these forums knows how to service their guitar for the most part.


Here's a few things that I heard in the late 80's, that I thought about trying, BUT I DUNNO if they are good or bad????

1st : On the volume switches/treble/bass/pickup switch : I was told a long time ago that WD40 worked great on those switches because dust would build up in the electronics.

2nd : I had somebody tell me that using rubbing alcohol on the strings to clean them from time to time.
 

3rd : I was thinking of taking apart and soaking my entire Floyd Rose tremolo bridge system in oil, is that a mistake? Well, I have to try and readjust it anyway, it's all outa whack so to speak.

4th : I don't know why I done this, the original Floyd Rose system for this guitar had 3 springs which are still there, but I added two more from a used guitar I purchased a long time ago. The up and down screws on the floyd rose system - I dunno what they actually do, but I have noticed that by trying to go back to 3 springs that the keeps the tremolo outa what no matter how I adjust the inside the body screws for the tension.....

These are just a few thoughts.

Sorry, I ain't no tech and I know you can GOOGLE this stuff but google doesn't always give REAL advice, it gives ideals most of the time IMO.

Thanks in advance.

Bobby

I strongly recommend you take the guitar to capable guitar tech/luthier...

1. No... do not use WD-40 on the electronics. WD leaves a residue that will attract and hold dirt and dust.  Use contact cleaner and be careful not to get it on the finish.

2. No to Alcohol. Alcohol will dry the wood. Use a product specifically made to clean and moisturize the fret board. I use Alvarez fingerboard conditioner and Carnauba Lemon wax polish.

3. Oil...probably not.... I would consider removing it from the guitar and using WD-40 or some other penetrating light oil to clean and free up the dirty parts. Once it's clean and moving freely, I would clean it using alcohol to remove ALL the oil and lubricate it ONLY if the mfg recommends it...which I doubt.

4. 3 springs or 5?.... Well Floyd designed it to work on 3...... however, if the mod you made to 5 works well for you, leave it.

My SG has a whammy bar system on it..... not a FR, and no springs.  Tuning is a balancing act. Once it's tuned, it will hold that tuning perfectly. If I break a string, the balance is immediately upset and the tuning of the remaining 5 strings is lost.

I have also noticed that tuning and intonation suffer as the strings get older and worn. The older strings are, you will notice that the underside of the string develop grooves. That groove occurs at each fret where the string is rubbed against the fret and those grooves change the mass and therefore the ability of that string to be perfectly in tune at every fret. So if you have old strings, swap them for new first.

papa2005


I strongly recommend you take the guitar to capable guitar tech/luthier...

I'm sure that's the best advice for most, "BUT", I will tell you my experience with going to the techs. "VERY BAD".

This store which I will not name, which was supposed to be "THE BEST" in the late 1980's, my brother took his guitar to them.

 His entire purpose mainly was to buy a new pickup and have them install it, remember as I said these were the best and well known at the time. This group of so called "TECHS" serviced most of the southeastern united states churches systems at the time around my region.

To make a long story short, he told them he needed the guitar in 2 weeks, they said no problem we'll have it done by then.

He went and picked it up 2 weeks later and brought it home to practice with me and a few friends, well, not only was THE PICKUP NOT EVEN HOOKED UP, these so called TECH "AND WELL KNOWN FOR BEING SO" techs had adjusted the neck on his guitar making it out of tune.

It's become my experience, and no offense meant at all that your better off to learn how to do these things yourself than to PAY SOMEONE MONEY on something anyone can learn to do, the reason why is - "EVERYBODY IS AN EXPERT WHEN YOU PUT A BUNCH OF MONEY IN THEIR FACE" at least that's been my experience.

No offense meant, and I know you meant well by your comment, if I come across as a jerk then I apologize. I'm just telling you why I will never send my guitar to the so called tech experts from personal family members experience.

Bobby

Freeze,

You should NOT use rubbing alcohol on your guitars...

Guitarhacker


OK to clarify, using a piece of cloth damp (not soaked and dripping) with alcohol to clean the strings is OK to do. I usually take a damp cloth, and pass it under the strings between the pickups. There's plenty of room there to do this with no danger of getting the alcohol on the fretboard or the body finish. The pickguard is pretty impervious to the alcohol. Then simply slide the damp cloth down the string a few times and move to the next. repeating that for all 6 strings. The dirt and grime will build up under the strings and this is a very good way to clean them.

I will also use the fretboard cleaner and conditioner in the same manner. that will also clean the strings.

It's a good idea to clean the guitar lightly and the fretboard and strings after every gig.  The sweat, if left on, will corrode the metal parts of the bridge, and the pickups too.

Thanks Herb. I haven't thought of this kinda stuff in a long time. I really needed to put on some new strings and do some cleaning and adjusting on this electric I play.

I finally got everything finished after hours of working on it. I can tell ya this much : "I'm in shock as to how much better this guitar sounds, and not just because of the new strings".  There was a lot of things that were just off on this guitar.

Before when I would start playing high notes the strings would just go dead, I had to adjust the height a little bit, but now the notes ring like they are supposed to.

Regardless of whether it's right or wrong to start adjusting your guitar, mine needed it badly. I can now use my Whammy bar or tremolo bar without the guitar going out of tune like it was.
This is the best decision I've made in a long time.

Well, sorry for such a long message, but I wanted to say one more thing. I had this person tell me a long time ago in the 80's after asking this self proclaimed pro musician about my why my guitar would go out of tune when I used my trem bar, it was happening every time. 

Well, the reply I got from this person was "You have to learn how to play in tune", LOL I know he meant don't get excessive about hitting the strings, but there should be no reason when just barely touching the trem bar that a guitar should go outa tune IMO, that is unless your breaking in new strings.

I can tell ya this much, I have new strings on this guitar now and since I done a little bit of adjusting it is staying in tune. So I don't buy the "You have to learn to play in tune comment" because there's very little you can do about the trem bar knocking your guitar out of tune when you just barely touch it one time, other than adjust or have it adjusted, or don't use it much or not at all IMO.

LOL, the same person who told me that tried to tell me that Boston couldn't play their music live, LOL, the dude said "You can fool the fans but your not gonna fool the players". LOL, I just laugh when thinking about some of that crap I've heard in the past. LOL, I kinda feel bad for laughing about it because the sad part is, this person actually believed that.

Bobby

For cleaning the entire guitar:

(1) Eucalyptus oil applied to a damp soft cloth and
(2) use a dry lint-free soft cloth immediate afterward.

Caution:
Never use eucalyptus oil concentrated because it's strong, use it very sparingly,  always apply it on a damp cloth and do one area at a time followed by another dry cloth to give it that perfect 'as new' finish).  Use 'pure' eucalyptus oil. Best brand is DoubleD made in Australia.

Eucalyptus oil is also perfect for cleaning the strings!

-

Spacey: I don't clean strings. By the time they're dirty I replace them so I give the guitar/bridge a cleaning.

Surely there's no harm in wiping the strings and neck after use/daily?

I wipe the strings and neck because my fingers and hands tend to sweat a lot. And I don't like the grime that quickly builds up because of that.

Sweat contains mild acids and salt and some people have higher levels of it. This is not so good on wood or other finishes.

LOL!! I agree about boiling the strings, and each to their own (ways of cleaning/maintenance)  :-)

I always make sure my hands are clean before handling guitars, keyboards or any studio gear, but unfortunately for me my sweat is an annoyance, I hate the sweat.  I have to keep a lint-free cotton cloth with me, and during live performances.   Not so bad for guitar although after just one day I can actually see the grime build-up on 'new' strings, the worse is playing keyboards since it's does get very slippery when my hands/fingers sweat.  Kinda, sorta like driving a car on a icy  muddy road with bald tires :lol:

SongCraft


LOL!! I agree about boiling the strings, and each to their own (ways of cleaning/maintenance)  :-)

LOL, boiling the strings, that's funny.

I know what your saying about having sweaty hands, I have that problem myself, I have it to the point that I have to keep a towel handy myself.

I always wash my hands before playing guitar, but I sweat enough to have a need for cleaning the strings periodically. I don't let anybody play my guitar, I have saw people do some stupid things to guitars in the past.

One of the worst things I saw was this dude let someone else play his electric guitar - "Well, bad ideal because there was no whammy bar so this dude's method for tremolo was to hold on the neck and press real hard on the body of the guitar", it was funny to watch, but it wasn't funny if you know what I mean, I can't remember the model but it was an old guitar.

Bobby

Agreed: alcohol is a definite no-no. Use contact cleaner for pots and switches. I disagree with Papa: there's nothing a luthier/tech can do that you can't, when it comes to setup. However, I haven't cleaned my strings in 20 years, but I haven't gigged in a few years so..........I don't sweat as much at home, which is to say, offstage. The last time I boiled strings was also 20 or more years ago. Strings are cheap online. That dead string sounds like a too low action, if just adjusting it up took care of it. Sometimes the saddle develops a groove that the string slips into to deaden it.

mcourter


Agreed: alcohol is a definite no-no. Use contact cleaner for pots and switches. I disagree with Papa: there's nothing a luthier/tech can do that you can't, when it comes to setup. However, I haven't cleaned my strings in 20 years, but I haven't gigged in a few years so..........I don't sweat as much at home, which is to say, offstage. The last time I boiled strings was also 20 or more years ago. Strings are cheap online. That dead string sounds like a too low action, if just adjusting it up took care of it. Sometimes the saddle develops a groove that the string slips into to deaden it.

I have a 80's Floyd Rose system on my guitar, since I've adjusted things it seems to be holding the tuning better than it ever has, although this might have to do with me taking the time to do everything I could the right way for a change.

Anyway, I wanted to ask you, I've always heard this about new strings, I've had people tell me "You've just got to break those strings in so they'll stay in tune".

I know they have to stretch a little bit, but I've had them tell me things in the 80's stuff like - "Just go nuts with your Whammy bar and hold down the strings at various areas and that will break them in quick, then you can tune them".

To me that sounds more like wearing them out. I'm having to do very little tuning on the guitar now and I have new strings. I think since I feel I have my guitar setup right that the best way to break them in would be to just keep on playing and tuning.

I could see where a person could hit a note and tune and continue doing that for a long time, but that doesn't seem to be the case with my new settings.

Do you think there is a need at anytime to try and "BREAK IN" your strings by doing heavy bends or using the whammy bar?

I think I'm doing the right thing by just playing and using a Tuner from time to time.

Although I should mention, keep in mind the Floyd Rose system I have only goes flat and there is a locking nut at the top, so the only tuning keys I have are the ones on the whammy bar. It might be different for someone using a regular guitar. Not sure.

Bobby

gamblerschoice


I always tune new strings at least a half step sharp when they first go on. I'll start at the low E, tune it to F, then leave it, go to the A, tune it to A#, leave it and go on up the set. Then, retune each string to the correct pitch.

Not fool proof, the strings will still want to stretch a bit as they settle in, but that sharp up was a trick an old bluegrass player taught me almost forty years ago. He was probably as old as I am now, gray and grizzled and callouses as thick as matchbooks, so I figured he must have known what he was talking about. Remember, this was a time before the internet, no google, had to actually talk to people and trust their experience.

Wow, that was a long time ago...

Later
Albert

Thanks Albert, but that leads me to another question.

"If the strings ever do settle in for a person", does that mean that they are not using their entire guitar to the fullest that they should or might should be doing so?

If it's always in tune and your playing the same guitar does that mean you are too repetitious on things?

I can tell ya this much, I play a lot of two toned melodies, bar chords, and sometimes 3-4 note chords, but my genre of music is 80's hard rock for the most part and tuning the guitar is more than standard sometimes.

A lot of times to get that crunch sound you have to tune to specific chords. I've found this to be true with any guitar.

I think they need to change the term from "Standard Tuning" to "Tuning of Preference".

I think every Genre of music has weird tunings. I like to use Drop D tuning and F and something I haven't posted nothing with which is C# tuning. Although I ain't no pro. I just find it interesting and have several questions about the subject.  I'm liking to ask questions again for the first time in a long time, and Music has become fun once again. I think that's all it should ever be about IMO.

Sorry to change the subject, but I think putting new strings on and how to deal with them is a pretty good subject to discuss for everyone, because we all use them in different ways whether we realize it or not ya know.

Thanks again Albert,

Bobby

gamblerschoice


Not sure what you mean by "settlte in", but in my mind, the strings settle in after the first two or three songs. But they never "stay in tune". For instance, in between songs on stage, I check them. Every three to four songs, one or two strings may need adjustments. If I set it down on the stand for a break, when I pick it up, it will get tuned. First thing, as soon as it gets picked up from overnight, it gets tuned. All after the strings have "settled in".

For tuning standards, I use the electric tuners, set to 440 A, and tune as precisely as possible. While I have played guitars with poor intonation due to poor set up or old age or just a cheap guitar, I would tune first to acurate standards, and then test the intonation and make adjustments as/if necessary.

That being said, I have never had to adjust the tuning due to the type of song. If I had to "de-tune" the guitar to play power chords, then I would not be playing those songs very often. Drop D tunings and open tuning, ie., tuning to a chord, are not "weird" tunings, but tools that are used for a multitude of reasons, including fingering, slide work, and style. But intentional de-tuning to satisfy distortion is a little out of my league.

Part of my problem here might be that I have always considered the '80's and most of the '90's as lost decades. From the late '70's to the mid '90's, music took a break, nothing I can think of that made the top 40 or regular airplay was memorable.

But, that is a personal preference thing, and not anything more than opinion. Not meant as argument, just a personal observation. My "smilies" don't work, the anti-virus blocks them, so I can't place editorial visualizations.

Later
Albert

Sorry, I"m terrible at explaining things. What I was trying to ask was if there are any special steps a person should take that can make their new guitar strings stay in tune better besides just playing the guitar. But you've already answered that question in your reply. Thanks.

As for the comment on the '70's to the mid '90's, I know what your saying. I guess it all depends really on what you like to listen to.

I can't say that I grew up listening to music from that time span only, growing up I listened to mostly Elvis and old country records and the Monkee's for the most part, it was about all I had to listen to, although we did have this one record that was ironically called Oldies Hits around the late 70's, it had Leader Of The Pack and Rebel Rouser I think it was called.... Not sure, it was mostly old 1950-60's music, I wish I still had that record because I liked the music on all those songs - "Notice I didn't say OLD SONGS" - the reason why is if it's good music it never gets old to hear IMO. LOL, I had to double check this message to make sure I didn't type "We had this old CD in 1977".

Either way, thanks for taking the time Albert,

Thanks again,

Bobby