Cleaning undercarriage

Ken Williams · Post by **Ken Williams** » 26 May 2006 6:45 pm

I have a 74 Emmons push pull. It has so much smoke stain from playing in bars that the parts underneath look like they are brass plated. Taking the guitar apart is not an option. My question, is there a spray that would remove the stain and return it to it's original color without harming the parts or lubrication? I'm sure something like 409 would remove the stains but would it screw something up?
The steel is 32 years old and hardly had a drop of oil on it. But, it still plays great. It's just that the stain is unsitely.

Ken

John Bechtel · Post by **John Bechtel** » 26 May 2006 7:53 pm

Just turn it right~side~up and play the clean~side! Seriously, If you go to a Cycle~Shop; there used to be a product in about an 8oz.± Can called ‘GUNK’, which can be applied with a sm./med. stiff brush and then wiped off, but; wearing rubber surgical-gloves might be adviseable. On a Cycle, the Gunk was brushed liberally over the entire engine and then hosed-off, which you obviously wouldn't want to do to your guitar surface! But, the GUNK will disolve the crud! Then just wipe it off.

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“Big John”
a.k.a. {Keoni Nui}
Current Equipment

Willis Vanderberg · Post by **Willis Vanderberg** » 1 Jun 2006 10:11 am

Ken;
I use lacquer thinner to clean all the parts. If you don't want to dismantle the under side just use a soft cloth like an old t-shirt and wipe everything down.
I set the guitar in my garage over a lot of newspaper and spray lighter fluid in the changers. When all is clean re lube and it will be good to go.

Old Bud

PS: Caution if your guitar has a lacquer finish,be very careful with the thinner.

Ken Metcalf · Post by **Ken Metcalf** » 1 Jun 2006 12:17 pm

Be careful using lacquer thinner on any thing, Denatured Alcohol is as good at cleaning but safe for lacquer finishes. BUT !! Always test a spot first. I just cleaned my bottom side with electronic spray cleaner recommended by the builder.
I got it at the auto store, and there are two kinds one says not to use on rubber and some plastics. One is safe. Shined it up good, clean and looks new underneath

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Ken Metcalf/ San Antonio
Carson Wells D-10
Super Twin
Peterson

Cal Sharp · Post by **Cal Sharp** » 1 Jun 2006 12:32 pm

Also a '74 Emmons. I did it the hard way. I took every single piece off and cleaned them with SOS pads.

C#
www.calsharp.com

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 1 Jun 2006 12:33 pm

I just cleaned my bottom side with electronic spray cleaner

Robert Leaman · Post by **Robert Leaman** » 1 Jun 2006 4:14 pm

I bought a steam pressure washer from Sears a few years ago and that's what I use to clean my Sierra Session D10. Neither the guitar or the pressure washer has been harmed in any way. This proves Sierra's quality and robust construction. By the way, I clean the guitar outdoors.

Terry Sneed · Post by **Terry Sneed** » 1 Jun 2006 6:34 pm

Ken, the lighter fluid will work good for cleaning all the blackish/oilish stuff. I set mine up on a picknick table in the back yard, and squirt bunches of lighter fluid into the top side of the changer, and work the pedals/knee levers at the same time. I wait till it all drains out, and do the same thing again. It cleans the changer mechanisim purty good. Then I turn it over wipe off all the remaining fluid, and oil all the pivot parts with 3 in 1 machine oil. It seems to free everything up and makes it easier to play. I put vasiline on the balljoint where the pedal rod hooks to the pedal. quietens the clackin some to.

Terry[This message was edited by Terry Sneed on 01 June 2006 at 07:36 PM.]

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 2 Jun 2006 12:56 am

I just went thru this exercise with my Legrande..Don't ask me why...it wasn't even that dirty...

I removed all the rods, all the bellcranks and used "OOPS"...kind of a Thinner sort of stuff..

cleaned up nicely...

t

Ken Williams · Post by **Ken Williams** » 4 Jun 2006 6:27 pm

Thanks guys for all the suggestions. Good job there Cal. The part that you haven't cleaned looks like mine does now.
May try a few things on a test spot and see which works best for my needs.
Thanks again.

Ken

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 4 Jun 2006 6:49 pm

Rubbing alcohol works very well on the metal parts and does not hurt the guitar. I use Orange oil cleaner on the wood. Cleans very well and is good for the wood.

Jim Sliff · Post by **Jim Sliff** » 4 Jun 2006 8:53 pm

"I set the guitar in my garage over a lot of newspaper and spray lighter fluid in the changers. When all is clean re lube and it will be good to go."

Folks, this is often done and is EXTREMELY dangerous.

If you have a gas water heater in your garage, NEVER do solvent cleaning in there, especially with the door closed. Lighter fluid (naphtha) and acetone are the two best cleaning solvents, but they also have very low flash points - the temperature at which fumes will ignite. Being in the paint business as a "day job" for about 30 years, I've seen many cases of serious injury and a couple deaths from this practice.

So - find a place to do this work *outside*. Same goes for spraying aerosols - never do it in an enclosed garage due to fume inhalation dangers, but especially when the garage has a water heater.

Bug bombs can also blow up a garage, by the way....

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 5 Jun 2006 10:06 am

Hey Ken, Just finished rebuilding my 2nd P/P. Not an expert yet but getting close,LOL. The ony way to really clean your under carriage is to remove the parts. It's really not that hard but does take a little time. As long as the changer is in tune, you can remove the parts, piece at a time, clean and reinstall. My blue p/p looks brand new now and that's basically what I did on it but I had another one to go by if I couldn't remember. I am getting old you know. The changer is a different story though. A cleaner of some sort as the guys discribed above would be your best bet for that. I went ahead and removed mine and cleaned but its a pretty good job getting it all set back up.---Henry [This message was edited by Henry Matthews on 05 June 2006 at 11:10 AM.]