How much do you wipe it down after? ( oooer missus, fnarrr, cyack cyack hurrr hurrr etc )

Nitefly

skunkwerx said:

I have a bunch of dunlop untreated cloths. 

After playing I wrap each string and give it a good old slide up n down, gets the underneath of the strings clean. Then I wipe the top of the strings and the fretboard/inbetween the strings. 

Then the back of the neck. 

This, except I used a handkerchief.  I reckoned it extended the life of strings.

Check the body and polish/clean as necessary during string changes, so not that often!

WiresDreamDisasters

Dirty get.

thegummy

CloudNine said:

I wipe it on the curtains before I leave.

Good man

stickyfiddle

I never wipe down, even after a gig, unless there is sweat dripping off a guitar. Elixirs last months if not years, so very strong change the fretboard gets a proper clean & a dab of guitar honey, and frets get polished if needed.

TTBZ

I don’t but the guitar doesn’t seem to get that sweaty. I’ll dust off the headstock and under the strings when I change strings and oil the fretboard when I remember every few months or so. I used to use fast fret but I don’t think it actually makes a difference. Does smell nice though.

skullfunkerry

Playing at home I'll use a bit of Fast Fret from time to time and that's about it. After a gig though I wipe the strings, neck & any obvious marks on the body with a bit of old t-shirt that lives in the case. Oh, and a bit of Fast Fret before every gig 

Hurling_Fruitmig

Sassafras said:

Quick rub down the strings with a microfiber cloth and that's it.
Occasionally wipe the strings over with a cloth spritzed with a tiny squirt of WD40, brings out a bit of zing to the sound of tired strings.

And makes them smell of WD40 which is a bonus.

ICBM

I always keep my guitars clean. I wipe the strings down if I’ve felt sweaty at a gig, and generally clean the whole thing with a soft cloth the day afterwards, and a bit of spray wax polish if it’s really bad.

I detest playing dirty guitars - it’s not cool or rock’n’roll, they’re just grubby and a bit repellent... like having to put yesterday’s underwear back on. Even if it’s your own dirt.

It’s also not good for the frets to leave them dirty, they corrode and wear faster.

grungebob

I don’t like seeing grime on the fretboard or were the picking arm meets the body, but I’ve never had a cleaning regimen for my guitars. 

I guess my hands and arms don’t sweat much ( I can get a year out of a set of slinky’s!).
that said though if I see finger muck on the board I have to remove it I won’t even play mates guitars if it has it. 

JManners

I kind of wing between being obsessive and completely passive when it comes to this. I sweat a fair bit whilst playing and often do quite long sets so my guitar can get quite grimy. I worked in a music shop for a long while and became obsessed with trying every string and every polish/cleaner that we had... and we had A LOT!!! I 

Once upon a time I'd change strings and give a full clean after every 1 or 2 gigs. I chilled out eventually, as did my cashflow! I generally think if my strings feel like they could go grimy then I don't try and prolong their life I just swap them out. With regards to clean it I've found that using the right stuff before hand means a simple wipe down the morning after with a microfibre cloth works best, followed by a proper clean ever 3-4 string changes. 

A good wax stops sweat building up if just given a simple wipe down. That said when I do clean her it's a straight out ceremony!!!

LastMantra

I can get a proper sweat on playing at home never mind anything else! 
Mainly just dust it now and again (I get a bit of finger dandruff where dead skin comes off my calluses). 

I have noticed that when I have people round the things they've been using (glasses, mugs etc.) need more cleaning than mine do?

I'd probably be more likely to clean it after someone else uses it!

Soft damp cloth (and a dry one) and an old paintbrush for getting dust out the bits you can't reach. Also have a wee bottle of thin oil for a spot here and there from time to time. 

hessodreamy

I never used to wipe down, even after sweaty gigs. Never felt the guitars suffered UNTIL my Rickenbacker seemed to really react to a bunch of sweat left on it. I’ve polished it now but the checking will always be there. 

paulnb57

Ashamed to say, never.....A wipe over during string changes all....

OilCityPickups

Never really wipe ... and only clean when re stringing ... or if someone else is going to play it or has played it. Cant be arsed with it all .. I chuck away strings regularly when gigging, so not I'm worried about string life.

ESBlonde

As a youngun I used to 'glow' a lot, indeed I still sweat like I'm Anglian Water. The difference is back then it seemed to be acidic sweat and now much less so.

We often gigged 3 times a weekend and strings wouldn't last beyond a week. I've always carried an old cotten handkerchief in each case to wipe the strings top and bottom after a gig or rehearsal. I also wipe down the neck and body with a soft duster as the guitar goes back in its case. Next day cleaning is harder than when it's still fresh/soft and moist!

Full on cleaning was far less frequent, perhaps every 3-4 months. The two guitars I've had 40 years have plenty of rusty screw heads on the bridge etc. indeed I just had to replace the strats hex head saddle height adjustment screws so I could raise the A string a fraction.

That said, i have been known to just toss the guitar in it's case to clear a stage for a fast changeover and the next time it came out could be a week later!

So while I can get a number of gigs on a set of strings these days (using multiple guitars might be helping), I try to keep things clean but practical.

Dcotorstewie

I think that's the thing with me: my sweat is quite acidic /corrosive in some way ( I am on lots of meds which doesn't help but I still have quite, er, active perspiration ) so I get quite paranoid about it. It's a very practical consideration though for me too, and I am glad it's not just me that doesn't like playing grungy gear. 
What ICBM said about filthy gear not being "rock and roll" is very valid, in my view: the amount of musicians who think that having gear that is dropping to bits/covered in bodily fluids/sounds awful straight up denying all knowledge of how anything works because "I am not a gear head, I am an artist/musician/better than that" drives me nuts. I mean if you genuinely don't care, and don't have to depend on other people to sort your gear out because you don't know which end the noise comes out of, then fill your boots, but I am fed up of cleaning up after grown ups who are the musical equivalent of blokes who claim not to know how the washing up machine works. And compared to pretty much everyone else here, I am verging on straight up noob status. 

pintspiller

Rub down strings and body after every gig. Sometimes after band practise. Rarely after home practise.

I replace Fast Fret because I stand on it or leave the top off rather than run out. I'm on my fourth in thirty years. I'm still using the Gibson pump polish I bought in Denmark Street twenty years ago.

thomasw88

Quick wipe of the strings with a tissue or microfiber cloth.  When I change strings which is usually around 3-4months for my gigging guitars I have a good clean and try to get any finger poo off the fretboard.

Voxman

I'm not particularly sweaty but I still wipe the strings down every time when I'm finished playing. It keeps the  strings clean, , and they stay better sounding for longer. Periodically I'll also use fast-fret to keep the strings clean and smooth to play.  When you wipe strings its important to clean underneath, not just a 'top wipe' as that's where muck otherwise builds up.