• THIS IS THE 25th ANNIVERSARY YEAR FOR THE LES PAUL FORUM! PLEASE CELEBRATE WITH US AND SUPPORT US WITH A DONATION TO KEEP US GOING! We've made a large financial investment to convert the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and recently moved to a new hosting platform. We also have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!
  • Please support our Les Paul Forum Sponsors with your business - Gary's Classic Guitars, Wildwood Guitars, Chicago Music Exchange, Reverb.com, Throbak.com and True Vintage Guitar. From personal experience doing business with all of them, they are first class organizations. Thank you!

WD-40 for your Burst ?

au_rick

Active member
Joined
Mar 18, 2010
Messages
875

Joe Walsh explaining how to set up a '58 Les Paul
Would you use WD-40 :eek: ??
 

poor man's burst

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2010
Messages
594
WD-40 makes about 10 different products. Among them, one is a contact cleaner. Hopefully, this is the one Joe Walsh uses. He mentioned "pot cleaner" by the way. But I would never ever use standard WD-40 on a vintage guitar, except on a rusty metallic part REMOVED from the guitar.
 

au_rick

Active member
Joined
Mar 18, 2010
Messages
875
WD-40 makes about 10 different products. Among them, one is a contact cleaner. Hopefully, this is the one Joe Walsh uses. He mentioned "pot cleaner" by the way. But I would never ever use standard WD-40 on a vintage guitar, except on a rusty metallic part REMOVED from the guitar.
Sure, but I don't think too many of those "other' products were around when this video was made ? :unsure:
 
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
Messages
160
It's funny....I remember being in a club and the guitar player for the band we were seeing sprayed WD-40 on the fret board of his Yamaha SG like it was his "secret sauce" to lightning speed when he played. Bet all of the frets lifted shortly thereafter with the amount he was using.
 

poor man's burst

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 3, 2010
Messages
594
I spray on my fingers and wipe on strings.
WD-40 contains 60 % to 80 % White Spirit, which you should avoid contact with skin. It also contains additives to help going as far as possible in places difficult to reach (WD-40 is a product design to help deblock screws and bolts seized by rust) so it will to migrate on your instrument, which is definitely not a good thing.
 

rays44

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 24, 2001
Messages
2,925
I've used WD40 since the late '70's on all my guitars. Spray a small amount on a cloth, grab each string and wipe. Never sprayed directly on fretboard. 40 odd years later, never a problem and nice clean strings.. WD pot cleaner works well on scratchy knobs.
 

rays44

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 24, 2001
Messages
2,925
It's funny....I remember being in a club and the guitar player for the band we were seeing sprayed WD-40 on the fret board of his Yamaha SG like it was his "secret sauce" to lightning speed when he played. Bet all of the frets lifted shortly thereafter with the amount he was using.
Funny, I still have my SG2000 from '78 but never sprayed the fretboard. Guess it was someone else.
Sorry to stray off topic.
 

deytookerjaabs

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,631
This is actually a method that was used at Gibson. Long time artist relations and final inspector Rendal Wall says he did it to all the guitars he'd set up for people (many were famous from Wes Montgomery to BB King). I'm unsure if he got the idea from his pops but Rendal started Gibson around the time WD40 was invented. His method was to spray the WD40 on the strings directly before putting them on the guitar then he'd wipe the WD40 off the string leaving just a hair of residue. The idea being "water displacement" to help strings/frets last longer.
 

El Gringo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,782
This is actually a method that was used at Gibson. Long time artist relations and final inspector Rendal Wall says he did it to all the guitars he'd set up for people (many were famous from Wes Montgomery to BB King). I'm unsure if he got the idea from his pops but Rendal started Gibson around the time WD40 was invented. His method was to spray the WD40 on the strings directly before putting them on the guitar then he'd wipe the WD40 off the string leaving just a hair of residue. The idea being "water displacement" to help strings/frets last longer.
In theory I totally get this , and actually makes sense . I pretty much leave everything up to my tech and generally speaking stay out of his way as he knows everything I want and like .
 

Triplet

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 13, 2006
Messages
1,676
Dunno, maybe a little would be good for a nylon nut or the bridge saddles but I'd hate to have that residue on the strings and get it on me all the time. I pick up the smell of WD40 real quick - not my favorite.
 

Blind Lemon Chicken

Active member
Joined
Sep 16, 2024
Messages
195
WD-40 contains 60 % to 80 % White Spirit, which you should avoid contact with skin. It also contains additives to help going as far as possible in places difficult to reach (WD-40 is a product design to help deblock screws and bolts seized by rust) so it will to migrate on your instrument, which is definitely not a good thing.
According to the WD 40 can I have in my hand it lubricates "cleans " penetrates protects displaces moisture from drills "electrical equipment" and also states there is always another use..
 
Top