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I recently took possession of a fairly beat up 1965 Jazzmaster. This thing was rode hard and put away filthy -- definitely no case queen. The top and sides felt really grimy, and I could see and feel a buildup of what appeared to simply be filth that had accumulated over the years, thicker in some areas than in others. So I wiped the entire surface with a damp rag. I was pretty gentle for the most part, but I went at it harder in the areas that seemed to have thicker buildup, and it loosened up and came off. Now I wish I had thought that through a little longer -- I think the guitar still looks great, but I'm inclined to think I should have left that thicker buildup alone on the grounds that it's patina rather than dirt.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any before pics, but here is one of the guitar post-cleaning:



The lighter area is legitimate arm wear, not a result of my cleaning efforts. But you can see the difference in the finish there where it was continuously worn down (through the sunburst) vs. the rest of the top, which has a very thin layer of what could be mistaken for dirt. I pretty much left this layer alone -- I just wiped it gently with a damp rag. The thicker areas of buildup that I did approach more <ahem> vigorously were mostly on the edges and looked and felt to me like that buildup of sweat and oil that you get on the fingerboard after a while, but it did have a kind of checked texture to it like aged nitro. But it was also kinda nasty.

Any thoughts about where the line is between patina and dirt?

I'd have cleaned off that grot too. Am all for natural wear and ageing but not up for other folks' dead skin, sweat, snot, fecal matter etc....

What a beautiful guitar!

Whenever I get a vintage guitar I break it all the way down and clean everything. To me the wear usually shows better when the guitar is clean if that makes sense. I think you did a great job with this Jazzmaster!

Yes. Good job. Patina is usually just grot. Blood and someone else's nasty DNA. UGHHHHHH.

I would do exactly the same as you. Patina that comes off is just filth.

Jazzmastervsjaguar wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 06, 2020 11:56 am

Whenever I get a vintage guitar I break it all the way down and clean everything. To me the wear usually shows better when the guitar is clean if that makes sense.

It does make sense, thanks for the input. I will do that.

Dubmeup wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 06, 2020 11:52 am

not up for other folks' dead skin, sweat, snot, fecal matter etc....

gringopig wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 06, 2020 12:14 pm

Blood and someone else's nasty DNA. UGHHHHHH.

I'll never look at patina the same way again.

Anyhow, I feel a lot better about my cleaning job after everyone's feedback. At least I don't feel like I cleaned it too much. Thanks, all.

Jazzmastervsjaguar wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 06, 2020 11:56 am

To me the wear usually shows better when the guitar is clean if that makes sense.

Seconded.

Also, some patina may have been dirt once, but if it comes off with cleaning, it's not patina, just dirt. Get rid of that shit

gringopig wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 06, 2020 12:14 pm

Patina that comes off is just filth.

Agreed. If it is real mojo and not just grime, you can wipe it down and it will still look something like what OP has there. Relic your guitars or furniture or whatever you want, but let's not fetishize people-dirt.

ew.

Whatcha use to clean it with eventually?

Dubmeup wrote: ↑

Fri Mar 06, 2020 11:52 am

I'd have cleaned off that grot too. Am all for natural wear and ageing but not up for other folks' dead skin, sweat, snot, fecal matter etc....

What a beautiful guitar!

Yeah I feel like it it wipes off with a damp rag it shouldn’t be there in the first place. As far as I’ve always understood, patina is a thing with the metal anyway. I wouldn’t want whatever that effect is on the finish anyway/didn’t know that was a thing

dead skin, sweat, snot, fecal matter etc.... = “a thing” - love the thought of THAT !

Clean is mo better.

I meant I didn’t know that patina happened on the physical/wood/finished body of the guitar and always understood it to be a thing with the metal parts exclusively

Yeah me too with the idea/meaning of patina

What did you use to clean it with? I am always afraid with old finishes