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Microfiber Polishing Cloths
These plush, soft microfiber cloths provide
superior cleaning results. They contain no chemicals and are ideal
for any fine musical instrument. They are in fact designed to
eliminate the need for chemical cleaners.
Microfiber is a
synthetic fiber made of polyester and polamide. A single microfiber
is less than one hundredth the width of a strand of hair, yet when
woven together they provide a very soft surface with amazing
cleaning efficiency. These cloths are durable and can be washed up
to 500 times. It is generally recommended that all Microfiber Polishing Cloths
be machine washed with cold or warm water, using regular laundry
detergent. To hand-washing, use liquid or bar soap.
Microfiber Polishing Cloths may be air or machine dried. Do not use fabric softener or bleach and do not iron. Microfiber Cloths: You are Never Too Old to Learn
People are constantly asking me, what should I do to polish and clean my
guitar. I used to just say "Use a little lemon oil on the fingerboard and polish
the finish with a clear non abrasive polish. Oh yeah, and make sure you use a
clean dry polishing cloth.
Recently I instituted a new policy in the store. I told all the salesman that
they had to carry a polishing cloths in their back pocket. This was supposed to
ensure that all guitars were polished directly after anyone touched or played a
guitar. This was part of my master plan to keep all the guitars in the store
pristine looking.
Naturally, I had to carry a cloth myself. I had to polish the guitars the
same as everyone else. Because of this I made an amazing discovery.
I happened to be polishing a black Heritage guitar about 1 week into the new
policy. I noticed that the polishing cloth was putting small minor scratches in
the lacquer finish. So I went to the showcase, I got a brand new Fender
polishing cloth and tried that. I was surprised to see that the brand new,
virgin, right out of the plastic Fender polishing cloth still left tiny
scratches.
Being the Anal Retentive A$$hole that I know I can be, I decided to spend a
little time researching cloth material to polish guitars with. I got on the
internet and searched high and low for something that would be soft and durable
enough to do the trick. My search led me to the Microfiber material that you
will see below.
I am highly recommending this material as the absolute best cloth I have ever
seen for polishing guitars with. I had to buy several thousand of them to be
able to get a price low enough so that a guitar player would spend the money to
buy one.
Ed Roman -
08/10/03
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Dampit Guitar Humidifier
Ed Roman recommends the
Dampit Guitar Humidifier for acoustic guitars. Soak the snake in
water, squeeze out the excess. Put the snake in the guitar and cover
the sound hole with the cover. Quickly quenches your instrument's
thirst if you live in very dry climate.
For Nevada or other super dry desert
climates, use the Super. For smaller instruments like Violins or for
semi-arid climates, the Standard should be fine.
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Herco Case Humidifier
Dry Climate:
Humidifiers are key to keeping your acoustic
in good condition if you live in a dry climate. Acoustic guitars can
and will shrink and/or crack when exposed to super dry climates,
like here in Las Vegas or other desert environments. If although,
you live in the desert and have had an acoustic for 10 years that
hasn't cracked, then you very likely won't need a humidifier to
protect it from cracking. You may be surprised though, what
restoring a bit of moisture to the wood will do for the tone of the
instrument.
If you store your instrument in its case this humidifier will be helpful.
Submerse it in water for 5 minutes and wipe off excess, then store it in your
case. Repeat twice a month. Works for guitars, violins, cellos, clarinets or any
other fine wooden instrument.
Acoustic Guitar Care
Dry Climate: Humidifiers are key to keeping your acoustic in good condition
if you live in a dry climate. Acoustic guitars can and will shrink and/or crack
when exposed to super dry climates, like here in Las Vegas or other desert
environments. If although, you live in the desert and have had an acoustic for
10 years that hasn't cracked, then you very likely won't need a humidifier to
protect it from cracking. You may be surprised though, what restoring a bit of
moisture to the wood will do for the tone of the instrument.
Buy a humidifier - Buy a humidifier - Buy a humidifier !!!!
The point of this message (buy a humidifier) is that if you're purchasing a
new acoustic guitar (buy a humidifier) and you live in a dry climate (buy a
humidifier), a humidifier will help protect the wood from shrinking and
cracking. If you own an acoustic and live in a dry climate, buy a humidifier. We
keep the entire shop at 45% humidity, which is just about ideal for wooden
instruments, both acoustic and electric.
Humid Climate: High humidity causes wood to expand, which can affect the
guitar in a number of ways. Bridges or bindings could possibly lift when
humidity is extreme. I was born and raised in Florida, where strings begin to
rust about two hours after you put them on. Keep your instrument and its strings
wiped down in high humidity, this will keep your sweat and natural body acids
from accumulating on the finish and eating it away, and especially help slow
rusting of the strings.
Note: If you own a Taylor Guitar, make absolutely certain you purchase
humidifier. Of all the acoustic brands I have ever sold I have had more problems
with Taylor Guitars finish cracking than all other guitars put together.
Taylor's are made in El Cajon California, just a stones throw from the Mexican
border. Ed Roman recommends purchasing acoustic guitars manufactured in more
humid climates, like the Pacific Northwest. Not the greatest idea to buy an
Acoustic guitar manufactured in the dry Arizona, New Mexico, inland southern
California climate.
Ed
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Fret Rest Cleaning & Setup System
Ed Roman fully recommends (read below) the Fret Rest system for
the care and maintenance of your guitar. Pad and stand combine to
create a stable workstation for restringing, cleaning or polishing,
electronics work or any type of general maintenance. Full System
and/or Replacement Pads.
My Shop Uses the Fret/Rest System Exclusively!
The system works great, the only real problem is because I have 12 repair
stations the cost of the system is quite high. Recently I made a deal with a
foam manufacturer to sell me replacement pads that were pre cut and matched to
the Fret Rest system in large quantities. This greatly reduces my cost. The
system neck rest hardly ever wears out and the plastic tubes are useless to me.
By simply replacing the pad I can save about $1,200.00 a year in my shop
alone. Plus, I have the added benefit of making a product available to my
customers that they could not buy elsewhere!!!!
In the old days when we built guitar benches we had to use carpet on the body
rest area. We had to use shag carpet so that any iron filings or debris would
fall deep into the crevices and not scratch a guitar.
This was a real pain because we were constantly vacuuming and messing around
with the carpet. Today the Fret/Rest closed cell foam padding is an easy to
clean cheap alternative. When you are drilling and routing guitars like we do
the pads take a real beating. Iron filings can destroy a pad with just one
guitar repair. Because the replacement pads are available so cheaply we now can
replace them weekly and still keep the expenses down.
Ed
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Grundorf Guitar Workstation |
Fingerboard Care Clayton Lemon Polish
If your fingerboard has become dried out from lack
of humidity, or has built up grime from years of play, these products will clean
it up and get it back to looking and sounding its best. Ed Roman recommends both
of the fingerboard treatments in the Dunlop kit mentioned above, and also
recommends pro lemon Instrument polish by Clayton, USA. Ed DOES NOT recommend
using Finger Ease or any other string treatment. It gums up the fretboard and is
unnecessary.
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Dr. Duck's Ax/Wax
Recently, my good friend Steve Helgeson of Moonstone
Guitars came to the Las Vegas shop for a visit. Actually, he was here to
personally deliver the Viking, his latest hand-built creation for Ed Roman
Guitars. We were walking through one of the showrooms and Steve noticed that I
carry Dr. Duck's Ax/wax. Well, Steve was so enthused about the quality of this
product that I sent a bottle to the shop so we could try it out.
It turns out that Dr. Duck works great on fretboards.
It cleans the grime and restores the woods natural beauty. Ed Roman recommends
Dr. Duck's AxWax, especially for your Rosewood fretboards, though it works well
for Ebony as well.
Ed
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Dunlop System 65
Ed Roman recommends the following Dunlop System 65 maintenance kit products
for gloss finished guitars: Body gloss 65 cream of carnauba, formula No. 65
guitar polish & cleaner, fingerboard 65 cleaner and prep and fingerboard 65 deep
conditioner. There is a string cleaner that comes with the kit, but Ed Roman
doesn't really see the need for that particular product. If, although, you play
your strings till they rust, give it a try.
Ed
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