String Gauge and Polish Advice

[ScottKilpatrick]

Hi All, I just bought a Collings 0002H and am awaiting its arrival next week. I plan on buying a humidifier (its adi and braz) to keep the temp and humidity maintained. My question is on string gauge.

The guy selling has thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swing Strings (JS112) which are 12-50 - currently on the guitar. When I get it I will probably want to switch to elixers light which are 12-53 and possibly elixer light medium which are 12-56.

Do you think the heavier gauge on some of the strings is OK on the neck or will it need adjustment to go to the light mediums 12-56?

Secondly I usually use a little guitar honey on the fingerboard. Is that advised?

Lastly do any of you use any type of polish? If so what is the preferred type?

This is just the most expensive guitar I have ever purchased and am having a little anxiety on giving it top shelf care

Thanks

[jseth]

Well, congratulations on your new guitar!

String change will be fine; after the new ones are on the guitar for a few days, check your neck relief... I doubt that it will shift, but YOU are the one who will see it if it does. Very simple to either have the truss rod adjusted or to do it yourself (IF you know what you're doing!).

Never used "Guitar Honey", but I will use mineral oil on my fretboard, but NOT every string change... you can overdo the oiling of your fretboard and actually CAUSE problems... if I need to clean the fretboard or polish the fretwire, I'll use OOOO steel wool - light pressure, always with the grain of the wood, briskly to polish frets. I might oil my fretboard every year or so...

Nicest polish I've used of late would be the Music Nomad "One"... does a very nice job of cleaning polishing and waxing. As with oiling the fretboard, I don't use polish on my guitars but every once in a while. I will dampen the edge of a soft cloth or micro-fiber towel and use that to remove any smudges or goo-ey spots, as well as the drops of saliva that I seem to spray when I sing (I DO get into it when I sing!).

Have fun with that new guitar... enjoy! It's easy to obsess on "taking care of it", but really, most of what you want to do is PLAY IT!!!

[justonwo]

My guess is that the relief will increase when you switch gauges, but whether the resulting relief will work for you or not depends on where it’s set now. I wouldn’t necessarily assume the current relief is the value that will work for you.

I rarely apply any kind of oil or treatment to the fretboard. I believe oiling the fretboard has the potential to create more problems than it solves and is largely cosmetic. I once followed Fretboard Doctor’s advice to slather oil on my SG’s fretboard and the neck became extremely unstable for 2-3 years afterward (needing constant truss rod tightening). I might oil a rosewood fretboard once every few years if it looks dried out, but that is pretty rare. I wouldn’t say it’s necessary as part of routine maintenance. My oldest guitar is 25 years old, has a rosewood fretboard, and shows no signs of distress from lack of oiling (which I’ve never done on that guitar). If you DO oil the fretboard, be very very sparing with the application and make sure you wipe it off within a minute of application.

I would also say polishing is not a necessary part of routine maintenance. If you wipe down your guitar after every use, it won’t accumulate grime that needs to be cleaned off. Polishing is usually done to remove surface scratches and swirl, neither of which bother me much so I never expend the effort. Just use a polish cloth every time you play the guitar. Wipe down the neck and the place where your forearm hits the lower bout. Your guitar will likely never need to be cleaned if you do that. I’m pretty anal about my instruments, so the need to remove scratches hardly ever arises.

[generalliamsayn]

I've always used a straight 'light' set, 12-54's (usually Newtone round-core 80/20's) on my Collings 000-HK and get a nice balanced tone. I don't think you have to go for heavier bass strings because IMO the 12-fret body provides ample bass.

I have had my 000 for 15 years and have never put oil on the fingerboard or cleaned the body with anything other than a barely damp rag. I have been known to put only lemon oil only on desperately dry rosewood fretboards, but never on ebony - it doesn't need it. Excess oil (especially linseed - never use linseed because it eventually gets gummy and nasty) causes more harm than good, as does excess polish on the body, again, IMO.

Collings link. Straight from the horse's mouth.

Click on recommended strings under setup.

"For the Baby, C10, 00 and 000 models, we strongly recommend the use of light gauge strings. The small bridges simply do not allow enough glue surface for the increased tension of medium gauge strings. "

https://www.collingsguitars.com/faq/acoustic-guitars/

YMMV. Don't shoot the messenger.

[rokdog49]

Here: https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...r-gloss-polish

...and here : https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...leaner&index=1


Both are superb products I have used for years.

[ScottKilpatrick]

Thanks all - great info!!

[darylcrisp]

Scott
Anytime the strings are off, I use 0000 steel wool up and down the frets to clean and shine them. I advise taping a piece of paper over the soundhole and a strip of tape over the bridge holes so the steel wool dust doesn't migrate into the body cavity-especially if the guitar has a pickup.

Gently brush off the steel wool fibers or vaccum.

Naptha is excellent as a cleaning wipedown over the entire instrument and is not harmful to nitro, evaporates quickly.

I have Guitar Honey-used it for years. I like Fretboard Doctor as well and have that. Use a small cotton cloth, use only a drop or two of either product, wipe over the fretboard and bridge. Fold the cloth and wipe those areas until dry. I do this once a year.

Virtuoso cleaner and polish is excellent and the cleaner does help remove visual appearance of small swirls and such. Elderlys sells this product. The polish is excellent. Its not cheap.

Gibson Guitar polish in the pump bottle is water based and does a nice shine and quick cleaning all in fast fashion, and has a nice leathery scent.
https://www.musiciansfriend.com/acce...20150000000000

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by ScottKilpatrick

Hi All, I just bought a Collings 0002H and am awaiting its arrival next week. I plan on buying a humidifier (its adi and braz) to keep the temp and humidity maintained. My question is on string gauge.

The guy selling has thomastik-Infeld Jazz Swing Strings (JS112) which are 12-50 - currently on the guitar. When I get it I will probably want to switch to elixers light which are 12-53 and possibly elixer light medium which are 12-56.

Do you think the heavier gauge on some of the strings is OK on the neck or will it need adjustment to go to the light mediums 12-56?

Secondly I usually use a little guitar honey on the fingerboard. Is that advised?

Lastly do any of you use any type of polish? If so what is the preferred type?

This is just the most expensive guitar I have ever purchased and am having a little anxiety on giving it top shelf care

Thanks

Hi, I have the "common-or-garden" version of the 0002h in sitka/eir, and I am pretty sure that you won't feel the need of the heavier bass string(s). This model, possibly more than even the 12 fret dreadnoughts that I love so much, is so wonderfully balanced that I'd recommend plain ol' D'addario EJ16s - 21-53.

I clean and polish my guitars with every string change (every 2-3 months) and that includes the fretboard (which really doesn't need it).

I use a product called "Regency Gold" a polish/cleaner designed for valuable antique furniture.

I apply it with a barely damp cloth which has been soaked in the stuff, and immediately wipe it off.

I expect that you know that no fluid of any sort should be allowed to seep under the frets.

I've been using this (non silicone) stuff for about 20 years ago and have recently started on my second 500 ml bottle.

It's great on furniture and any wood work too - a very little goes a long long way, and has a pleasant fragrance. (No affiliation of course).

p.s. I showed it to my tech, who also makes his own brand of electric guitars on which he uses it.

[Brucebubs]

Designed and made for guitars.

Music Nomad 'One' for guitar bodies.
Music Nomad 'F-One' for fretboards.(and bridges)

Both are easy to use and work well.



Check out the 'before & after' shots of the bridge (and fretboard) on my Martin JDP II when I treated it with 'F-One'.

[Dbone]

I remember reading that polishing of the body should be done sparingly because each and every time you polish you actually end up taking some of the finish off. Pretty sure I read that somewhere.

As for the fretboard oil. That is a polarizing topic. I have never put any on my cheap Aria guitar and I do have a very slight crack in the fretboard. I suspect that the crack has more to do with the fact that it sat in the back of a closet here in Canadian winters for 10+ years with no humidity considerations applied.

I’m still trying to figure out what I will do for my new Yamaha (coming) for the fretboard, if anything. I’m pretty sure the official care and maintenance guide from Yamaha recommends some sort of fretboard oiling. If I end up doing it I will take a very minimal approach...very little oil, not very often, etc...

I thought I remembered reading people using bore oil for fretboards too...

Good luck.

[Wade Hampton]

I actually prefer the "Before" photo, Bruce - the bridge looks more Australian to me that way!

Actual photo of Bruce Campbell, with friend...



Bruce's palatial home in a bustling Melbourne suburb

whm

[jrb715]

Collings 000s come with .012-.053 strings. I believe I've read that they will take mediums if they don't have a pyramid bridge; but don't trust my suspect memory. Give them a call or drop them an email, you will get a quick response to your question.

I follow Collings recommendations about minimal surface fussing with their guitars, though I will use the Music Nomad One maybe once a year. Just a slightly damp cotton t-shirt and dry with another.

Here's what Collings recommends:

"Collings guitars are finished with multiple coats of high-grade lacquer, hand-sanded between applications to bring out a deep shine. The resultant finish is thin, durable and acoustically compatible. The best way to preserve this finish is to keep it clean – wiping off perspiration and fingerprints with a soft, damp (not wet) cloth. Old, soft cotton baby diapers make excellent guitar cleaning cloths. While there are many commercial guitar cleaners available, we feel that a rag slightly dampened with plain tap water and thoroughly wrung out will remove most dirt. Then buff with dry clean cloth. If you must use commercial products, avoid those with solvents, silicones or abrasives. Remember: polishing is not cleaning. Polishes remove finish along with dirt. Fingerboards can occasionally dry out, but require only a very small amount of boiled linseed oil (thoroughly buffed) to restore. Less is always best."

[Steve DeRosa]

Zapomnij o strunach i po prostu graj na gitarze!

[Tony Burns]

The less of anything you put on your guitar the better.
maybe a super soft cotton clean ragg , maybe a drop or two of water .
rub in the direction of the grain - gently
I do oil my fret board once about every two years
I take a drop or two of lemon oil on a soft rag and work it into the entire fret board
very sparingly - and I oil my tuners once every couple of years ( sparingly ) -
seriously -the less the better -even nothing would be better.
my instruments are very pristine -oil is not good for wood as a whole !




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