Dust on guitars

[bufflehead]

Originally Posted by thechariot1x

Haha, so true. I play daily, but grad school eats up a lot of time, summer classes are about to end though so I will play a lot more then hopefully.

Those who continue to play during graduate studies deserve the highest accolades. For all practical purposes I quit playing while working on my dissertation, and I regret having estranged my guitar during those years.

You've earned the dust. Play on!

[Wade Hampton]

A lot of it depends on where you live. My wife grew up on a farm south of Palmer, Alaska, where the prevailing winds blow fine glacial silt off the banks and sandbars of the Knik and Matanuska Rivers (both glacier-fed rivers) and everything gets coated in a fine grey dust that was ground to a powder by the glaciers. She and everyone she knew up there had to store their drinking glasses upside down so they wouldn't get the dust in them.

She still stores drinking glasses upside down, even though we don't have the same problem where we live, butted up against Bear Mountain in Chugiak.

So the OP here might be in a somewhat similar situation. There are plenty of regions where dust accumulates quickly, especially west of the Mississippi River.


Wade Hampton Miller

[thechariot1x]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

Those who continue to play during graduate studies deserve the highest accolades. For all practical purposes I quit playing while working on my dissertation, and I regret having estranged my guitar during those years.

You've earned the dust. Play on!

Uh oh! I just finished my first year so I have to start working on my dissertation now haha. But I try to practice every day at least for half an hour or something. I use it as my "self-care" (I don't know if they stressed that where you went but they love that term here haha). It relieves a lot of stress.

[thechariot1x]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

A lot of it depends on where you live. My wife grew up on a farm south of Palmer, Alaska, where the prevailing winds blow fine glacial silt off the banks and sandbars of the Knik and Matanuska Rivers (both glacier-fed rivers) and everything gets coated in a fine grey dust that was ground to a powder by the glaciers. She and everyone she knew up there had to store their drinking glasses upside down so they wouldn't get the dust in them.

She still stores drinking glasses upside down, even though we don't have the same problem where we live, butted up against Bear Mountain in Chugiak.

So the OP here might be in a somewhat similar situation. There are plenty of regions where dust accumulates quickly, especially west of the Mississippi River.


Wade Hampton Miller

I live in South Florida, but I am originally (before grad school) from PA so I don't actually know haha.

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by ManyMartinMan

My guitar's stay cased and clean. Dust happens but I wipe my guitars down after every job and home-playing prior to re-caseing. If you leave it out, it will get dusty. Just wipe it down after playing. Using a non-staticky wiping cloth/rag will help to not attract dust.

Yep...this.

[thechariot1x]

Originally Posted by ManyMartinMan

My guitar's stay cased and clean. Dust happens but I wipe my guitars down after every job and home-playing prior to re-caseing. If you leave it out, it will get dusty. Just wipe it down after playing. Using a non-staticky wiping cloth/rag will help to not attract dust.

I don't currently do any gigging or anything. Would you wipe it down with just a dry microfiber cloth after every use?

[stringjunky]

Originally Posted by thechariot1x

I don't currently do any gigging or anything. Would you wipe it down with just a dry microfiber cloth after every use?

Wouldn't it be better to use a damp cloth and not spread the dust around?

[Denny B]

Originally Posted by thechariot1x

I don't currently do any gigging or anything. Would you wipe it down with just a dry microfiber cloth after every use?

You could do that...

My favorite wipe cloths are large squares of white 100% cotton from T shirts...

[rokdog49]

It just occurred to me how lucky I am. No acids in my fingertips,
house humidity 45-50% year round, no dust, all guitars in stands 24/7.
Life is good.

[00Buck]

I have the same issue as my guitars hang on the wall. I use a soft bristle paint brush to clear the dust from time to time. Much less frequently, I wipe them down with a dampened soft cloth (the ones that Taylor sells). after brushing off the dust.

[greyrider]

Just wipe it off and play. It's not really hurting anything.

[guitar george]

Originally Posted by rokdog49

It just occurred to me how lucky I am. No acids in my fingertips,
house humidity 45-50% year round, no dust, all guitars in stands 24/7.
Life is good.

You say "Life is good and you leave your guitars in stands 24/7? Can't be that good! lol

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by Denny B

You could do that...

My favorite wipe cloths are large squares of white 100% cotton from T shirts...

Same here. From soft T-shirts. I use microfiber on the strings.

[Pitar]

I keep a clean 1-inch natural fiber paint brush for dusting. It takes less than 30 seconds to remove the dust.

[3notes]

Originally Posted by thechariot1x

Haha, so true. I play daily, but grad school eats up a lot of time, summer classes are about to end though so I will play a lot more then hopefully.

I usually leave it open in it's case, so maybe I should try the obvious and just close the case in between playings although for whatever reason that makes me nervous.

Just a word of advice... If you put your guitar into your case and don't close it, I can only imagine that that is an accident waiting to happen. What you really need to do is put it in the case and ALWAYS close the case and ALWAYS lock the case hinges. Many people leave the case unhinged, pick up the case and the guitar goes flying. Ya, not pretty. Dust is pretty minor as compared to that scenario... And yes, it happens a lot.

Take care of your instrument. It brings you joy.