Lemons....

No... not talking that old car at Ed's Used Cars that is 'hot'....how do you treat you Nitro? (...cellulose). Nitrocellulose finishes are notorious for interacting in all the wrong ways with many things. I just saw a bass guitar on EBay (think it was a '59 Fender Bass).. someone had left a coiled rubber cord under the guitar for a few months or years... resulting in what the seller referred to as "raptor bites" in the finish. We all know guitar stands can eat away a nitrocellulose finish too...as can other plastics, and anything that will not allow it to breath. As long as your guitar case has nothing else in it, and you don't live in a jungle or some place with weird humidity problems, a case is the only thing you really want in contact with Nitro for a long period of time. Now... on to LEMON oil... Dennis Galuszka at Fender told me he uses lemon oil on some guitar necks, when doing the aging. Meanwhile, there is an on-going urban legend on-line that lemon oil can damage nitro finishes. Martin apparently tells people not to use it on their guitars, as it breaks down the finishes, and can corrode frets. Then, along with Dennis and other luthiers, there are people who have used it on Nitro fretboards for years, with no apparent problems... maybe it's best not to pour on the whole bottle, and make sure you DO pat it down afterwards (ie. No drips). The problems may be due to overuse (just like my cousin Vern, and his alcohol problem). Seriously... what hurts Nitro? Some guitar makers say ANY material, if left in contact for a long time with the guitar finish (apart from the case!). Remember...Nitro can take over a year to cure... avoid prolonged contact with guitar picks, straps, cables, guitar stands... etc. (especially with a new Nitro guitar). What is GOOD to clean your guitar finish with? A warm, damp t-shirt (old) would be great to remove oils and sweat.... and no damage!