Hankon5 - Posted - 05/20/2012:  23:58:19

I  use Gibson wood cleaner and  Stelling Glyde-Cote for the neck especiaily.  I use lem oil  on the fret board and Simichrone on the hardware. These all do a fine job.. I usually do this every 1-2 weeks.  The Glyde-Cote is put on more frequently since it really helps the hand slide quicker up and down the neck. This stuff is really slippery and smooth. Taking care of the instrument is important to me.  It is very presentable anywhere I go..  Also, need it to last awhile until my dream banjo becomes a reality many moons from now. 

Edited by - Lynne on 05/21/2012 20:59:13

DeanT - Posted - 05/21/2012:  00:36:00

I wipe the strings off with an old rag or bandanna or my t-shirt after every practice session or gig. I use a rag or paper towel dampened with windex to clean up any fingerprints or dirty areas, at string changes, which is approx every two months. That’s about it. Every now and then I’ll use Goo-Gone to get the black marks off the head. I'm not crazy over showroom cleanliness, but I don’t like the unkept grundge look either. Just playing several hours a day seems to keep my neck and fretboard ok.

Edited by - DeanT on 05/21/2012 00:38:30

banjotom2 - Posted - 05/21/2012:  02:11:28

I worked in a music store that serviced banjos and other folk instruments for 10 years.

Banjo heads: A soft terry cloth rag for the (mylar head, not skin) wet with dish washing soap (just a little)... gets all the finger oil and dirt off.

You can use windex and a paper towel also.

When the chrome gets good and dirty, I use 'Mothers' metal and chrome polish... it works wonders... I typically take the entire banjo apart for this procedure as it is difficult to get this kind of polish in and out of tight corners... the metal will be brilliant when you're through and will resist tarnish and grub in the future...

Fretboard: Once the strings are off, I initially use a paper towel wet with water and a small amount of dish soap to clean the fretboard... once it's clean and dry, I will apply a small amount of fret board oil (lemon oil), let dry, put a new set of strings on.

Before re-stringing, I sometimes use light steel wool to get imbedded grime off of the fretboard... moving with the grain of the wood if it's really dirty.

Then with masking tape, I mask each fret as I go and buff each fret with the light steel wool... this will make the frets look like new... the masking tape keeps you from scratching the fretboard wood. After applying the lemon oil mentioned above, the entire fretboard will gleam.

I personally prefer a clean dry paint brush, smaller brush to dust tight areas that get dust in and on them... especially when the strings are still on the instrument, if I'm not planning on taking it apart or re-stringing it.

Martin, light polish, is what I use on all finished wood parts.

When done with the above steps, your banjo will gleam.

Tom

banjotom2.com

Edited by - banjotom2 on 05/21/2012 02:16:20

kb2dhg - Posted - 05/21/2012:  05:12:36

I clean me Banjo once a month... Play the dickens out of it every day... I just wish i could paly good

Hankon5 - Posted - 05/21/2012:  20:13:46

Is Mother's chrome polish better than Simichrome? It seems the Simichrone doesn't last long so I have to clean the chrome more often

5 finger ninja - Posted - 05/21/2012:  20:45:47

i just wipe it off with a clean dry rag to keep it from getting dusty. i always wash my hands before handling it. i just dont care for polishes and cleaners ect...

Edited by - 5 finger ninja on 05/21/2012 20:46:21

McUtsi - Posted - 05/22/2012:  00:53:49

I wash my hands all the time,but I never wipe my banjos.McUtsi

Tam_Zeb - Posted - 05/22/2012:  02:10:31

Clean dry paint brush to dust off the rim. Clean dry duster over my index finger with just a hint of chrome cleaner on the tip of the duster. I lightly polish the metal. Too much polish is hard to remove and just make the job that much harder. 

Possom - Posted - 05/22/2012:  02:18:12

You're supposed to clean em? I go quite a long time between cleaning. Never dissassemble just blow the crud out of the nooks and crannies and once in a blue moon I might wipe the finger oil and crud off the nickle plating. I'll never clean a head I love the old played in dirty look. I can't wait for the nickle to look old at dirt and thought about distressing/antiquing it but that would be cheating. I'll just wait for nature to take its course

lespik - Posted - 05/22/2012:  07:32:04

Hardly ever do I actually clean it. Usually when I replace strings, I will just take them all off and hit the fret board / head stock with some of the Gibson instrument polish.

John Allison - Posted - 05/22/2012:  07:44:41

After each use, I wipe the strings (as well as all metal parts) with a flannel cloth to remove dirt, finger acids, etc. Once a month, I use "Lizard Spit" on the strings and fret board (rag dampened with the liquid wiping strings and fret board vigorously according to instructions. Yearly, I use Martin guitar polish to clean and protect entire banjo.

pickNgrin - Posted - 05/22/2012:  09:00:05

I occasionally wipe it down with a cloth.. that's about it. If it gets really cruddy in and around the hooks I blow it out with an air hose.

-matt 

yumagah - Posted - 05/23/2012:  09:10:13

If you're gonna disassemble a banjo for cleaning you better know something about setting it up again.

I'm in the group that just wipes off obvious smudges & dirt, use a furniture wipe once in a long time on the finished parts. Use a mild polish to get tarnish off the metal, otherwise your plating will wear out. If the metal isn't too bad and you just want more shine, use vinegar.

doug.knecht - Posted - 05/23/2012:  12:50:35

I never clean the banjo, although I'll wipe the strings down and scrub the fretboard occasionally. But for cleaning metal parts, tuner buttons, head,.. I just don't clean a thing. I have very acidic hands, and I can wear the finish on a 5th string tuner over 10 years and turn it green/yellow. You'd think I'd try harder, but I kind of like that worn out distressed look.

blockader - Posted - 05/23/2012:  13:59:57

every few months when i change the strings. i blow it off real good with the ol' air compressor and then wipe it down with a slightly damp paper towel followed by a soft cloth. i like a banjo that looks to be used but i don't care for gunk building up in all the crevices.

-justin

The Old Timer - Posted - 05/23/2012:  14:37:52

Hardly ever. Maybe a swipe with an old t shirt I keep in the case for heavy dust, dew, fog, spilled beer, coffee, etc.

Or if the neck gets sticky from sweat from jamming outdoors at a festival.

I do wipe the STRINGS off with the old t shirt after I finish a picking session outdoors where my hands will be sweaty.

I clean the wood only with Gibson polish, maybe once a year as I prepare my instruments for winter and put humidifiers in them (mostly guitars, but I also examine the banjos and give them a good polishing). I never attempt to polish metal.

arby3 - Posted - 05/23/2012:  16:31:56

I think I cleaned mine once in 1968...or was it 1967...

Stevespickn - Posted - 05/23/2012:  18:01:01

I wipe my strings clean, that's it. I leave it alone..no cleaning here.

Steve

The Pope - Posted - 05/23/2012:  18:49:01

The accumulation of dirt is what makes the old ones sound the best... 

OM45GE - Posted - 05/24/2012:  04:07:11

I wipe down the neck with a cloth diaper after playing and use the same cloth to dust it off every now and then. I'm with the others who don't use anything else.

arnie fleischer - Posted - 05/24/2012:  10:44:21

Clean?  Define the term, please!

1935tb-11 - Posted - 05/24/2012:  17:55:50

clean it?  it might get wiped off on the fret board when i change strings,, thats about it.

mine looks so rough as it is ,, cleaning ain't going to help.

terry m

Hankon5 - Posted - 05/30/2012:  22:32:06

Man!!!--I make sure my investments look nice and last long. I.E--CAR HOME BANJO!!!!!! Paid enough for 'em!!!

UncleClawhammer - Posted - 05/30/2012:  22:37:17

Clean? Dirt improves the tone.