Rubbing Alcohol Ok for cleaning?

[gtvrb]

Is rubbing alcohol ok for cleaning up a guitar? Should I worry about it doing damage to the finish? I clean a lot of other thing with it but was wondering if I should avoid it for this application. I have a new old bass that needs cleaning and I like the only funk on it to come from me.
Thanks

[EagleMoon]

I've used rubbing alcohol on strings to clean them for years, I've also wiped it on hardware, but I'm not sure I'd use it on a regular basis on the finish of a bass. Probably wouldn't hurt if it's just for an initial gunk cleaning.

[Pilgrim]

Just use a damp cloth, or if you want to do it right, get some Virtuoso cleaner. Great stuff, safe for all finishes....

http://www.virtuosopolish.com/

[WyrdoBass]

I've used rubbing alcohol before, mostly for cleaning off leftover sticker gunk. Didn't hurt my P at all.

[Oren Hudson]

The one place that I wouldn't use it would be on rosewood fretboards. Alcohol can quickly dry out something that does not need to be dried out.

[mikeldtl]

Avoid using it on ANYTHING with a nitro finish. That's a quick way to melt it right up into a mess! I like naptha for heavy cleaning, which can be bought as Zippo fluid at 7 11.

[plangentmusic]

I never wipe down my neck. Never need to. But if I hand my bass to someone else and they play it for 30 seconds, When I get it back, I can feel the gunk on it. Psychological? I don't think so. Some people "secrete" more.

[walterw]

Originally Posted by mikeldtl

Avoid using it on ANYTHING with a nitro finish. That's a quick way to melt it right up into a mess! I like naptha for heavy cleaning, which can be bought as Zippo fluid at 7 11.

+1

keep that rubbing alcohol away from your finish.

naphtha works the same way but is safe on anything.

[62bass]

Rubbing alcohol will dissolve nitro finishes and shellac. It won't harm the modern finishes used today or oil, oil/varnish or varnish finishes. It will dissolve shellac. It also will harm real nitro pickguards and it dissolves wax.

I use it to clean strings and many other things. I like it for strings because it dries so fast and leaves no residue.

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by plangentmusic

I never wipe down my neck. Never need to. But if I hand my bass to someone else and they play it for 30 seconds, When I get it back, I can feel the gunk on it. Psychological? I don't think so. Some people "secrete" more.

I can count the number of times I've let someone else play any of my basses on three fingers.

Secreting people would never even get to hold it.

[Rick Auricchio]

Rubbing alcohol is 30% water. You can also buy 91% isopropyl---same stuff with far less water---at large drug stores. I've even found 99%.

[Pilgrim]

Why not play it safe and buy cleaner made for the purpose? The Virtuoso polish has worked great for me on all finishes.

[RustyAxe]

Naptha ... 100% safe, and used by luthiers on most finishes including nitrocellulose. I use it all the time. Ronsinol lighter fluid is naptha.

[gtvrb]

I did use it with no ill effects but I am pretty sure now I shouldn't have. Live and learn I guess. I cleaned everything again with a guitar specific cleaner so hopefully I haven't caused any long term problems. I will use naptha next time.
Thanks for the help.

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by gtvrb

I did use it with no ill effects but I am pretty sure now I shouldn't have. Live and learn I guess. I cleaned everything again with a guitar specific cleaner so hopefully I haven't caused any long term problems. I will use naptha next time.
Thanks for the help.

If you have a guitar specific cleaner, just use it - not naphtha or any other stuff.

[62bass]

Originally Posted by Rick Auricchio

Rubbing alcohol is 30% water. You can also buy 91% isopropyl---same stuff with far less water---at large drug stores. I've even found 99%.

That's right. I used the term rubbing alcohol when I actually meant the 99% isopropynol which I buy at a drug store.

It's good for some cleaning jobs. Just depends what I'm doing. On a bass I use it when refinishing to clean the wood or to remove any traces of mineral spirits that I might have applied. It dissolves grease and grime quite well and doesn't evaporate as quickly as denatured alcohol. Rubbing alcohol contains too much water and a bit of camphor and other scented stuff which is a waste of money.

Alcohol is also good for cleaning strings.

But, the denatured alcohol sold as shellac thinner is less expensive than 99 % isopropynol so why not use that? I mainly use the iso as a thinner for shellac when I want to slow down the drying time of the shellac when brushing it on. Or sometimes I'll grab it for a small cleaning job just because it's handy and the shellac thinner is in a big cumbersome container.

But getting back to the original question, which is it safe to use to clean his old bass? Maybe, if the finish is not nitrocellulose lacquer. But why take the chance if you don't know? You can use naptha and follow up with water with a drop of dishwashing liquid to remove any naptha residue and other dirt then rinse the soap off with a damp cloth.

Or there are lots of cleaning products available in the music store. If you don't mind the ridiculous high prices, some of them work well. The Virtuoso stuff is pretty good. Just avoid cleaning or waxing products that contain silicone.

[gtvrb]

The only reason I used it was because I had no idea where the guitar cleaner was and was impatient to get it cleaned. I recently moved and everything was in boxes somewhere. I tested it before I went all out and didn't notice any adverse reaction. I didn't drown the guitar in it I just used it on a rag. I haven't noticed any problems and I have been playing the bass a lot lately but I won't be using the rubbing alcohol to clean things anymore.

[gtvrb]

Thanks a lot for all the information. I really appreciate it.

[62bass]

Originally Posted by gtvrb

Thanks a lot for all the information. I really appreciate it.

You're welcome. And nobody was calling you an idiot for trying it out either, just in case you might have thought that.