1920's Washburn? Repair Project

[Steve Woods]

While I'm still trying to gear up and get enough nerve to do a neck reset on the old 'Concertone'...
http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2654
...another interesting old guitar comes my way from a different branch of the family...



The top has been signed by what appears to be a whole fraternity from Valparaiso University Indiana 1924 some of whom apparently had a band called the "Rag Hounds."
The guitar is surprisingly structurally sound considering that it has obviously gone through some major climate extremes over the years. It looks like the typical unfortunate victim of attic storage. The finish is severely checked but firm and I definitely would not want to do anything to alter that in anyway that might harm the autographical legacy left on it 90 years ago. But the case it has been in has left some of velour looking fuzzy stuff stuck (melted) to it. Is there a solvent I could use to gently remove this and other grime without disolving everything else? Acetone would probably ruin the original finish? Mineral spirits would probably not do a thing? What then, if I may ask?

[Mark Swanson]

Naptha will remove the sticky stuff, and WD-40 works in some cases really well too...but I am not sure how either of these will affect the signatures.

[Michael Lewis]

I would not use WD40 on a wooden instrument as it can penetrate any cracks in the finish and contaminate the wood for any future touch ups or repairs. You may POSSIBLY get the fuzz out of the finish but what I usually see with old varnish finishes is they had become soft with heat and age, stuff was pressed into the finish, and then the finish set. Get a high power magnifier and look closely at the area to be 'cleaned' to see if you can tell if the fibers are just stuck to the surface or are imbedded into the finish. I would guess the latter, though not having actually inspected the instrument I really don't know.

Do a test in an inconspicuous area to see if mineral spirits or naphtha will harm the finish. Under tuning machines is a good place, assuming it is the same type of finish. Depending on the type of inks used your 'cleaner' may or may not remove the graphics.