How to clean baroque guitar?

[Bin Bob]

Anyone got some good ideas for cleaning the baroque guitar. My Luthier told me to just use a damp cloth with some light laundry detergent and I'm a little reluctant. Does this sound OK?
The other problem I am worried about is that I'm starting to notice a little dust build-up in the
rosette(paper/white). Is there any way to clean this? I'm not a real fickle person and if it's better to leave it alone suites me.

[Michael. N.]

It will depend on what your Baroque Guitar is finished with but plain water is one of the safer options. I would give the detergent a miss and see how you fair with the damp cloth. The safest option is to try and find out what was used to finish the instrument. Failing that test on a very small area. Usually the Soundboard has minimal finish applied so be careful, a damp cloth might start raising the grain.
Saliva is also a gentle but effective cleaning agent and is used in Art restoration, your decision :-)
A very soft bristle artists type brush should be OK for the rosette, just be very gentle.

[Bin Bob]

A soft paint brush huh. Good idea; worked great! Thanks.
Saliva? Really?

[Chris Despopoulos]

I'm of the benign neglect school. I remember there used to be lemon-oil products out there to polish and oil guitars. It was a rage back in the late '70s... until people started turning their fingerboards into mush. Needless to say, I don't keep that stuff around any more.

If I have a glossy finish on an instrument, then sometimes I give it a little polish by breathing on it and then rubbing with a very soft cloth. I have never used a dampened cloth. If you have a french polish, the moisture could have a bad effect indeed. Then again, I suspect if the builder suggested moisture, he or she knows whether the effect would be frightening.

Gunk on the neck is probably a bigger issue, but I haven't gotten there yet with my baroque instruments. When I do I'll just use friction with a soft cloth. I have no idea about cleaning a parchment rosette... Maybe a quick puff once in a while?

How dirty can your instrument be? Unless you let my kids get peanut butter and jelly all over it...

[Bin Bob]

The thought of peanut butter and jelly oozing down the sound hole makes my skin crawl ouch.
Did that really happen?

I tend to muck my guitars up pretty fast with my sweaty Greek hands.
Come on, you gotta know what I'm talking about. Sounds as if your a Greek
too; judging by the last name.

[Chris Despopoulos]

Well, I'm half Greek, anyway. I try to have clean hands when I play. For me the problem is my sweaty arm and chest. Well, I try to remain calm when I play (not always easy), and always wear long sleeves. The sweat tends to destroy a French polish pretty quickly.

Then there's my father in law who played the violin all his life. If he saw a violin in pristine condition he assumed it was no good. If it was a decent and loved instrument it would show bald spots with no finish, dents, scratches, and other signs of life. I'm afraid I show lots of love for my instruments. So you probably don't want to take my advice when it comes to instrument care.

PS
No, the Pb & J did not ooze down the sound hole. More like sticking on the face and the neck. And that was my modern classical, not my baroque instrument. Modern guitars feel like they can take more of a beating somehow...

[Bin Bob]

Haha, I agree with your father. I just got a pretty nice instrument and I'd hate to leave it in the closet like some sports car you only take out to polish. So here's to beatin the hell out of it. Thanks for the advice on cleaning.

[Chris Despopoulos]

You should post a picture. You know guitar nuts always like to see a picture of a guitar. At least I do...