How To Do it?

[medtransportation]

Hi there and I am new into guitar and amplifier thing and this thing really gives me a relaxation.... Just want to know on how to clean it? Just generally!!


Thanks

[J M Fahey]

You mean the vinyl covering, handles, etc?
Nothing harsh.
I use a piece of cleaning cloth, wet and then squeezed dry (it's still humid but not dripping at all) to which I add a drop of dishwashing or window cleaning detergent,  to wipe covering, handles, knobs, front panel, etc.; so as to pull dirt , fingerprints, etc. , then wash the cloth in clean water, squeeze it dry again and wipe again to remove any trace of detergent.
You can finish with a clean dry cloth.
After it dries naturally (1 hour) you can spray a little siliconen and wipe it with a new clean lint free cloth.
A common mistake many do is to skip the "washing" step and just spray silicone, it becomes a grimey paste with earlier dirt.
If the amp is old and dirt has encrusted into the Tolex, you can wash it out with a toothbrush and a little water/detergent.
It ends up looking new.

[joecool85]

Great advice Juan, I hadn't thought about using silicone spray.  I do clean mine but I skip your first step and only do the just water-moistened rag to wipe it clean and then dry it off with a towel.

Does the silicone spray help keep dust off or just make it easier to clean later?

[J M Fahey]

Probably both, but an extra advantage is that used equipment takes a "dull" appeareance which betrays its age; silicone restores that "like new" aspect.
That's why there is one kind specially formulated for car seats , works wonders on Tolex ..... not surprisingly since it basically is the same vinyl cloth.
On *real* worn amps, some black shoe polish, the old waxy type works wonders ... but apply some, let it dry overnight and then "try to take it away" with a clean cloth, or the amp will feel greasy and stain hands and car seats.
I have seen many a bar fly being sold as a virginal teen, he he.

[joecool85]

I've successfully used a Sharpie to "color in" beat up areas of tolex.  Simply color in the area with a black sharpie, then smudge it with your finger.  It gets your fingers kinda dirty/covered in ink, but works well once you get it down.  I like the shoe polish idea, might try that next time I have an amp to restore.