D55 care suggestions appreciated

[Stuball48]

Ran upon a very very good deal on a 2000 D55 so I bought it. No, I do not want to sell it! I tried to buy the guitar three years ago but seller wasn't ready. He reached out to me couple months ago and I bought it.
It has been off his humidity controlled environment wall twice in 15 years and one of those was me three years ago. It is in pristine condition.
What do you think I need to do to wood before I change strings and play it? Would like to clean it well while I have strings off.
Only way I do pictures is email or text.

 

[davismanLV]

How dirty is it? Is it a filthy, been exposed, finger schmutz and dust and polish and wax kinda filthy, or is it a well-cared for guitar that's a little dusty with relatively little "schmutz" from hands and humans?? That'll dictate what you use.

p.s. - why the photo by personal contact only policy?

 

[Stuball48]

Got a new phone and too lazy to figure it out.
The guitar looks like it just came off showroom floor--clean as a whistle.

 

[davismanLV]

I'd treat it just like I do all my guitars at string change time. Soft all cotton cloth, damp and wipe the whole thing down including fretboard, then dry and polish with same type cloth but dry (all cotton t-shirts are great if they have no graphics on them) and then I do a light application of Bore Oil on the fretboard and bridge with paper towel being careful not to get any on the finish. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then buff it dry. Then I string like normal. No polish or cleaners. If you feel you must polish, apply it after the wipe down and dry. And you're done. Less is more......

 

[Stuball48]

I'd treat it just like I do all my guitars at string change time. Soft all cotton cloth, damp and wipe the whole thing down including fretboard, then dry and polish with same type cloth but dry (all cotton t-shirts are great if they have no graphics on them) and then I do a light application of Bore Oil on the fretboard and bridge with paper towel being careful not to get any on the finish. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then buff it dry. Then I string like normal. No polish or cleaners. If you feel you must polish, apply it after the wipe down and dry. And you're done. Less is more......

Thanks Tom and have the "MusicNomad guitar cleaner kit. I will use the fretboard F-1 Oil on bridge and fretboard after I wipe everything down and let it dry. Then copy your other instructions before restringing. Has original strings on it but they have lots of corrosion build up.

 

[davismanLV]

Once the strings are off it's so much easier to really get in there and wipe it down. I keep my damp cloth fairly wet and just scrub that thing down with lots of rubbing. Congrats!! Maybe eventually you can post some photos. It sounds beautiful!!

 

[Stuball48]

Will work on pictures

 

[davidbeinct]

Touch the thing that’s circled. It will open a dialog box.

 

[davidbeinct]

Touch inside the little rectangle...

 

[davidbeinct]

select photo library and select the pictures you want. That’s for iPad/iPhone. I’m sure a droid is similar. Probably a computer too but you’ll have to use the mouse. If this works for you and you get your pictures up feel free to report my posts and ask a mod to delete them so they don’t gunk up your thread.

 

[Stuball48]

 

[Stuball48]

 

[Stuball48]

Thanks to Tom's and David's patience and clear explanations think pictures are up.

 

[West R Lee]

I can't add anything to this. If this is what these guys suggest, this is what I do. Beautiful D55 by the way.

Collings | Care & Maintenance

The official source of information for Collings custom handmade acoustic guitars, electric guitars, mandolins, ukuleles and archtop guitars. Setting the standard for quality and tone since 1973.

www.collingsguitars.com

West

 

[Stuball48]

I can't add anything to this. If this is what these guys suggest, this is what I do. Beautiful D55 by the way.

Collings | Care & Maintenance

The official source of information for Collings custom handmade acoustic guitars, electric guitars, mandolins, ukuleles and archtop guitars. Setting the standard for quality and tone since 1973.

www.collingsguitars.com

West

Thanks West for a very thorough and informative read on exactly what I needed. Sounds like Tom is a writer for Collins. He gave me same advice. Valuable information that will be referred to and shared, often, in the future.

 

[Velvet Phelts]

Beautiful
Suggestions?
Check neck relief, Nut and saddle height (My files are drooling over those pics)
Clean Polish frets. Condition fretboard. Restring with string of choice, set intonation. Light polish entire guitar. I usually will restring with a fresh set again after intonation.
(Tune. Play till you're fingers start to give out wipe down put in case close lid and lock till next time.)... Rinse and repeat daily.

 

[Cougar]

Ran upon a very very good deal on a 2000 D55 so I bought it....

Wow! Total score! Looks to be in mint condition! So near the end of Westerly? What a beauty!

 

[davismanLV]

HOLY CRAP!!! What a score!! That's just beautiful and looks like it's off the showroom floor!!! Congrats, my friend!!

 

[Stuball48]

Took it to trusted luthier and he said, basically, the wood had dried over time and the only thing that needed attention was some "fret sprouting." Said that was the edges of fret wire protruding a tiny bit because of neck wood being dry. Said he had a special file for "fret sprouting" and would slowly humidify it then file fret wires if need be. Said it was as close to mint as any twenty year old guitar he had ever worked on. That made me feel good.