What detergents etc do you use to clean tolex on old amps? My Marshalls are in good shape electronically but the box's are all dirty and coming apart. I have the repair of the boxes under control but I haven't found a good way to clean up the tolex.
What detergents etc do you use to clean tolex on old amps? My Marshalls are in good shape electronically but the box's are all dirty and coming apart. I have the repair of the boxes under control but I haven't found a good way to clean up the tolex.
I used a tooth brush and both a household cleanser (like 409) and Amour All vinyl cleaner. They both worked well but I'd use the Amour All product if I had my choice. A bigger brush would be nice for the larger areas but I didn't need to scrub much since my amp didn't have any exposure to nicotine stains. A dish towel worked for wipe-up. I used it damp and rinsed it a lot to get all the cleanser off.......Bill
Simple green!
I've heard armor all is BAD for tolex.
It has a reputation of "never going back", and collects more dirt than anything. I tried it once, and never went back.
Simple green is good.
I've used Formula 409 with good results.
warm soapy water should always be first then SG. Armor All IS ungood.
I haven't seen any evidence on my amp that AA vinyl cleaner was a bad choice. It seems to clean with less scrubbing than 409. Both were removed completely with a damp cloth as should any cleanser when it's done it's job. Maybe their protectant product is the one not to be used??
yeah, that's the stuff i'm talkling about
I honestly, and I'm not trying to be rude or anything, have never seen the reason to clean tolex. I have never been to concerned with the look of my guitars or amps except the acoustics; I am more concerned that the guts are intact and in good shape.
Yummo!
My Gear:
Gibson SG
James Burton Tele (standard---not the flaming one)
Guild Bluegrass Jubilee w/DTar
Kap'n 5E3
Marsh 5F11
Just say no to Armor All! The protectant has silicone in it and the cleaner has alcohol in it.
It doesn't belong anywhere near amps or guitar cases. The next thing you know, it's on the guitar itself! That's bad.
Besides, it looks awful. Amps, guitar cases, car dash boards and tires were never meant to be that shiny!
A tooth brush dampened (not dripping wet) with warm soapy water is all you need.
Borax..The stuff is an amazing all purpose cleaner..
Plastics like tolex should only be cleaned with a citrus cleaner like simple green. Water it down like 10 to 1 (or more) rub with an old towel (100% cotton!) and see if it works. Increase the cleaner strength until you get results.
Dont use 409, dont use armor all or any thing like that not even mild soap. All of these cleaners actually rob the tolex of its oils. They speed up the aging process of the plastic and make it brittle and shrink it. Abrasives will just .. well remove material.
Go visit some vintage auto boards / auto detailing sites and see what they use on dash boards and interior panels. The guys who know what they are talking about all say citrus cleaners. The oils in the cleaners actually help the tolex not rob it of its oils...!
I know I'm new here, but I'm a bit of a car freak and I know how to clean things - - --I'm SO happy I have some expertise to share with you all and I hope I'm not too late with my advise. I can't help much on anything else on this board, right now Im all questions. But cleaning tolex, take my advise.. citrus cleaners, no solvents, no abrasives, no acids, no potions ...or just use water and a cotton cloth.
P e a c e
KYChucky
I think frequency has a lot to do with any potential damage. My amp's tolex has been cleaned once since I owned it. If you only clean it once every 45 years and it's not very dirty to start with you're looking at extremely limited exposure. Now, the next ime I clean it (when I'm 101 years old) I may not use the right stuff because I won't remember there is a prefered cleaner. I don't expect any real damage to occur next time around assuming a reasonable choice is made.
Car guys are going to clean much more often, at least the ones I know will. My amp has always had a cover on it, it doesn't get dirty. Maybe some of the amps owned by the members here get cleaned more than once every ten years. I'm not one of them so why worry?...........Bill
good point CW... and what 'damage' is done to the amp just increases its soul power and adds to its potential 'vintage' appeal...
All things in perspective..you could spend that cleaning time playing :)
KYC
When I buy an amp that has Ratty looking Tolex I take everything apart and bring just the cabinet ( seal the tube chart with plastic wrap and painters tape ) to the Car wash and power spray it. Cleans them up nice. Then I let the cab dry for a day or 2 and then I spray some Armor all on it. Works for me. I have had some nasty looking amps turn into sweet looking collector Items.
If I buy a dirty old amp I'll disassemble and clean it. I'll almost never clean it again after that.
And I stand by what I said about Armor All. It has silicone in it. Don't use it around musical instruments.
+1Originally Posted by Don
vinylex is awesome......look for a blue spray bottle
I like Vinylex in my car. It's less shiny than Armor All.
It still contains silicone and shouldn't be used around musical instruments and things related to them.
I use Turtle Wax Oxy Power Out carpet cleaner. Spary it on, let it sit and bubble up, scrub with the built in brush, and wipe off with a wet rag.
VM
If aliens listened to our current top 40, they'd think that the entire planet was populated by sexually ambivalent robots with ethnic insecurity.
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