Lube Job For Steel: What's The Best?

[Bobby Bowman]

If you guys have tore down as many steels as I and some others have, I think you'd change a lot of your views about lubricating PSG's.
As a rule, way, way too much is used and it comes back to haunt you after a while. This is fine and good for my kind of business,,,it helps to put a few beans on the table. But, if y'all would learn to keep your guitar mostly clean and dry, with a few exceptions in a few spots, both you and the guitar would be better off. Most of the light oils, including "transmission fluid" , is good. Just don't go crazy with any of it. A good high pressure air "blow job" is the best maintenence,,,especially for new guitars and newly rebuilt guitars. Just remember, lubricants attract anything that will cling to them. The more you put on there, the more it will eventully attract and after a period of time, will turn into crude. I prefer lubes that are teflon based, but most any of the better ones are fine if used sparingly. (KISS, !!!!)
BB

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If you play 'em, play 'em good!
If you build 'em, build 'em good!

[Jack Shrader Sr]

SLICK 50 it comes in a spray can with a staw and works great for me Jack

[William Steward]

One comment about transmission fluid is that it can damage some paint or lacquer finishes. Maurice Anderson recommends flushing the lubrication points once in a while with some degreaser which helped with an old guitar that I was trying to lubricate. I ended up using a light fan oil which seems to do the job after thoroughly cleaning out the assembly with degreaser (outside!). I found out the hard way not to try adding graphite to an already oiled assembly since it just made it stickier - the Carter webpage straightened me out on that....thanks Ann.

[Olli Haavisto]

Trumpet/trombone valve oil.

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Olli Haavisto
Polar steeler
Finland