The Steel Guitar Forum

How do I clean the tolex on my amps? They are not too bad but they do have dust on them.

ArmorAll

Clean water, and a brush, use sponge after brushing the dirt out of the crevices, and change water often. After drying, use some type of protectant, (I use a Turtle Wax product), to give it a shine.

I cleaned up my 1982 NV 400 when the chassis was off to Peavey for repair. I used Dawn and a scrubbing brush and hosed it off and then towel dried it. Next day I felt it looked so much like new that Armor All would have made it look worse. After a few years it's still looking almost like new. Armor All looks fake and shiny in my IMHO.

Tuff Stuff cleaner and a toothbrush

NO ARMOUR ALL!~!!!!! thats a mess and when you touch it you cant hold a pic or a bar for the slick crap on your fingers. i wont even buy a used fender amp with that junk on it. yuk!!!

Those newish (about a year or so on the market) "magic dirt erasers" work wonders.

I use a brush cuz of the Tolex texture, and lots of paper towels. To finish it off I use Meguiar's Natural Shine Protectant, "Non-greasy formula cleans, shines & protects." Much nicer than Armor All!

I have a book by Texas tube amp guru Gerald Weber in which he recommends pulling the chassis, reverb tank, etc. out of the cabinet and bringing it to a high pressure car wash for a good spray and rinse and then letting the cab sit outside in direct sunlight to dry for however long it takes.

Have never tried this myself, but Mr. Weber likely knows of what he speaks.

Weber's method presents one problem for me. I don't want to get the wood and glue joints wet. His method may be quick, and most times effective, but, as a wood worker, I have a real problem with getting wood wet.

frankly, armour all works great for a quick wipe to clean up an amp or a dashboard.
i actually like funky looking amps that get used.

it will make your motorcycle seat slippery, though.

Scrub brush and water with a little detergent or soap in it. In a pinch, you can also use Windex. I like to finish dry with a turkish towel, as it gets into the crevices better than paper towels.

Bill Hatcher's right, save the Armor-All stuff for shining your tires!

Be careful if you use Windex. If there's a scratch with wood showing, the Windex will dye the wood blue. Windex does have a new product that uses Vinegar instead ofAmmonia, and it's clear. Also NEVER use anything that contains Ammonia on anything Aluminum.

NO ARMOUR ALL! for me either. Just use vinyl cleaner you get at Ace, auto parts store, etc and a paper towel

cleans it right up and does not leave an oily mess

Keep it easy tolex is not magic it is just vinyl

Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com