What's best for removing stickers?

[thedarxide]

I bought a stingray copy off ebay that was covered in stickers. I've had experience of removing them from scratchplates, but what's the best stuff for getting them off the body itself? It's a cheap bass but I still don't want to scratch it to buggery. My dad is caretaker at a school, so I'm going to ask him if he's got anything that will dissolve glue.

[neepheid]

Lighter fluid. Just don't smoke while you're doing it

[tauzero]

White spirit. WD40.

Avoid acetone, paint thinners, brake fluid, and Nitromors.

[Pris-]

This is going to sound silly... but the safest way is just to use sommink like olive oil, or sunflower oil. And then you can remove the grease after, with washing up liquid. It takes a little more effort than the more aggressive stuff, but at least you're sure your bass is safe.

[gilmour]

You can buy a cleaning product called 'label remover' it will remove labels (and stickers) and their sticky residue.

Don't be tempted to use a green scouring pad that will bugger up the finish of your bass, instead scrape them off with a credit card or something.

[Gazm]

[quote name='neepheid' post='150166' date='Mar 3 2008, 09:11 AM']Lighter fluid. Just don't smoke while you're doing it [/quote]

+1 Lighter fluid (the petrol type) was the only thing that removed a sticker on a cab that I'd had for 20 years and never got round to removing.

Pete.

[Buzz]

I would suggest Meths via the medium of cotton ball, but I don't know how it would react to the finish, I suspect it would be alright on poly.

[andyonbass]

Try some of your missus' nail polish remover.

[The Burpster]

Using a solvent maay attack teh paint surface.... I'd recommned using a hairdryer to warm up teh sticky, which will soften it, then with a rag roll it up by repeatedly pushing it in one direction. Should ball up then....

[steve-soar]

[quote name='andyonbass' post='150555' date='Mar 3 2008, 06:41 PM']Try some of your missus' nail polish remover.[/quote]
Noooooooooooo, nail polish remover is acetone which removes plastics, which in effect ='s the finish on your guitar. The only safe way I've found to remove stickers from modern finishes is to moisten the paper with warm water and carefully scrape off. Then remove the glue with panel wipe (virgin thinners). You can get this from any car spray shop. Do not use meths and don't scrape with a credit card as you will probably scuff your finish. I hope I'm not too late.

Edited March 4, 2008 by steve-soar

[thedarxide]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='150787' date='Mar 4 2008, 01:15 AM']Noooooooooooo, nail polish remover is acetone which removes plastics, which in effect ='s the finish on your guitar. The only safe way I've found to remove stickers from modern finishes is to moisten the paper with warm water and carefully scrape off. Then remove the glue with panel wipe (virgin thinners). You can get this from any car spray shop. Do not use meths and don't scrape with a credit card as you will probably scuff your finish. I hope I'm not too late.[/quote]

Nope, not getting it till Sunday, so it's okay

[andyonbass]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='150787' date='Mar 4 2008, 01:15 AM']Noooooooooooo, nail polish remover is acetone which removes plastics, which in effect ='s the finish on your guitar.[/quote]

My missus uses acetone free remover, its kinder to your skin, dontcha know! I used it to remove some sticker residue from a cheapo jazz I had, with no ill effect.

[Mr. Foxen]

I used meths and some kitchen roll, stinks up less than some things, fine on the cheap guitar finish (poly).

[steve-soar]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='151366' date='Mar 4 2008, 09:49 PM']I used meths and some kitchen roll, stinks up less than some things, fine on the cheap guitar finish (poly).[/quote]A band I was once in got some money from a publishing deal to buy new gear and stable up our touring budget.
I got a bought a brand new SVT2 PRO and one of our guitarists got a brand new Gibson 335. We were backstage at the Moels club in Bath(anyone remember it?) and we had a bit of time to tinker with our new toys. We were all cleaning our guitars and such when the guitarist reached into the road crews box of tricks and pulled out a bottle of meths, unbeknown to the rest of us. About thirty seconds later he showed us what had happened as he tied to polish the 335, most of the finish on the front of it had softened and started to rub away, half a dozen wipes of the cloth and the guitar was worth about £500 less.
No thats what I call intense relicing.

[nick]

[quote name='steve-soar' post='151461' date='Mar 5 2008, 12:33 AM']one of our guitarists got a brand new Gibson 335. We were backstage at the Moels club in Bath(anyone remember it?) and we had a bit of time to tinker with our new toys. We were all cleaning our guitars and such when the guitarist reached into the road crews box of tricks and pulled out a bottle of meths, unbeknown to the rest of us. About thirty seconds later he showed us what had happened as he tied to polish the 335, most of the finish on the front of it had softened and started to rub away, half a dozen wipes of the cloth and the guitar was worth about £500 less.[/quote]

Sounds like Sploote (?!)

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I have a bottle of something called "sticky stuff remover" it smells like orange scented petrol. I managed to get 10 year old stickers of my old precision with no ill effects. I have no idea where I got it though as it was ages since I bought it.

[stevebasshead]

If you're down to the sticky residue then ordinary Mr Sheen will get that gunk off and [i]should[/i] be safe enough on any finish. Works a treat to remove sticky labels from CD jewel cases etc too.

Fake edit: [i]<Other furniture polishes are also available>[/i]