How to Remove Stickers and Glue from Guitars

Today we're going to address the quickest, easiest way to remove stickers and sticker glue from guitars.

Stickers: Depending on the size of the sticker and the strength of the glue, you might be able to get away with using your finger nail. For larger, more aggressive stickers that put up a fight, I've found that a CD (or the CD blank that comes in a spindle of CD-R's) does a nice job.

It has a much larger radius and working area, plus a nice rounded edge and a large handling area (so you can really hold onto it). This is demonstrated in the photo above, which features the always alluring and enchanting Sara Becker.

Glue: There are a lot of techniques out there, such as using Naptha, eucalyptus oil or lighter fluid. The problem is, do you really have any Naptha lying around the house? If not, you'll need to go to the hardware store and buy some. It's normally sold by the quart, which is way more than you'll probably ever need.

Do you have any eucalyptus oil handy? Probably not. Another purchase is required. What about lighter fluid? Well, thanks to the decline of smoking and Zippo lighters, that's probably going to be another purchase.

With this option, all you need is one thing: nail polish remover. It's a lot more common than the options mentioned above. For instance, when I was a kid, my mom had plenty. As I grew older, my girlfriend(s) and later my wife became my suppliers. If you don't have any handy, it's very easy to find at your neighborhood 7-11 (as opposed to Naptha). Also, the bottle is much smaller and cheaper (around $2) than the usual $8-to-$12 quart of Naptha.

Anyway, nail polish remover acts similar to Naptha and/or lighter fluid but is much nicer to your guitar's finish.

Check out Joe Becker online at joebeckermusic.com.