Guitars, Music Production, Home Studio, and Technology: Yamaha Pacifica 112X CLEAN, CONDITION and PREP for Grover Locking Tuners Upgrade

We all know how important it is to look after your instruments.

It's been a while since I stripped my Pacifica down for a darrrrrrrn good clean.......... so after removing the old strings, I started by cleaning the rosewood fretboard with isopropyl (ISO-P) alcohol wipes............ to remove any built up grime and grunge..........

CLEAN

There seems to be some differences of opinion on this topic of cleaning a rosewood fretboard; some folks use ISO-P wipes or liquid / spray onto a cloth - whilst another 'school of thought' seems to suggest that lighter fluid (Naphtha?) might do the trick just as well?

I've never used Naphtha on a fretboard *ever* - surely it would leave a nasty residue? Whereas ISO-P wipes are pure // will evaporate quickly and leave no residue, right?

CONDITION

Once that was done - I applied some Planet Waves Lemon Oil onto a small fine microfibre cloth (the type used to clean your sunglasses!) and gave the fretboard the treatment. You really don't need too much of the product; use it sparingly..... remember Lemon Oil is a CONDITIONER *not a cleaner*

A little goes a long way.............. as they say !

Finally, I cleaned the body, neck and headstock with some Jim Dunlop Formula 65 polish and buffed to a shine. This stuff is great - and the more frequently you use it, the better; as each application leaves a micro layer of protection preventing stain build ups.

UPGRADE THE TUNERS?

While my guitar was on the bench - I decided to remove the original Yamaha OEM tuners; as I had already decided to replace them with Locking Tuners............

After some researching - I opted for Grover's Mini Rotomatic Locking Tuners. (6 in a line) 406-C6 in Chrome. These tuners have an 18:1 Gear Ratio, are fully enclosed - and guaranteed for life ! They also have mini-buttons to allow for more finger room.

Locking tuners give you all the benefits of standard Rotomatic Tuners (PLUS the added bonus of positive locking by the Grover's internal cam post.)

Why do you need them?
Locking tuners help to speed up string changes and prevent de-tuning // tuning drifts - often associated with poor machine heads or incorrectly fitted / wound strings leading to string slippage.

How do they work?
Insert your string through the string hole, pull to tension by hand, and start to tune-up your guitar.

As you begin tuning, only the locking cam in the string post turns. The string post begins to turn once the string is locked. In under one string post revolution, you'll be in tune......... and you'll stay in tune. *well hopefully*