While a new guitar, amp or pedal might be undoubtedly a more exciting purchase, the best cleaning kits and maintenance tools for guitar can be imperative for getting the most out of your instrument.
Keeping your guitar in tip-top condition can help it sound, play and feel better. The best cleaning kits help remove all the dirt, grime and sweat that builds up on the body and neck of your guitar over time as you play it.
Maintenance tools allow you to tweak the hardware on your guitar so you can ensure that everything’s where it needs to be to keeping it playing well.
Quick list
My top pick goes to the excellent Dunlop DGT102 System 65, a complete guitar maintenance kit that has everything you need to keep your instrument in the best condition possible. The price is up there, but it's packed with everything from a fret polish cloth and string cutter, to a screwdriver, uni-wrench and more.
Here's a handy toolkit from the team at Ernie Ball which has all the essentials for making tweaks and changes to your set-up on the fly. It contains Allem keys, a 6-in-1 screwdriver, string height gauge, string winder - and a good set of string cutters which are strong enough to tackle bass strings.
The Swiss Army Knife fro gigging musicians, the CruzTools Guitar & Bass Multi-Tool is small enough to drop into your bag and it has a compact selection of essential tools to help with guitar maintenance. It contains Allen keys, a ruler for helping to set string height, screwdriver and more - all for a brilliant price.
Best overall
This really does what it says on the tin – it’s a complete kit for when you want to set up your guitars. It’s got everything you’ll need to tweak the action, adjust the intonation, replace the strings – even tools that will reach all those annoying, hard to reach nuts and screws.
This set has it all – screwdriver, multi-tool, string action gauge, string winder, plus it’s got some more unique accessories too. It comes with fret collars and a fret cloth so you can polish up the frets on your fingerboard to get them as shiny and gleaming as they were when it was new. Guitar techs will love the fact that this set comes with a light too – no more fumbling around the side of a dark stage. You’ve also got some decent body polish, a lubrication gel pen for the nut and an incredibly handy uni-wrench that you can fit underneath volume and tone knobs to loosen or tighten them.
Whether you’re a regular tinkerer, or you just want something that you can rely on a few times a year when it comes to restringing and setting up your guitar, the Dunlop DGT102 set is one of the best guitar maintenance products available, if not the best!
Best for set-ups
This handy toolkit provides you with everything you need to carry out a restring and make any necessary tweaks to your action. There’s a decent set of string cutters that will be strong enough to use on a bass guitar, if you need to, as well as a comprehensive set of Allen keys – whatever you need to adjust, chances are, one of these is going to fit perfectly. You’ve also got a 6-in-1 screwdriver, string height gauge and string winder. All of these tools should be enough for guitar set ups and regular maintenance duties.
On the cleaning side of things, you’re provided with a microfibre cloth (guitarists should always have one of these to hand) as well as some of Ernie Ball’s Wonder Wipes. These are individual wipes that have been specially designed for cleaning dirty strings, the fingerboard and the guitar body – so everything you need for a good old clean!
The Ernie Ball Musician’s Toolkit really is one of the best guitar cleaning and maintenance products out there, as it provides players with pretty much everything they’ll need to take care of string changes and setups, plus it all comes in a handy case.
Best compact tool
This is something you can leave in your guitar case or gigbag, and take comfort in knowing that it’s there if you need it. Having a wide selection of different tools is great, but sometimes you just want one compact, multi-purpose piece of gear that does the job and doesn’t take up loads of space.
It’s designed a little like a Swiss Army Knife, but angling out of the body is a selection of tools that will make your life much easier when it comes to setting up and adjusting your guitar. All contained within it are several Allen keys – handy for adjusting certain truss rods and all manner of saddles and screws, a ruler for setting the string height, and a variety of different screwdrivers. Whether you’re fixing a dodgy input jack, or adjusting your intonation, this is the kind of thing you’ll always want to have to hand.
Best budget
It’s hardly a kit, but if you’re on a strict budget and you want the best guitar cleaning product, then Fast Fret might be the way to go. It’s an incredibly useful thing to keep in your guitar case for using before and after playing to help lengthen the lifetime of your strings and fingerboard.
Fast Fret is basically a lubricant for your strings and fretboard, so it helps give a slicker feel to your guitar. Regardless of whether you’re more of a rhythm, lead or even bass player, this stuff really helps your fingers glide over the strings, plus you’ll prevent them from sounding dull as quickly. If you’ve just restrung your guitar, you’ll want to preserve that fresh string sound for longer, and using Fast Fret helps do that.
It’s made up of a stick with a handle on one end, and the lubricant/polish on the other. It’s super easy to apply, and you get a cloth with it to wipe away any residue.
Best multi-tool
This is the ultimate screwdriver set for guitarists that are constantly wanting to make small tweaks and changes to their instrument. If what you’ve got can’t be adjusted with the Music Nomad Guitar Tech Screwdriver and Wrench Set, then it’s not worth adjusting!
There are a total of 18 bits that come with the screwdriver, as well as their premium spanner wrench for getting underneath your volume and tone knobs. These screwdriver and hex bits can adjust pretty much everything on your guitar – the bridge, tuning pegs, scratchplate, pickups, pots, tailpiece, tremolo unit and more. If you need to tighten, loosen or adjust something, then this screwdriver and wrench set will be the first and only thing you look to.
It’s all neatly housed in a sturdy aluminium case too, so it’s fully road-worthy.
Best for cleaning
This is a full and comprehensive collection of polishes and solutions to help keep your guitar looking and feeling fresh. From the body to the fingerboard, to the strings, the Dunlop 6500 System really is one of the best guitar cleaning products out there.
The cream of carnauba body gloss can be used to polish your guitar’s body up, whilst also buffing out light scratches – it also acts as a light barrier against moisture and stains. The polish is ideal for everyday use, helping to clean your guitar and restore it to its original state. Then you’ve got a couple of solutions to help clean and condition your fingerboard, a couple of cotton cloths, plus their Ultraglide string conditioner to keep your strings feeling and sounding fresh.
If you take pride in your guitar, then this is a great kit to have at home. You don’t need to give it the full works every day, but by applying polish fairly regularly, and string conditioner now and again, you’ll help keep your instrument in great shape.
Best for pros
This is a great all-in-one guitar maintenance kit, packaged in a very cleverly designed case. Whilst it’s not cheap, it does offer up everything you’d need when restringing and setting up your guitars to a pro level.
Firstly, you get a non-slip body mat and a neck cradle, so you’ve got somewhere to neatly place your guitar whilst you work on it. You’ve got a handy multi-tool with a variety of hex keys and screwdrivers for making your necessary adjustments, string lubricant for the nut, a ruler and capo for checking string height and neck relief, and a string winder with a cutter on the end – so basically, everything you could need when changing strings and setting your guitar up.
All your tools are kept neatly in the case, which has been really well designed. When you’re working on your guitar, it’s so easy to misplace a tiny screw or spring or something like that. D’addario has thought ahead and made a small pouch so you can keep all your small bits of hardware in one place safely until they’re ready to go back on your guitar – a simple but elegant solution.
Best for Fenders
This is a kit for players who want the tools to tweak and set their guitars up, on hand, in a nicely designed, compact case. The Fender Custom Shop toolkit is made with guitar maintenance pioneers, GrooveTech and it has everything you need, and nothing you don’t; plus they’re super high quality.
This snazzy kit has the tools you need to make saddle adjustments, tighten up or loosen those hard to get jack inputs, tweak your truss rod and more. All those parts that are difficult to adjust are made easier with this, making it one of the best guitar maintenance products available. You also get a 4-in-1 screwdriver, string winder (so useful for string changing), feeler gauges and a capo. Now a capo is useful for altering the pitch of your guitar when playing, but it’s also handy for keeping the strings in place if you need to take the neck off, and for checking string and neck relief.
It’s made to a great standard, and for those who care about presentation, this ticks the right boxes.
Best maintenance
The clever folks at D’Addario have created a 3-step system for cleaning your guitar. Each step has its own polish or wax, and is very helpfully numbered on the outside of the bottle, so you know where to start. Using these three steps will mean that you can restore, protect and shine up your favored instrument, bringing it back to its former glory.
You’ve then got a fingerboard conditioner that will clean it and improve the feel under your fretting hand; you’ll also be hydrating the wood. It even comes with a cotton polishing cloth that won’t scratch your guitar and will allow you to buffer it all up – good as new!
This essentials kit can help remove grime, dirt, dead skin, minor scratches and more from all parts of your guitar, helping to breathe a bit of life into your instrument.
How to choose
If you’re looking to level up your guitar maintenance, then the best product for you will depend on whereabouts your expertise sits now. If you’re a complete beginner, then any of the above items will be a good choice. Something like a multi-tool will mean that you’ve got everything you need to make quick adjustments to your action and keep all the screws and bolts nice and tight.
If you want your guitar to play a little slicker, then even just good old Fast Fret will help you with that - it also couldn’t be simpler to use! If you want your instrument looking and feeling better then a cleaning kit that contains a range of different polishes and conditioners will enable you to improve the feel of your guitar when it comes to restringing.
If you want to be covered for any level of maintenance or you know exactly how you want your guitar playing and feeling exactly, then you’ll want to look out for something that has a range of different tools with all different sized attachments so that you can tackle any sort of tech work.
FAQ
Why do I need to clean my guitar?
You might think that if your guitar isn’t broken, then there’s nothing that needs doing. However, over time, the strings on your guitar do gather dead skin and dirt from your fingers, and your guitar – which is primarily made of wood and metal, will shift slightly with changes in temperature and humidity. This is where the best guitar cleaning kits and maintenance products come in.
When things move slightly on a guitar, there’s usually a screw, nut or some other sort of adjustment gadget that can be tweaked to move it back to where it needs to be. Over time, you might notice your guitar’s neck starts to bow a little – a quick adjustment of the truss rod can solve this. You might start hearing that notes aren’t fretting completely in tune, which is likely to be an issue with intonation (this is so important when recording). This can be solved by adjusting the string saddles by the bridge.
And, of course, keeping your guitar clean and in good working order will not only ensure it performs at its best, it will also help maintain its value should you wish to sell it in the future and it will look pristine when you step on stage.
What type of kit do I need?
Grabbing yourself one or two things from this list will mean that you’ve got the tools to keep your instrument running at its best. Of course, what you choose will likely depend on how far you want to go with it.
When looking at the best guitar cleaning kits and maintenance products, ask yourself what exactly it is you want to do. If you’re playing guitar fairly infrequently, then you might just want to grab something that keeps the strings feeling fresh, so that you don’t have to change them as much.
If you’re a little more serious about the guitar, and you’re playing a lot, then you might want to look at cleaning and maintenance products that you use relatively often. Every time you change your strings, you could check your action and intonation at the same time. If you’re armed with the right tools, then you can save yourself a trip to your local guitar tech.
For many players, their guitar is their pride and joy. Of course, you want it to sound and feel great when you’re playing it, but you also want it to look good! Hey, you didn’t drop all that cash on a PRS for that flame top to not stand out, did you? The best guitar cleaning products can help keep your guitar looking as it came to you from the store. Some will even help you buffer out light marks and scratches too.
How often do I need to work on my guitar?
How much maintenance your guitar requires depends on how much you play it as well as your physical connection with the instrument. If you’ve got a soft, delicate approach, then it’s probably going to need less doing to it than someone who thrashes away at their instrument every night.
Likewise, if you’re playing it for hours every day, then over time you’ll be slowly wearing away at your instrument and its hardware, so it will need more regular maintenance. Keeping pots and switches tight could be something you do every few months, but you’ll want to be restringing it more often than that.
Conversely, if you don’t play all that often, then it’s not getting as much wear and tear so it won’t need as much attention. That said, it’s worth giving it a good check over a couple of times a year.
How do I set my guitar up?
Different guitars require a different approach but it’s worth remembering that setups are a personal preference - what’s right for one player might not be right for another. It’s striking a balance between the strings being close enough to the fingerboard to be comfortable to push down, but not so close that it causes unwanted buzzing.
There are lots of videos out there on YouTube showing you how to set up different types of guitar, so you can check those out. It is however worth remembering to make small adjustments and check after each one, especially if you’re new to it.
How do I know what size tools to get for my guitar?
Any kit that includes tools like a screwdriver or hex/Allen key will usually include a few different sizes so that one of them will fit your guitar. While different instruments will have different sized parts, many of them do tend to be fairly universal so there’s a very good chance that you’ll be covered with one of the above kits.
How often should I restring my guitar?
Like so many other things with guitars, it all depends on how you play, and how often. Different players sweat different amounts; the more you sweat, the quicker you’re going to wear out your guitar strings. It’s the same if you’re playing for hours every day.
Some touring pros will change their strings every night after each show to keep their tone lively and bright. Hobbyists don’t need to go to quite the same lengths - if you’re playing at home for an hour or so every day, then changing your strings once a month can ensure your guitar feels and sounds its best.
Over time, your strings start sounding duller and more lifeless but you might not notice it until you put fresh strings on.
Do I need to clean every time I restring my guitar?
Again, it all depends how much you play as well as how much you sweat while playing. However, I’d say that if you’re taking the time to restring your guitar, then it’s probably worth giving your guitar a quick clean too. You don’t need to polish it every week or so - a quick wipe down with a clean microfibre cloth can actually be all you need to do. Get the polish out every couple of months or so.
Conditioning the fretboard regularly can help keep it feeling slick under the fingers. If you’re restringing every week or so, then you probably don’t have to do it every time, but if you’re changing your strings once a month or less, then cleaning the fretboard will make sure you don’t get a build-up of dead skin and general grime.
Advice on guitar maintenance
You can trust Guitar World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing guitar products so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Turning screws and adjusting important parts on your guitar might be daunting at first, but it’s always a good idea to start small. Make small incremental adjustments and check after each one to see if what you’re doing is working as you want it to. There’s also a ton of great resources for learning how to set up and restring your guitars online, including our guides to restringing your electric guitar and restringing your acoustic guitar.
Glossary
Action: When talking about a guitar’s action, I'm referring to the distance between the strings and the fingerboard. A high action will mean there’s a lot of space between the two and you’ll have to push down quite hard to get nice, clean notes. A low action means there’s not much space and so requires less pressure when fretting notes.
Fingerboard: Also referred to as a fretboard, this is the top of the guitar’s neck where the frets are and so it’s the part where your fingers connect with the instrument. As your fingers connect with the strings, dead skin, sweat and grime build up on the fretboard over time, which is why regular cleaning and conditioning is important.
Hardware: The hardware on a guitar includes the bridge, tuning pegs, strap buttons, screws, knobs, switches and any vibrato system.
Nitrocellulose: This is a type of finish used on many electric guitars. It’s quite a thin finish and some strong polishes can damage it over time. If you’ve got this finish on your guitar, look for something that’s nitro-friendly
How we choose the cleaning kits for this guide
Here at Guitar World, we are experts in our field, with many years of playing and product testing between us. We live and breathe everything guitar related, and we draw on this knowledge and experience of using products in live, recording and rehearsal scenarios when selecting the products for our guides.
When choosing what we believe to be the best guitar cleaning kits and tools available right now, we combine our hands-on experience, user reviews and testimonies and engage in lengthy discussions with our editorial colleagues to reach a consensus about the top products in any given category.
First and foremost, we are guitarists, and we want other players to find the right product for them. So we take into careful consideration everything from budget to feature set, ease of use and durability to come up with a list of what we can safely say are the best guitar cleaning kits and tools on the market right now.
Read more about our rating system, how we choose the gear we feature, and exactly how we test each product.
Why you can trust us
☑️ A global audience of 3.8 million guitarists monthly
☑️ 1,200+ reviews on GuitarWorld.com
☑️ 30+ years of product testing at Guitar World
Guitar World boasts over 44 years of expertise and stands as the ultimate authority on all things related to guitars. The magazine and website feature expertly written gear round-ups and top-quality, authoritative reviews penned by a team of highly experienced industry professionals.
Guitar World's inaugural print issue hit the shelves in July 1980, and ever since, it has been captivating players and enthusiasts with engaging lessons, insightful interviews with the biggest guitar heroes, and priceless buying advice for newbie players.
Furthermore, GuitarWorld.com continues this legacy online and serves as the hub of the world's foremost authorities on guitar playing. The site not only hosts content from Guitar World but also showcases articles from respected publications such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Guitar Techniques, and Bass Player. With a reach extending to 3.8 million players each month, GuitarWorld.com is a go-to destination for guitar fanatics globally.
Meet the expert
After spending a decade in music retail, I’m now a freelance writer for Guitar World, MusicRadar, Guitar Player and Reverb, specialising in electric and acoustic guitars, bass, and almost anything else you can make a tune with. When my head’s not buried in the best of modern and vintage gear, I run a small company helping musicians with songwriting, production and performance, and I play bass in an alt-rock band.
Read more
- Have a spruce up with the best acoustic guitar strings
- These are the best guitar straps
- And the best guitar cables
- Get started with these guitar accessories for beginners
