The BEST way to remove stubborn stickers from your instrument, residue-free!

In this video I test several methods and products to remove the multitude of stickers that cover my Peavey bass.

Today I'm tackling a common challenge for musicians: removing stickers from an instrument. My guinea pig for the day is a Peavey Milestone 2 bass, probably from the 90s. It has a polyester finish, which is sturdy but not foolproof, so I'll be testing out a few different methods to find the best solution.

Attention : If you have an instrument with a more fragile finish, such as nitrocellulose lacquer, be extremely careful and avoid harsh products.

Step 1: Preparation

Before I started, I removed the strings and armed myself with a few simple tools:

  • A plastic card (library card type)
  • A hair dryer
  • Hot water mixed with dishwashing liquid
  • Isopropyl alcohol
  • A specific product for adhesives (eg Goo Gone)

My plan is to test these methods successively to evaluate their effectiveness.


Method 1: Dry remove with heat

To start, I applied a little heat with a hair dryer to soften the adhesive.

  • Result : This works well on laminated stickers. The top layer peels off easily, leaving a sticky residue.
  • Limit : With paper stickers, heat alone is less effective. Some of it sticks and creates a real headache.

Method 2: Hot water and dishwashing liquid

For the paper stickers, I moistened with warm soapy water.

  • Result : The paper disintegrates, making removal easier.
  • Limit : This does not work on laminated or waterproof stickers. Also, be careful not to get the instrument too wet to avoid damaging the wood.

Method 3: Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is known to dissolve adhesives.

  • Result : This softens the residual adhesive, allowing it to be scraped off. However, it is a lengthy process and requires extended contact time.
  • Advantage : Alcohol does not leave any greasy film once dried.

Method 4: Goo Gone (or similar product)

This product is designed to remove adhesives. It contains mild solvents, such as citrus extracts.

  • Result : Very effective at dissolving adhesive, even laminated stickers.
  • Limit : This leaves a significant oily residue, requiring a final cleaning with alcohol to obtain a clean surface.

The challenges encountered

One of the stickers, particularly old, left a significant discoloration mark on the pickguard. Unfortunately, these marks cannot be corrected by simple cleaning. The solution could be to replace the pickguard or find a method to uniform the color.


Conclusion

To remove stickers effectively:

  1. Start by removing the top layer with heat and a plastic card.
  2. Use soapy water for paper stickers.
  3. Apply alcohol or a specialized product to remove residue.

Each method has its strengths and weaknesses, but with a little patience you can get your instrument clean and ready to play.

🎥 Watch this adventure in video on my channel to see the steps in action!

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