If I've been doing something like gardening or auto work I'll certainly wash my hands before playing. But if my hands are relatively clean, just day to day stuff I'll go ahead and play. Afterward I always wipe off the guitar strings and every so often the body. In fact, about once a week or so I'll polish a couple of them with a foam ball on a cordless driver, with Stew-Mac Preservation Polish then buff it out with another foam pad and finally an old tee shirt.
I like my guitars' finish to look as clean and shiny as possible. Much like my cars (always freshly washed and waxed), and what hair I have left (without the wax or other product, unless you count Rogaine).
|