Unused for 15 Years

[Larz]

Just yesterday I reacquired my first guitar that I had as a teenager, a 1984 Washburn A-20V, an Uncle Mat era with the BBR coloring (the explorer type body that Carlos Cavazo used early on in QR). It had sat in its case unplayed for about 15 years in my parent's basement while I had moved away and moved on to other guitars.

Never had big tech knowledge, what should I do to get this ready to rock again? Condition looks good, no rust anywhere or anything like that, just some funkyness on the black finish that almost looks like steam or something. From searching the hard to find specs for that period, I believe it is an ebony board and has the two HB pups and a trem with locking nut.

[evolutionised]

do you have any pics of the 'steam'??

by the way if you want to take off very little rust try using the white, unprinted bits of newspaper. works for cleaning pickup poles

[asix]

probaly needs new volume pots etc. i would have ago with switch cleaner first. sounds like a nice axe.

[emperor_black]

was it in a case or at least a gig-bag? You would need to get new strings (of course), clean the frets (use some chrome-polish), clean the fretboard with some lemon oil. If there's no rust anwhere else, you should be good to go. But yeah, pics would help.

[59custom]

Steam, sounds like sweat/ wax build up try some warm soap and water first, and then use a no wax silicone cleaner. You can buy gibson fretboard conditioner.
Polish frets with 2000 grit wet sandpaper tape board off with low adhesion blue painters masking tape. Oil nut lighty or run a pencil in the groves of nut. go over all screws on guitar. Restring and tune to pitch, check action,& if neck needs relief , turn trussrod nut 1/4 to 1/2 turn, check intonation and electronics. If pots are scratchy use contact cleaner or Reg. old Naptha(lighter fluid) in the holes in the pot. You should be on your way to Jammin' Hope this helps.

[DonP]

A picture is worth a 1000 words.