Guitar polish

Subject: Guitar polish
From: smurf
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 06:50 PM

I have a 10+ year old Taylor, (matt finish) which is starting to show its age
Have tried many diferent products to try and revitalise its looks with various results.
Anyone have any recomendations ?

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: skipy
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 06:53 PM

Which company in Poland made it?
Skipy

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: van lingle
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 06:56 PM

Check out Stewart MacDonald at www.stewmac.com they're very helpful and might have something for you.

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 07:14 PM

Listen to it in stead. It's a musical instrument, not a display object.

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 07:20 PM

Musical instruments are beautiful to look at as well as listen to. Looks are secondary to sound, but they still have an importance.

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Justa Picker
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 08:20 PM

This is the best stuff on the market. Get the cleaner and the polish.
Use the cleaner initially and then periodically shine it up with the polish.
It'll remove sweat build ups and other grime without hurting the finish.
You can find it at most reputable guitar shops.

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Justa Picker
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 08:22 PM

Sorry, should have linked directly to the product page.
Here you go.

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Acorn4
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 08:43 PM

The piece of wood which produces the tone on your guitar is the front bit. Laquer can stop it "breathing" and stop the production of it's full tone.

Nice shiny sparkling guitars look good in shop windows, but I recall a story of (I think it was) Ralph McTell, in the seventies who went out and bought a brand new Martin and disc sanded all the lacquer off the front

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 11 Mar 09 - 09:34 PM

An unfinished top may sound better for a while, but the pores will eventually fill up with dirt, grime, body oils, spilled beer, cigarette smoke and pretty much anything else it comes in contact with. Then you'll have a guitar that not only sounds about the same as it would if you'd left the finish on, but looks like shit to boot.

As to smurf's original question, IMHO, there's not much you can do to improve a matte finish other than get some good quality automotive rubbing compound and buff it until it becomes a gloss finish.

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Greycap
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 04:11 AM

If you want to simply take it from matt to gloss finish, Duraglit metal polish applied at hand pressure will do the job in lesss than two hours work.
Otherwise, Justapicker seems to have a great product in mind.

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 12 Mar 09 - 10:12 AM

Dettol and wire brush, nothing to beat it.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 03:41 AM

Okay, you might think this crazy, but it works fantastic!...using 'guitar' polishes, are a waste of time and money!..they don't hold up, and look crappy after a short while...I read of a guitarist who used car polish, such as 'Turtle Wax' on, not just the body, but the neck(all sides' and even the plain wound strings. Not only did the strings last longer, without building up residues, but it played magnificently,, held the brightness of the string, FOR MONTHS, and protected the guitar as well!! I use it all the time, and have requests to 'do whatever I do to my guitar' to others'..and I never tell how I do it!!..except on here....shhhh!.. try it...it will blow your mind! Just put a bit on, and rub it well..then put on a more liberal amount on, let it dry, then buff it out with a dry, clean, soft rag..it will play like glass!!!
And by the way, lacquer does not hurt the tone of the guitar, at all!..Whoever did that to their Martin is a moron!..They use a special lacquer...so if you're going to get your guitar refinished, get it done with the right stuff...not just ordinary lacquer. I'm having mine done right now, as I type...had it done before, 40 years ago. ..they Micro sanded it, and sculpted the tone bars, as well..incredible sounding axe!...though, at present, I'm doing a lot of composing of keyboards. What I told you, is absolutely sound!...Try it, you'll love it!

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 03:44 AM

Hey, if someone tries it, post what you think...it will not mess up your guitar!..Just do it! Let me, and others on here, know what you think!

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: s&r
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 03:49 AM

Polishes which contain silicones can make subsequent varnish repairs very difficult indeed. Use a guitar polish

Stu

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 03:52 AM

Guest Sanity is spot on, check with Frank Ford at FRETS.COM modern finishes don't need polishing, just the occasional clean, a damp cloth being the most suitable thing.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 03:55 AM

Try it!!...and you say use a damp cloth???? Wrong!!! you do NOT WANT ANYTHING MOIST, OR WITH MOISTURE EVEN NEAR YOUR GUITAR!!!

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST, Guest from Sanity
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 04:01 AM

But you are right about one thing...try to stay away from silicone waxes..when they dry, your lacquer can 'check' use 'Turtle Wax' .its easy and once you try it, you'll swear by it, and never use anything else!..By the way, the guitarist who I got the info from, is an internationally known legend!! I'd post the name, but I don't have his permission...

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 04:19 AM

...you do NOT WANT ANYTHING MOIST, OR WITH MOISTURE EVEN NEAR YOUR GUITAR!!!

oh really ?

I'd best throw my guitar humidifier away, then.

what a load of bollox ...

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 04:22 AM

You should!...unless you live in the Sahara!

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 04:28 AM

or Arizona, or New Mexico ...

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 04:46 AM

Well, yeah!....I presently live in Colorado. I had two bridges made for my 1963 D-21 Martin, just for when I traveled to the coast, or toured, because the moisture affected the action. Also, when I went to more humid climates, the guitar didn't sound as 'crisp' or woody, as it does when its in drier, places. Where do you live??

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 04:49 AM

By the way,.. they also make guitar DE-humidifiers too!

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 04:56 AM

Water cannot harm varnish or lacquer, I don't know for sure but I suspect Frank Ford knows a lot more about guitar finishes etc than guest Sanity.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 04:58 AM

Incidently quite a few modern guitar ' polishes ' are water based, Gibson, Martin and Kyser ' Dr. Stringfellow to name but three.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 05:07 AM

And perhaps he doesn't...Hey, I just offered a suggestion about using the 'Turtle Wax'..it works great!...(as we used to say in the studio..'You can ALWAYS tell a 'purist'.....they're always out of tune!' Did it ever occur to you, that you're getting your knickers in a twist, over something you never tried???

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: smurf
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 06:41 AM

Many Many answers ,, some more useful than others ,, thanks guys

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 07:10 AM

I didn't read smurf as wanting to change the matt finish on the guitar to a gloss finish, but just wanted advice on how to look after it so it looks its best.

I much prefer the look of a matt finish anyway, and probably the sound too - though given the difference between individual guitars I can't really imagine any way of checking out that.

I give matt finish instruments a very occasional rubdown with a rag with a bit of linseed oil on it, and wouldn't go any further than that. Makes them look happier.

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 07:50 AM

"a very occasional rubdown with a rag with a bit of linseed oil on it,"

Now, that's what I call a night out

L in C

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 11:27 AM

Or a night in.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 11:35 AM

Good point Dave but after all that "guitar polishing" so to speak, somebody needs a night out,

Cheers

L in C

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: s&r
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 12:05 PM

Turtle wax contains silicones.

Stu

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: oldhippie
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 04:26 PM

Linseed oil is what is widely used on rifle stocks so I expect it would work well on instruments. "Turtle wax" or other similar products should also be effective, but I've never tried them. Ask a woodworker for a recommendation. I agree nothing with moisture should come anywhere near an acoustic instrument.

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 09:15 PM

oldhippie, Using 'Turtle Wax' on your gun stocks, may make them pretty slippery... Unless they are just for display. On an instrument, its so slick it plays like glass!. And for those who say water doesn't affect lacquer, well it does,,and if you have a slight crack, in the lacquer, or varnish, and moisture gets into the crack, it will absorb into the wood, and may start popping up the finish. Also, moisture can come into the wood, on the back side(not of the instrument, but the back of the face..you know, inside the guitar)....Anyway, oldhippie, if ya have a guitar..especially an electric ..wax her up...tell me what you think!...You'll love it!

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Smokey
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 10:01 PM

Pure beeswax furniture polish is what my guitar maker recommends, but avoid anything containing silicone at all costs as it can get behind and mess up the lacquer/varnish - and it takes a lot of getting rid of.

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 10:05 PM

I'm gonna put headphones on and enjoy a mellow late night music session
drinking half a bottle of Talisker left over from this time last week.
So I'd better ask this question now while I'm still coherrrant..

Earlier today I remembered to get a bass guitar out of storage to check the batteries for its pickups.
Its been a few years since I last got it out to play.
Batteries hadn't leaked, but there was an unexpected unpleasant surprise !!!
The old PVC foam padded gig bag has 'decomposed' in storage
and resulted in the entire guitar being coated in a sticky adhesive like
residue and crumbled foam particles.

Its a solid body guitar manufactured about 20 - 25 years ago
laquered in what I guess is a standard hard gloss polyurethane type finish.
The back of the rosewood neck also has the same gloss finish..

So, would the simplest effective cleaning option be a cotton hanky
dampened with warm water,
or will I need some kind of spirit to remove the sticky goo..
I've got a can of lighter fuel in my tool kit ?
Apparently The strings would benefit from an overnight soaking in methylated spirits.
If I buy a bottle, would that be any safer to use to remove the sticky residue
from the gloss finish.

I'd presume spirits are the best cleaner for metal parts like machine heads..
but what about the plastic pickup covers.

Seriously, I still can't believe what a mess this guitar is in.
When I think about it now, foam does decay over many years..
but I'd never have considered it to be such a problem
Old HiFi speaker foam baffles usually just crumble in to dry dust,
not his gluey gunk ???

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Jeri
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 10:29 PM

I am not an expert.

I had a foam pad go gooey on a banjo. Luckily, it was around the metal rim, but it still took a ton of work to get off with some solvent (can't remember exactly what).

I would be afraid to use spirits on any varnishy-laquery finish. I think I'd try oil first since it wouldn't dissolve the finish. I used alcohol to clean a rosin build-up off a fiddle, and it cleaned some of the varnish off too.

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Guest from Sanity
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 10:32 PM

punkfolkrocker, Lighter fluid is actually naptha...great for cleaning, and removing sticky stuff..also will dissolve the glue from stickers. You can purchase it a lot cheaper, if you go to your local hardware/paint store, and buy a quart, or gallon, for just a little more, than it costs for a smaller amount of lighter fluid. Also is better at cleaning tape heads...(for all those who still have old cassettes)...AND, by the way, for all those who have old cassettes, who want to convert them to digital, and put them on CD's, 'AUDIOGRABBER'..a free download program, will do that quite nicely...go get that one!..also will convert vinyl albums to CD's, as well.
(Now watch, somebody will start arguing about that one, too...remember, it's free!!!...unless you get the upgraded one with more bells and whistles!!)

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Smokey
Date: 13 Mar 09 - 10:39 PM

Try cellulose thinners, also known as acetone. Try a little bit on an unseen part of the varnish though, just in case.

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 14 Mar 09 - 04:53 AM

nitpicking, I know, but cellulose thinners is not "also known as acetone", both are capable of doing many (although not all) of the same tasks, but they are not the same chemical.

they also smell different, acetone has a much sweeter smell, not that that has any relevance ...

Subject: RE: Guitar polish
From: GUEST,Smokey
Date: 14 Mar 09 - 03:02 PM

The cellulose thinner I am talking about is acetone, OC(CH3)2, but there are other cellulose thinners as well.