polishing your guitar

[DragonSarc]

how do you get rid of the swirly marks on your guitar? do you have to rebuff it and what polish stuff you need? thanks

 

[DaveAngel]

Depends on the guitar, I found jim dunlop do a good polish on glossed guitars (worked well on my old Epi LP)

I suppose if you have an ibanez napalm might work

 

[Keefoman]

If you have to polish, you can actually use car-wax.

 

[Tinman]

Fender market Meguars as guitar polish, but it's the same stuff that's marketed as car polish. You can pick it up in any good motor factors.

 

[DragonSarc]

so it would take the swirly marks off?

 

[Duffy]

Normal polish might put more swirls on.

Getting the swirls out is a specialty.

Auto collision shops know how to do it and might buff it out for you very cheaply. Then just use plain wax with no polishing grit in it.

I've been thinking of having an auto body shop paint a body that I prep with urethane enamel and a clear coat over that. Some nice color like metallic racing orange, or like a properly done sea foam green. I'm pretty sure that they would be able to do an inexpensive job really well.

Duffy

 

[poeman33]

WARNING...This does take woodfinishing skills and I had training for this...I don't want anyone to screw up their finish trying this for fun!!! I suppose it would depend on how bad the marks were, but if they are REALLY bad, I would look at gunsmithing supplies. Specifically Brownells. There are different grades of rubbing compound and sheet felt pads designed for polishing wood. I did some gunsmithing years ago and you can get an incredible finish on wood with these. I have used it on guitars as well, but ONLY if it was really bad. These are abrasives and even the finest Triple-F compound is going to remove material. A wax will just polish over the top, but a rubbing compound is going to smooth things out. So if the swirls are embedded, this will work, but will remove some of the finish. so use it carefully. It would work best on a Sunburst finish, as that is a stain. If yours is a paint finish, and the poly or varnish on top is really thin, I wouldn't recommend it, I'd go with the wax instead. I used the finest compound on my Jap strat, which is painted and it worked great. I was basically smoothing out the varnish on top and not touching the paint. So, if your paint is showing through, you will remove paint when you do this...not a good thing. I also used it on a natural finished bodied guitar that was never really polished properly to begin with and it really finished it off nicely. On the natural finish guitar, I started with a rougher compound and worked my way up to Triple-F. I always start off with a small patch on the back, rubbing very softly to see the effect before moving to a more visible spot on the guitar. It's a pretty drastic step, and it's almost as labour intensive as completely refinishing it.

 

[DragonSarc]

WARNING...This does take woodfinishing skills and I had training for this...I don't want anyone to screw up their finish trying this for fun!!! I suppose it would depend on how bad the marks were, but if they are REALLY bad, I would look at gunsmithing supplies. Specifically Brownells. There are different grades of rubbing compound and sheet felt pads designed for polishing wood. I did some gunsmithing years ago and you can get an incredible finish on wood with these. I have used it on guitars as well, but ONLY if it was really bad. These are abrasives and even the finest Triple-F compound is going to remove material. A wax will just polish over the top, but a rubbing compound is going to smooth things out. So if the swirls are embedded, this will work, but will remove some of the finish. so use it carefully. It would work best on a Sunburst finish, as that is a stain. If yours is a paint finish, and the poly or varnish on top is really thin, I wouldn't recommend it, I'd go with the wax instead. I used the finest compound on my Jap strat, which is painted and it worked great. I was basically smoothing out the varnish on top and not touching the paint. So, if your paint is showing through, you will remove paint when you do this...not a good thing. I also used it on a natural finished bodied guitar that was never really polished properly to begin with and it really finished it off nicely. On the natural finish guitar, I started with a rougher compound and worked my way up to Triple-F. I always start off with a small patch on the back, rubbing very softly to see the effect before moving to a more visible spot on the guitar. It's a pretty drastic step, and it's almost as labour intensive as completely refinishing it.

the swirls arnt that deep its light and just shows when under the light

 

[poeman33]

the swirls arnt that deep its light and just shows when under the light

definitely don't go for the rubbing compound then. I'd just try alot of rubbing with a cotton cloth first, with no polish at all. That's all I use on my Deluxe Strat to keep it looking new. Just an old cotton shirt and I wipe it down after each session..

 

[Duffy]

Be careful. You could easily put more swirls on it.

Why not take it to a auto collision shop and ask them if they can professionally buff it for you. It would probably be inexpensive and then you get a professional job. These guys buff out Jaguars and other expensive cars and they definitely know what they are doing. You probably wouldn't even have to take off the metal parts, other than the strings or maybe not even them.

It's worth asking about. Or take it to a professional gunsmith and ask him to buff it out.

Then again, if you play this guitar it is going to get use marks on it, chips, scratches, and all of the usual wear and tear. Are you going to play it or keep it in a guitar case like a lot of harleys that just sit in the garage without a scratch on them. The so called riders are so afraid of scratching those bikes, not all HD riders, but some, it gets rediculous. "Ride, boldly, ride", the Shade replied, "if you seek El Dorado!", from "El Dorado" by Edgar A. Poe.

But I like to keep my guitars nice too. Just seems that they get signs of wear no matter how careful I am, and they are not going to stay in the cases unplayed.

Do your own thing, man. But maybe you can learn to live with some natural wear marks. If you are collecting it some wear marks probably won't affect its resale value, if it is a truly valuable item; which no one will know until many years from now. If it's a guitar you play it will show wear marks.

You should have seen the dude thrashing on the nice Epi gloss black modded Les Paul I gave my son, last night. These are working guitars and the show goes on.

I don't thrash on my guitars but many do. I try to keep pick marks off them, but I'm not a pro that has a show to put on.

A nice coat of real good wax makes my guitars look great, even though some are naturally relic'd. They come out looking great of you don't feel compelled to super closely examine them for the most minute of wear marks. What would you do if you accidentally dinged it and chipped the paint right off on and edge of even on the face? You wouldn't be happy, but it happens if you play the guitar a lot and have it out on the stand, etc., a lot.

Nothing lasts forever and I doubt if you are saving your guitar for the next guy to ding up. Enjoy it and take the best care of it you can and get it buffed out by a pro if you think you can't handle the swirl marks. The swirl marks are probably from the polish you used. Just use plain wax, not polish, and the right applicator or you will get more swirls.

Hope this helps put it in perspective and maybe makes you feel a little better. At least it's not chipped.

Duffy

 

[DevilsEve666]

You can try "Meguirs #9 swirl remover" it worked pretty well on my acoustic

 

[Duffy]

These must be some pretty ugly swirls. The ones I get are microscopic.

What do you do about your paint chips and dings? And even pick marks. I hate pick marks.

But have you seen those pros rock out? Look at Willie Nelson's guitar, an extreme example. Next time you are around the stage and can look closely at the guitar players ax, check it out. Might have more than swirl marks on it.

It's a personal thing. You either keep it in a case and don't play it, or you play it. You could play it gently and not get any pick marks or other marks on it. You could set it gently down and make sure it doesn't bump against anything, etc. But this scenario is very difficult to adhere to because things happen unforseeably.

Time leaves its mark on everything. Sometimes it gives it character. Sometimes people can't handle it and go to extremes to remove the marks of time; never successfully. You can never go back in life. You can only go forward and the future is always different.

Buff out the swirls, but you will be buffing off some of the surface coating. It won't be the same. Not as thick. You might make it worse.

Polish is supposed to remove small swirl marks, but deep swirl marks are something that are going to be a real problem to get out.

Wax makes a swirled up guitar look great, considering the footprint of time. I just wax up the marks of time and try to consider it character, graceful aging. Beats a broken guitar neck or broken body.

I hope you can polish them out, if they are that bad.

What guitar is it?

Duffy

 

[DragonSarc]

thanks Duff yeah I play the guitar and wear and tear will be there but im thinking of selling it and I wanna have the prestine look on it with no swirllies so i could sell it for a bit more, its an 02 American Strat

here is a pic what the swirllies look like

 

[Keefoman]

Some might find it more attractive with visable wear and tear.

 

[poeman33]

I see there are a few shallow scratches and pits, but nothing too serious. Overall it looks in really good shape. I might try something like the Dunlop Formula 65 Guitar Polish Kit, which is inexpensive, and will probably work very well to fill in those minor scratches and make it really look good for resale. It's $12.99 at Musicians Friend.

 

[Duffy]

A high class guitar, no doubt; beautiful. I can see why you would want to have it shimmering.

I have heard that the top coat on those is very very thin nitrocellulouse, I could be wrong on that.

When you remove those widespread swirls; I mean there are like a lot of swirls there, it's sort of a completely swirled. As such the top coat has probably been heavily degraded from its original gloss and it is now kind of hazy. No insult intended.

Actually I've heard it is best to leave a high quality guitar alone. Let it be, so to speak. This increases the value. When you change the tuners, saddles, pickups and so forth it no longer is the same class act original guitar but is a modded guitar. Usually the original high class guitar is worth more in original condition.

Some of these products these guys recommended sound like they might be okay to use. I'd check with an expert and find out what he thinks about polishing off that top coat, clear coat, nitrocellulouse or whatever.

I'd be careful not to remove the top finish and this is probably why they are worth more in original, aged condition.

Wax could make it look super good.

Duffy

 

[pinto79]

I've been using Trick Percussion's Guitar Polish with amazing success. It leaves a slick, clean, static free shine and does a nice job of hiding minor swirls.

 

[Mase947]

I use a light application of Power House Furniture Polish in lemon scent. It hydrates the wood and makes the neck feel a lot smoother.

 

[Col F]

The American Standard Strat is not nitro, it is a Poly finish.

Some Fenders have significant swirls from the factory. Others, look like a "mirror", until you look very closely under bright light whereupon you will still see those "micro" fine "swirls" that are almost impossible to not create during a polishing/buffing operation.

3M makes a swirl removal liquid/compound for clearcoat auto paints. It is among the "finest" (grit/abrasive) polishing chemicals available. However, it is possible that you are knocking yourself out for nothing..

Were those swirls present when you got the guitar new? If not, who buffed the guitar with something abrasive enough to create the swirls since you've owned it; certainly doesn't sound like you would have?

If you have to look under bright light, especially at an angle, in order to see the marks, they are most likely from the factory, quite possibly in a layer below the topcoat, where they might not even be possible to buff out without a refinish.

If they are really on the surface, and really that bad, check out the Stew-Mac site/catalog and see if they have something for Poly finish... At least you won't be "guessing" if you are using something "safe" for the finish.

Good luck.

 

[luekemeyer]

Use 3M.... As a note, 3M now owns Meguires...