Treatment of my J-200

[Gordan]

Hi guys,

 

quick noob question - can i use Gibson restorative finish cream (for nitrocellulose finishes) on my 2012 j-200 standard?

 

thanks,

 

Gordan

[duluthdan]

"Restorative" ??? Is there a problem you are trying to address? My instinct says "restorative" probably contains a small bit of abrasive compound, or chemical cleaner. So, if all you are doing is trying to polish it up I'm not certain I would use anything that says "restorative".

[fortyearspickn]

The regular Gibson pump polish with the orange label will, over time, improve small cosmetic flaws in the nitro. "Time" being a couple of three years.

[Gordan]

no problem with the guitar, i bought the gibson guitar "care pack" which contained a guitar polish for nitrocellulose finishes, which i use for my custom SG (as reccomended by Gibson in their owner's handbook), so i was just wondering if I could apply the same polish on my J-200. thanks

[j45nick]

The J-200 has a nitro finish, so you should be able to use it with no problem. I'm not familiar with that specific Gibson polish, and would read the label carefully. As has been mentioned, some polishes may contain fine abrasives or fairly strong chemical cleaners, such as those in Virtuoso Cleaner. Those should be used sparingly, and should not be required on a new guitar.

[IanHenry]

Yes Gordon, the Gibson polish is goog.

 

Ian

[muzicbox]

This should help since I dealt with this only recenty, lacquer cracks? generally caused by drastic changes in temperature, if you have minor guitar scratches, you can wet down a piece of 1,000-grit sandpaper with water and soap suds and lightly sand down the area with the scratch. Keep in mind, you only want to sand down a little of the topcoat of lacquer--nothing more. I usually start at 1,000-grit and work my way up to 12,000-grit sandpaper. Then take a buffing wheel or rag and work in some buffing compound. After the area has been buffed, you can polish it to a high shine. Keep in mind, if you are using a buffing wheel, you really only have to sand up to 2,000-grit. There is no need to go past that.

 

Once your guitar is polished, you shouldn't be able to see any hairline scratches.

[Phelonious Ponk]

This should help since I dealt with this only recenty, lacquer cracks? generally caused by drastic changes in temperature, if you have minor guitar scratches, you can wet down a piece of 1,000-grit sandpaper with water and soap suds and lightly sand down the area with the scratch. Keep in mind, you only want to sand down a little of the topcoat of lacquer--nothing more. I usually start at 1,000-grit and work my way up to 12,000-grit sandpaper. Then take a buffing wheel or rag and work in some buffing compound. After the area has been buffed, you can polish it to a high shine. Keep in mind, if you are using a buffing wheel, you really only have to sand up to 2,000-grit. There is no need to go past that.

 

Once your guitar is polished, you shouldn't be able to see any hairline scratches.

 

I'm sure this is effective, but I'd be afraid it would remove more finish than necessary, and you can accomplish the same thing, very gently, with McGuire's Scratch X (auto section at Walmart), a damp cotton cloth and some circular elbow grease.

 

P

[Anthony Buckeridge]

Gordan.

 

You have a Great Guitar so it's good that you want to take proper care of it. This is the best attitude to have. Well Done!

 

The first thing to do is to use a fine, long haired brush and remove any loose dirt or grit that might get caught under a rag, where it could dig into the Finish and make a permanent Scratch. This can happen so easily indeed, it catches many people out. Don't be one of them.

 

It's important to understand, unbelievable as it might seem, that many of the Worst Scratches you might encounter on any given Guitar, have actually been made by their Owners, Vigorously Polishing whilst trying to care for their Prized Instrument. Always check before Polishing because some loose dirt can be Hard, and Cut right into the Finish when you Press on the Rag.

 

 

 

 

I find it helpful to clearly delineate the very many differing Guitar Finish Treatments on the Market in one of four ways.

 

And so I read the small print and see what's in a Polish before I use it, to know and understand what it's really going to do, as opposed to what I believe it's going to do or what it seems as if it will do.

 

 

 

 

There are really purely straightforward Cleaners.

 

Some of these are very benign and others more aggressive, but the basic thing to appreciate is that they don't really Polish and Protect, they remove dirt and built up grime. They are Cleaners.

 

 

 

 

Then there are Polishes, which are really little more than Mineral Water with a Gentle Additive.

 

They will Clean, but very Gently, and are little different than wiping down your Guitar with a Clean Slightly Damped Handkerchief or Cloth.

 

If you owned an incredibly expensive Violin, this method of Cleaning, would probably be Recommended, so some Top Guitar Manufacturers produce Polishes of this kind. Wiping down is a better method of Cleaning than most people would think.

 

 

 

 

Some people care for their Instruments and keep them in excellent condition. But many people don't. They are too busy being Rock Stars.

 

So knowing this, many Polishes are Marketed as though they are Polishes, but really they have a Strong Cleaning Component. Whether you need such a Polish will depend if you Care for your Guitar, or whether you are in truth, rather Lazy.

 

These are the Polishes that it's important to understand the Small Print to Know what's in them. There's no point in using a Polish with a Heavy Cleaning Agent, if you already keep your Instrument very Clean. Only use this type of Polish if you don't wipe your Instrument down, after you Play it to remove the Perspiration from your Body, and Acids and so on that are exuded from your Fingertips. This will build up over time, so then the Cleaning Action is needed.

 

 

 

 

Then there are Pure Polishes. Personally I favour Carnauba Polish.

 

It's the Best, Hardest, Most Protective, Natural Wax that is known to Humankind.

 

Used Regularly, it will build a Harder, More Protective and Easy to Clean Layer over the Instrument.

 

Use a Polish like this, on an Instrument that is already Clean, and it will build an additional Layer of Protection.

 

 

 

 

The normal Gibson Polish is a mix of Cleaning Agents with a little Polishing Agent.

 

In other words, like most Manufacturers Polishes, it contains a little of both, and like a Politician try's to be all things to all men. It's a Compromise, rather than a Ideal.

 

The Gibson Restorative Polish is really for Older Instruments, or uncared for Instruments that might require a Deeper Clean and rather more work to get them back closer as possible to Pristine Condition.

 

Unless you have an Instrument like that, or with an identifiable problem you are trying to address, then instead of using the Restorative Polish, try the Regular Gibson Polish that should be in the Gibson Pack as well. It is Designed for Normal Use.

 

 

 

 

Personally, I have all these different types of Cleaners and Polishes in Stock.

 

And will use a Cleaner, a Polish, a Combination Product, or even a Mineral Water based Product, depending upon the specific situation with any given Guitar.

 

Because I don't let my Guitars get really dirty at all, most of the time, a simple regular Polish with Carnauba Wax Polish, does the job and of course builds an ever more Protective Layer.

 

This stuff is so good that if you Polish Once with it, you will probably find that you never go back to anything else for Regular Polish. And every subsequent Polish with the same treatment just makes the Wood Grain come out more and look better and better.

 

The Slickness of the Neck when it's so Highly Polished makes it very smooth easy and incredibly fast indeed to Play. For me, this is the Best Type of "Mo Jo" that I can ever have. Even on "Unfinished or Tru Oiled Neck" Instruments. Other peoples Dirt and Sweat is a "Mo Jo" I can happily do without!

 

 

 

 

Please do not ever take Sanding Paper, Water and Soap to your Guitar Finish for Regular Cleaning and Polishing Maintenance.

 

If you have any vexing problem that your really can't fix, take it to the Best Luthier that lives in your Area, and pay him to fix it for you. It will be Money very well spent.

 

Mr Ponk is quite right, the Finish on many Modern Guitars is extremely Thin indeed, and easily broken through to the Wood Beneath, unlike Older, Thicker Finishes that could be worked more easily. Follow the Maxim at first do no harm, and if you ever feel you don't know what you are doing, always ask, as you very wisely are doing, and get a little help.

 

 

These are The Pure Polishes I like myself. Others will have their Favourites.

 

http://planetwaves.com/publish/pwProductDetail.aspx?ActiveID=4115&productid=533&productname=Protect___Liquid_Carnauba_Wax&sid=5911aeb0-48f0-4c06-b5f9-fb5aafcf51d4

 

Or if you are Rich.

 

http://www.virtuosopolish.com/page13.php

 

 

 

These Brands also make Cleaners, but frankly the regular Gibson Polish is mostly Cleaner, so will probably do that job well for you.

 

Try different Products and see what you think is best for you. But to Start.

 

Use your Gibson Regular Polish for now.

[fortyearspickn]

Anthony, suggest you re-submit as a magazine article.

[amstaff]

As far as polish, I was told by "someone in the know" to use a hard carnuba car wax. It seems to be ok on my electrics, but I would contact Gibson before using it on a J200

By the way, What model is your J-200? I just got a J-200 in a trade, mine is the pre war rosewood model.

Steve

[retrorod]

"Restorative" ??? Is there a problem you are trying to address? My instinct says "restorative" probably contains a small bit of abrasive compound, or chemical cleaner. So, if all you are doing is trying to polish it up I'm not certain I would use anything that says "restorative".

 

WELL said, my brother!