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Proper way to clean/polish Gibson Les Pauls??


Stephen5

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So I was cleaning my LP today with Dunlop spray polish and a microfiber cloth and noticed that I have hairline scratches on my finish. I've heard that this can be because I am "dragging" the tiny pieces of dirt across the finish as I wipe the guitar with the cloth. I've always sprayed the polish onto the guitar then wiped it with the cloth. Should I spray onto the cloth THEN wipe the guitar? help!

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So I was cleaning my LP today with Dunlop spray polish and a microfiber cloth and noticed that I have hairline scratches on my finish. I've heard that this can be because I am "dragging" the tiny pieces of dirt across the finish as I wipe the guitar with the cloth. I've always sprayed the polish onto the guitar then wiped it with the cloth. Should I spray onto the cloth THEN wipe the guitar? help!

 

get yourself some of this [thumbup]

 

My link

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You need to use a light touch, and a constantly clean soft cloth (like your micro-fiber). There is really no way to avoid swirl in nitro marks it seems, just try to minimize them. I end up polishing, using Gibson Polish (putting it on the guitar), in straight lines now just to avoid the swirls. I also try not to wipe with a dry cloth, if I do, I again use a light touch.

 

If/When those minute scratches get too noticable, I will use virtuoso on occasion - it is especially good on used guitars with minor flaws, or Stew mac Swirl remover, but now I usually reach for Zymol Car Cleaner/Wax which seems to remove the fine scratches & imperfections best, and smells good too!.

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I have been told by the technician who tweaks my guitars to use Viva Paper Towels. They are as close to cloth as you can get in a disposable "cloth". Microfiber cloths just take the dirt and grime and spread it around on the finish because they eventually soak in so much. Keep turning the Viva and when it gets too worn out, throw it away and use a new one.

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  • 1 month later...

Be sure to run it through the car wash first, just kidding! You can get an auto finish anti-swirl product that works good and is very gentle. I also use an auto detailer spray after playing a gig to keep the finger prints and other nasties off the finish before putting it away for the night.

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get yourself some of this [thumbup]

 

My link

A note for those with faded finish guitars, this is NOT what you want to use, unless you want to change your finish. Reading on their site, it states that it will give a gloss to a matte finish, not desirable if you like the original look.

 

That said, I've read great things about this stuff, hope it's as good as I've heard. Picked up some of the polish and the cleaner yesterday at GC. 60% of my collection is high gloss, it should work great on them.

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A note for those with faded finish guitars, this is NOT what you want to use, unless you want to change your finish. Reading on their site, it states that it will give a gloss to a matte finish, not desirable if you like the original look.

 

That said, I've read great things about this stuff, hope it's as good as I've heard. Picked up some of the polish and the cleaner yesterday at GC. 60% of my collection is high gloss, it should work great on them.

 

So with a faded guitar, what are we suppose to use then, if different than the shiny finishes?

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Thanks T..I always hear about glossy, but never the nitro cleaners.msp_razz.gif

Just in case there's some confusion here... the gloss finishes on Gibsons are Nitrocellulose (Nitro) too. And so are some of the Fenders (while others are Poly). The faded is just a much lighter, less done Nitro finish.

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i have a VOS finish, and inquired with gibson on how to clean/treat that type of finish. they said that because the finish is intended to look aged, to just use a clean cotton cloth and wipe it down from time to time. they also recommended only Gibson Pump Polish.

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I have been told by the technician who tweaks my guitars to use Viva Paper Towels. They are as close to cloth as you can get in a disposable "cloth". Microfiber cloths just take the dirt and grime and spread it around on the finish because they eventually soak in so much. Keep turning the Viva and when it gets too worn out, throw it away and use a new one.

 

I'm no expert on polishing guitars, but as a note about using paper towels, I've been told by my Optician, that I should never clean my glasses with a paper towel, because they have a lot of impurities and will leave scratches. I can only assume that the same would apply to cleaning a guitar with one. Hope this helps.

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I'm no expert on polishing guitars, but as a note about using paper towels, I've been told by my Optician, that I should never clean my glasses with a paper towel, because they have a lot of impurities and will leave scratches. I can only assume that the same would apply to cleaning a guitar with one. Hope this helps.

Yeah, I suppose maybe it's possible that wet with polish, a paper towel would be safe, but there's no way one is going anywhere near my guitar's finish. Clean, soft cloth (they can be washed too). I've always heard to avoid paper towels for anything that is prone to scratching. I've seen first hand how they can damage safety glasses. No way they're going near my guitar's finish.

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  • 4 months later...

I found a product that Gibson sells that I really like.

Its called the "Vintage Reissue Restoration Kit" 3 bottles,cloth and a little brush

metal parts cleaner,fretboard conditioner,and a restorative polish for nitrocellulose finishes

I use it and it works very well and looks great!

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obviously you would want to get rid of the dirt before rubbing and polishing, but consider what you do to the guitar as you play it-those scratches could be everyday use that you only noticed when you polished it. fingerprints hide these things, and with a lot of cleaners the finish gets so clean you now see everything because you are looking for it. also, there are some cleaners with lemon oil, or some form of furniture oil that tends to blend in the sctraches and some cleaners clean off the oil, so you see more. also, i have seen some gibsons, new and old, that have swirl marks from polishing. (from the factory or from ploishing done to a guitar to restore it).

anyway, just saying to consider what you are seeing. you can always buff out anything, but there comes a point where you can get it so buffed out you can't play it. don't stress about such things too much. maybe try some cleaner that has more lemon oil, like gibson polish. i never liked the dunlap stuff.

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  • 2 years later...

Hi all

In Aug 2013 I purchased a new standard premium and looking in the case I found one little booklet one neck ajuster and a bag of cristals to keep it from getting damp

you would have thought for the money we pay out for these guitars that there would be a book telling you all the information you would need to keep it in tip top shape

two weeks ago I purchased the Dunlop 65 maintenance cleaning kit witch was recommended to me by the store that sold me the guitar now hoping it's ok any thoughts out there on this kit ?

many thanks

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In Aug 2013 I purchased a new standard premium and looking in the case I found one little booklet one neck ajuster and a bag of cristals to keep it from getting damp

 

Be glad you got the truss rod tool - they stopped sending those a while back too (one good thing that came out of Henry's old site I think -

they started issuing them again).

 

http://images.gibson.com/Lifestyle/Support/Files/PDFs/USA_Owners_Manual.pdf

 

Haven't bought a new Gibson in a while, but this may be the booklet you mention?

 

Pg 22 has a mention of their products, but nothing specific on their use. I like the Gibson Polish...one of the better all-around ones out there. String lube is OK if you want to gain a few more days out them - I used to use it after installation, and on occasion after playing, but strings aren't all that expensive, so now I just grab a rag and wipe once in a while. Fretboard conditioner should be used real stingy-like.

 

For any polish or wax, my goal is to get something down on the surface to protect it from sweat, oils, & other assorted goo that winds up there, then I can use a damp cloth to maintain/wipe down, until another polish is in order. Very soft cotton cloth as mentioned.

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The Dunlop polish is fine. Just use a piece of 100% cotton cloth with no stitching in it. Flannel is best.

 

I don't use microfiber cloths, or anything synthetic. Just flannel.

Sounds like real good advice, Many thanks

Doug, UK.

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Be glad you got the truss rod tool - they stopped sending those a while back too (one good thing that came out of Henry's old site I think -

they started issuing them again).

 

http://images.gibson.com/Lifestyle/Support/Files/PDFs/USA_Owners_Manual.pdf

 

Haven't bought a new Gibson in a while, but this may be the booklet you mention?

 

Pg 22 has a mention of their products, but nothing specific on their use. I like the Gibson Polish...one of the better all-around ones out there. String lube is OK if you want to gain a few more days out them - I used to use it after installation, and on occasion after playing, but strings aren't all that expensive, so now I just grab a rag and wipe once in a while. Fretboard conditioner should be used real stingy-like.

 

For any polish or wax, my goal is to get something down on the surface to protect it from sweat, oils, & other assorted goo that winds up there, then I can use a damp cloth to maintain/wipe down, until another polish is in order. Very soft cotton cloth as mentioned.

Thanks JMG

That's what I was looking for, still think it should be in the case:-)

Doug, UK.

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