Scratches in my LP

[dbrian66]

I recently bought a les paul off ebay and it is a really great guitar. The only problem is the guy I bought it from I think tried to clean it with an automotive wax or something. There are swirl marks all over this thing. I did clean and polish it with Virtuoso and it did help but you still see them when you hold it in the light at the right angle. Any suggestions?

[moparguy]

Its probably not the car wax unless he used the abrasive kind, I polish mine with car wax also. If he used abrasive wax then I dont know if you can do anything about it. Try NON ABRASIVE ( maguires is really good ) car wax, if that doesnt help then just play it. Refinishing is expensive and time consuming.

[dbrian66]

Its probably not the car wax unless he used the abrasive kind, I polish mine with car wax also. If he used abrasive wax then I dont know if you can do anything about it. Try NON ABRASIVE ( maguires is really good ) car wax, if that doesnt help then just play it. Refinishing is expensive and time consuming.

It does play great. thanks for the advice.

[lblack]

Best to use nitro cellulose friendly products. Your guitar is not a car! Check out the Gibson Pump Polish for caring for your LP.

[Bender 4 Life]

90% of the time the swirls are caused by tiny dust particles being trapped in the polishing cloth its self.

[kidblast]

I think it just happens over the course of time..

 

There are several products that are just made for use on Guitars to remove surface scratches.

 

 

like this: http://www.guitarscratchremover.com/

[Guest Farnsbarns]

Anyone applying wax to nitrocellulose is blocking the pores and might as well refinish it in poly.

 

I've never owned anything glossy that didn't get swirls, visible at the correct angle of light, sooner or later. VOS models also come comlete with free swirls pre-installed. Just ignore it.

[pippy]

Firstly; hold it in the light at the wrong angle.

 

Then just play it.

 

P.

[Rabs]

Firstly; hold it in the light at the wrong angle.

 

Then just play it.

 

P.

+1

 

Innit :)

[Guest Farnsbarns]

Best to use nitro cellulose friendly products. Your guitar is not a car! Check out the Gibson Pump Polish for caring for your LP.

 

No, it isn't, but nitrocellulose is most widely used as a car finish.

[rct]

No, it isn't, but nitrocellulose is most widely used as a car finish.

 

Not for a long time.

 

rct

[Guest Farnsbarns]

Not for a long time.

 

rct

 

It's still more widely used on cars than it is guitars. Granted each car uses about 50 times what a guitar does but still, the point was that saying "your guitar isn't a car" as a reason not to use automotive scratch removal products is a nonsense. T-cut brings a guitar up to an amazing shine, whether it's NC or Poly. I wouldn't use it, mainly because I don't like shiny guitars, but I've seen the results.

[rct]

It's still more widely used on cars than it is guitars. Granted each car uses about 50 times what a guitar does but still, the point was that saying "your guitar isn't a car" as a reason not to use automotive scratch removal products is a nonsense. T-cut brings a guitar up to an amazing shine, whether it's NC or Poly. I wouldn't use it, mainly because I don't like shiny guitars, but I've seen the results.

 

Oh I agree with you completely. I don't obsess over swirlies or any of that stuff myself, and just enjoy a good chuckle at the vast amounts of effort put into keeping guitars showroom new. But it is my understanding they use nitro on cars very little, only for very period correct restorations. Maybe that's Americur and you guys still do it the old way.

 

rct

[dbrian66]

Firstly; hold it in the light at the wrong angle.

 

Then just play it.

 

P.

That made me laugh! I think that will be my plan. Thanks to all for the advice !!

[badbluesplayer]

I knew a guy who had a dragster that ran on nitrocellulose.

[surfpup]

I knew a guy who had a dragster that ran on nitrocellulose.

 

Did it have swirlies in the finish?

[Bender 4 Life]

Did it have swirlies in the finish?

 

the tires swirlied round and round.....then somebody buffed it w/a dirty pad & Bender went nutz on them !!

[btoth76]

I knew a guy who had a dragster that ran on nitrocellulose.

 

It was powered by a rocket engine?

[Aster1]

I use Meguiar's Scratch X on all my gits even the Conversion Varnish Ric's. Best I have found to take out the swirl marks & scratches. Some differ on use of micro-fiber vs. say a 100% cotton t-shirt. I've used both and still like the Meguiar's Micro-fiber THE BEST. The cheap micro-fibers are okay for cleaning the mirrors in your house but won't be used on my guitars or Harley finishes. Both I like to keep in "Showroom & New" condition. Sorry rct, but a guys gotta do, what he's gotta do!!

 

Farns is correct in cars & lacquer paints (but not used much these days with all the catalyst poly auto paints now). My MG's & TR-6 are all Nitro Lacquer color & clear. (clear wasn't used originally but when I restored them all in the late 80's I had several coats of clear laid on the color coats.

 

Aster

[diddy]

Nitro doesn't breathe necessarily, it ages the same as a poly finish.

[cjsinla]

Nitro doesn't breathe necessarily, it ages the same as a poly finish.

 

 

???

[pippy]

Nitro doesn't breathe necessarily, it ages the same as a poly finish.

Leaving the health & safety, ease-of-use and 'breathing' issues aside for the moment, diddy;

 

My understanding is that Polyeurethane finishes were adopted because, by the very nature of the types of plasticisers used in the various compounds, it is a hard-wearing and relatively flexible surface coating / sealant.

Nitrocellulose lacquers, on the other hand, were as a rule more brittle (relatively speaking) and went out of favour because of (and I quote) "the way lacquer yellows and cracks over time."

 

...or am I wrong? It's been a long time since I studied organic and inorganic chemistry.

 

P.