Ruined Finish?

[Michael Mars]

I'm freaking out about the finish on my new Ebony Custom.

I've had this guitar for a little over a month and I've been using the same polish and micro fiber cloths to keep it clean as all my other guitars. Dunlop polish and Gibson or fender cloths. 

I noticed the other day that the guitar is covered with tiny scratches. WTF?!? This is a new $5,500 guitar and the finish is damaged already by using recomended products. The cloth is madeby Gibson for the purpose of cleaning guitars. 

I've had an $800  black PRS that I've cleaned exactly the same way for more than a year now and the finish is still perfect. Not a scratch anywhere. Does my $800 PRS have a bettter finish than my $5,500 Gibson? Seriousely for the money I spent I expected a bulletproof well protected finish. 

I have no idea of what to do now.This feels like a very bad nightmare. Should I try returning it? Is this a defect?

What would any of you do in this situation? It's such a friggin letdown. How do I fix this?

Pics of the products and the damage:

 

Edited Monday at 06:36 PM by Michael Mars

[Sgt. Pepper]

Nitro is fun stuff and the finish Gibson players demand. Plus you have a black guitar which shows absolutely everything from a smudge to someone breathing on it hard. I believe but don’t quote me, that polish had abrasives in it to do the polishing. 

[Michael Mars]

It's described as a liquid.

I've used it on every guitar I've owned and never had a problem.

[JO'C]

Hi Michael,

Like Sarge says, black shows everything. I have 3 ebonies and use the same polish as you. I've had situations where the polishing cloth had something on it that causes swirls. Machine washing doesn't always do the trick so I use brand new cloths for my expensive guitars. Just as a sanity check, take the guitar out into natural light and see if it looks the same. Modern LED lighting has polarizing effects that cause the swirls to show more. Years ago I was packing a Custom Shop Jazz Bass in mint condition Cobalt Blue Metallic that I had sold. I was in the shipping area and noticed all kinds of swirls on the back that I had never seen before. It totally freaked me out. Took it into another room and they were gone and the customer never complained. It was the LED lighting.

Also depending how old it actually is (I'm assuming you bought it new), the nitro may not have been totally cured, depending on humidity and other environmental conditions. The good news is there are many layers of clear lacquer over the black and the swirls might look bad to you but can likely be buffed out. I sold a Custom Shop LP a while back that had some swirls and buckle rash worse than yours. I brought it to my guitar tech and he got all of them out with the buffing wheel. Not something I'd do myself but a pro should be able to get it back. 

Good luck,

JO'C

 

[Michael Mars]

Thanks JO'C

Actually they don't show up unless I shine a bright light on them. If you notice in the pictures I took I had th guitar on a bed under a very bright overhead light, so no they aren't obvious just looking at the guitar under normal conditions. It just sucks to know that they're there.

I will look into getting them buffed out thought I think maybe figuring out how to keep it clean for this point on will be a mystery. Maybe a new cloth each time is something to consider.

 

 

[Eracer_Team]

You clean nitro guitars with naphtha 

don’t bother polishing 

nitro is thin too much polishing will dig through the nitro layers over time 

[Sgt. Pepper]

2 hours ago, Michael Mars said:

It's described as a liquid.

I've used it on every guitar I've owned and never had a problem.

Indeed and a Big Mac is described as a tasty hamburger.

[rct]

This is why the finish is not warrantee'd in any way.

And nitro is about as far from bullet proof as you can get.  You actually paid 5 grand for paint that is destined to age, which for some reason is what every guitar player since about 1995 absolutely requires.  Weird.

rct

[SteveFord]

It looks like the Dunlop was too abrasive, it does say cleaner on it.

Maybe Gibson's Pump Polish will help, if not Novus and Meguir's make swirl removers.  Use it gently.

[kidblast]

Hi, certainly can understand your disappointment.   Nitro is really problematic especially on a newer guitar.  It takes a long time to fully cure.

it's possible the cloth you used had dust particles or maybe as Steve mentions, the Dunlop stuff could have been too abrasive for the finish.

These days I just take a clean T-shirt, cut it into rags, and use those for maintaining the finish.

Usually just some tap water to dampen the cotton rag to remove fingerprints and smudges

If any gunk shows up.  I'll just put a small bit of naphtha on one of the rags from the cut up T-shirt, it's like Goo Be Gone for Nitro (Don't ever use the actual Goo Be gone cleaner tho! 🙂)

I do use Gibson Pump polish too but I don't really do that all that often.

Edited Tuesday at 12:33 PM by kidblast

[Sgt. Pepper]

15 hours ago, rct said:

This is why the finish is not warrantee'd in any way.

And nitro is about as far from bullet proof as you can get.  You actually paid 5 grand for paint that is destined to age, which for some reason is what every guitar player since about 1995 absolutely requires.  Weird.

rct

Now for an up-charge, Gibson will gladly do it for you.

[Sgt. Pepper]

13 hours ago, SteveFord said:

It looks like the Dunlop was too abrasive, it does say cleaner on it.

Maybe Gibson's Pump Polish will help, if not Novus and Meguir's make swirl removers.  Use it gently.

On the pic he posted the product says polish and cleaner all in one. There is even a Bose Wave In the background. 

Edited Tuesday at 03:18 PM by Sgt. Pepper

[Michael Mars]

What really upsets me is that for a simple warning tag about the finish could easily be included with a guitar like this. Certainly if Gibson had any kind of literature included in the case or with the guitar that explained this finish I would have followed the warning and this whole situation would never have happened.

I can't believe I'm the only one ever to by a nitro finished guitar not knowing about the issues with maintenance.

Seriously... it'not every day I have 5 grand to spend on a guitar. A little communication about care would have gone a long way.

Evertything I found online about nitro finishes said to use polish. 

Now I have to eat the $5,500, or live with the finish as is.

To Gibson: NOT COOL MAN!!!

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

7 minutes ago, Michael Mars said:

What really upsets me is that for a simple warning tag about the finish could easily be included with a guitar like this. Certainly if Gibson had any kind of literature included in the case or with the guitar that explained this finish I would have followed the warning and this whole situation would never have happened.

I can't believe I'm the only one ever to by a nitro finished guitar not knowing about the issues with maintenance.

Seriously... it'not every day I have 5 grand to spend on a guitar. A little communication about care would have gone a long way.

Evertything I found online about nitro finishes said to use polish. 

Now I have to eat the $5,500, or live with the finish as is.

To Gibson: NOT COOL MAN!!!

 

You are not the only person on Earth to buy a Gibson guitar, and then the delicate as new born baby’s skin, the nitro reacts -  to polish, a foot pad on a guitar tuner, the fluff in the case, the paint color bleeds into the binding, you name it. Like I said Gibson players only want nitro lacquer. Sucks it happened, and as RCT stated, and you have been a victim of it, Gibson absolutely does not warranty their finish's. Way to stand by your product. 

[Eracer_Team]

It’s the black finish that shows  the swirls

the swirls are there Even on cheap Polly Chinese clone Strat I own

 

[kidblast]

Actually, I think the user manual does talk a little bit about the finish and what some of the standard practices are. 

But if you have never had a nitro finished guitar before, yea, I get what you're saying.

And like the others have mentioned black and or darker finishes shows everything.

I have a Wine Red 95 Standard, it's very dark compared to the typical Gibson Wine Red.   I can agree with the darker finishes showing swirls and things like that.

I'll give you another rule for nitro.

Do not leave a head stock tuner on the guitar and don't put anything in the case with the guitar that will touch the finish, (like a strap, or well... anything!)

And btw, NO guitar builder warranties the finish.  Not Gibson, Not Fender, Not Martin, no one will.

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 10:29 AM by kidblast

[Eracer_Team]

it’s just surface swirl. Not a problem not an issue 

wait till you hit a mic or music stand. 

And when playing outside where mosquitoes are 

DO NOT wear bug spray

play the gig, let the mosquitoes bit you

 

(have you owned a black car? Cars for the most part are 10x more than a guitar. Yes my grand national had swirl marks)

Edited yesterday at 12:56 AM by Eracer_Team

[cunningham26]

I totally understand that the first cut is the deepest, and it's a bummer that it was of your own doing, but if it's not an investor grade guitar, and if you're playing it anyways, why be so precious with a nitro finish? Wouldnt you expect to play it enough that it's going to develop some wear patterns no matter what? unless you were shoving it under the bed, it's not like buyers down the line would be like "AND WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!"

[kidblast]

oh yea  bug spray !  instant and assured destruction.

Also Swiffer floor mops with sprayers for guys who like to keep them on stands around the house.

[SteveFord]

It's my understanding that nitro takes forever to fully cure.

Maybe wait a year before you get too carried away trying to remove the marks.

FWIW, my used Les Paul Classic came with little swirls on it.  My solution so far has been to ignore them.  When I finally get motivated, I'll probably try Mother's California Gold Carnauba Wax with an old tee shirt, that stuff has a mild abrasive in it.

[kidblast]

yea. Nitro takes a long time to fully cure.   The whole reality is, just playing them will put wear on the spots where your body makes contact.

Your Jeans, your shirts, the oils from your skin and sweat, like on the spot your arm rests, and where your hand rests on the bridge,  it's all going to do "something" to the finish and plating.   It's just the way it is.    We've all been there.   

Once you can get to the point where you kinda stop worrying about it, these guitars are much more fun to own.

 

Edited Wednesday at 06:23 PM by kidblast

[ksdaddy]

Does lacquer ever truly cure?

Just asking.

[Michael Mars]

I know the finish has no effect on performance, I just wish I didn't come out of this with such a bad taste in my mouth. I've learned a valuable although expensive lesson about nitro finishes on Gibson Guitars and I'm sure this will be the last I buy. I have no mindset to baby sit my guitar's finish. 

So I ended up going back to a Slash Standard. IMO an all around better sounding guitar for the music I play. I prefer the Alnico 2 Pickups on the Slash to the 490T, 498T set on the Custom. Just meaner for tones I like. Also no finish worries that I can see.

Does anyone have any warnings about how to clean an LP Standard Slash before a screw it up? Not my first Slash, but I'll take any cleaning advice from you nice people..

Thanks to everyone for trying to halp me out. 

I may trade or sell my custom, not sure yet. It bums me out looking at it now. 

 

 

 

Edited 9 hours ago by Michael Mars

[Eracer_Team]

It’s just swirl

try a $50,000 black car swirls , stone chips and door dings 

nitro is nitro , poly is poly all will show

Your replacement Slash standard finish is same finish 

when surface guys grungy 

take a cotton rag. Use Namath to clean the sweat and dirt off

 

[SteveFord]

Use Gibson Pump Polish on the bodywork and metal parts, lemon oil on the fret board, keep it in the case when not in use, beware of guitar stands that don't have a cloth covering where the guitar touches.