John Lee Walker Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 There is just no way to avoid scratches on a busy guitar. I've got a couple on my main guitar (the j200) and I am wondering if there is a way to buff these out myself, if they can be buffed. Someone got into my case to get my guitar and the lid fell on it as she was taking it out...latch scratch. Woulda shot her if I didn't love her (j/K) Suggestions mucho appreciated:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosewoody Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 I am no expert, but if it is just a scratch and not a gouge, try Fender's swirl and haze remover, which is gentle and able to buff out surface scratches pretty well. If it is a deep scratch you can fill--the nitro finish on Gibson lends itself to that, but you might want to entrust that to a pro. Likewise, a gouge is repairable so as to be invisible, but a luthier is the best bet. Dan Erlewine has a good repair book. http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Player-Repair-Guide-Erlewine/dp/0879302917/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244348447&sr=1-3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glynsong Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 I've had excellent results using Meguiars #9 swirl remover 2.0,good stuff, hard to find except at finer auto-body shops. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWilson Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Whatever you use, just be sure there is no silicon in it. Apparently nitro finishes don't like silicon. I hear some of the new Meguiars products contain it. Personally, I like "NOVUS" # 2 Fine Scratch Remover. I think you can get it at Stew-Mac. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flinx Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 I heard of somebody using toothpaste a while back. Never tried it myself. So don't blame me if you rub a hole in the top! :) Me, I use Virtuoso cleaner. I like it better than the Fender/Meguiars stuff for getting rid of scratches or swirly marks. Flinx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Walsh Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 The best thing to get scratches out is to use a light cleaner/polish first and if it needs filling try krazy glue and then a light polisher. Never use anything too abrasive. However it's like anything, you try it and see if it works. Make sure you google the instructions before attempting any repairs! Remember when your Dad used to fix things like the toaster? And he'd be finished in an hour and it'd be worse than when he started? And you couldn't help but laugh?! So really it depends more on your skill level what the results are gonna be. Know your limits and practise on a scrap piece of wood first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosewoody Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Whatever you use' date=' just be sure there is no silicon in it. Apparently nitro finishes don't like silicon. [/quote'] No finishes like silicone. It is Satanic in its tenacity once applied, and you can forget getting anything to stick to the stuff. Completely evil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 The best thing to get scratches out is to use a light cleaner/polish first and if it needs filling try krazy glue and then a light polisher. Never use anything too abrasive. However it's like anything' date=' you try it and see if it works. Make sure you google the instructions before attempting any repairs! [i']Remember when your Dad used to fix things like the toaster?[/i] And he'd be finished in an hour and it'd be worse than when he started? And you couldn't help but laugh?! So really it depends more on your skill level what the results are gonna be. Know your limits and practise on a scrap piece of wood first. Krazy (cyanoacrylate) glue works beautifully on polyester resin finished guitars. Do NOT use this stuff on nitrocellulose finished guitars... like most Gibsons. Virtuoso seems to work nicely on nitro finishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwolf Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 I second the warning about using super glue/crazy glue on a nitro finish. If the scratch needs filling and buffing, a good luthier/experienced tech can do that with lacquer, or a little thinner and the repair should be nearly or completely invisible. You can use super glue to fill a scratch or chip to excellent results, but ONLY on a polyester or urethane (essentially a plastic) finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flinx Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 What happens if you use crazy glue with nitro? Is there some kind of bad reaction? Flinx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajsc Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I heard of somebody using toothpaste a while back. Never tried it myself. So don't blame me if you rub a hole in the top! Me' date=' I use Virtuoso cleaner. I like it better than the Fender/Meguiars stuff for getting rid of scratches or swirly marks. Flinx[/quote'] One day my Bulldog jumped off the couch at the exact same time I opened my case, & put a big scratch all the way across the top of my short scale AJ. I really thought it was there to stay. I used Virtuoso, cleaner, & polish. After "much" hand buffing you can't see the scratch at all!! Looks just like it did the day I bought it. I guess that's why people don't allow their dogs on the sofa?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Depends on what you mean by 'scratch'. If it's only a surface scratch, then buffing might work. The difference between a scratch and a gouge is only one or two thousandths of an inch. You may need to get a loupe to see this difference. If the lid fell on her, the latch tab might have left a dent and removed a wedge of finish and leaving bare wood for good measure. Worse yet, it might have knocked a chunk of wood loose too. I'd call this type of damage a gouge. No amount of buffing will get this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 What happens if you use crazy glue with nitro? Is there some kind of bad reaction? Flinx It isn't that you CAN'T use CA glue on a nitro finish, it is that you have to be very very careful. When using CA glue on lacquered guitars, the utmost care must be exercised to not let any of the glue come into contact with any lacquered surface. The solvents in the glue will etch the lacquer, creating an unsightly smear. Whereas, putting CA on an poly finish is basically putting plastic on plastic. So if your name isn't Frank Ford, Dan Erlewine, Rick Turner or Dale Fortune, don't do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flinx Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 It isn't that you CAN'T use CA glue on a nitro finish' date=' it is that you have to be very very careful. When using CA glue on lacquered guitars, the utmost care must be exercised to not let any of the glue come into contact with any lacquered surface. The solvents in the glue will etch the lacquer, creating an unsightly smear. Whereas, putting CA on an poly finish is basically putting plastic on plastic. So if your name isn't Frank Ford, Dan Erlewine, Rick Turner or Dale Fortune, don't do it. [/quote'] Very interesting, and thanks for the input. I like learning new stuff. But if you don't mind me asking another question: how about a clear lacquer pen? Are they hard to use, and do you need to start sanding and buffing afterwards? One of my guitars has got a couple of small places where the lacquer has worn through near the fretboard, mostly because I rubbed too hard with Virtuoso trying to clean off accumulated dirt that was already there when I bought the 'box. Is a "pen" good for touch-ups, or should I stop diddling around and get it done by a professional? I can do some minor wood-work, but I'm definitely an amateur, and have never done anything like this before. So if it's easy, maybe, but otherwise .......... eek! Flinx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Very interesting' date=' and thanks for the input. I like learning new stuff. But if you don't mind me asking another question: how about a clear lacquer pen? Are they hard to use, and do you need to start sanding and buffing afterwards? One of my guitars has got a couple of small places where the lacquer has worn through near the fretboard, mostly because I rubbed too hard with Virtuoso trying to clean off accumulated dirt that was already there when I bought the 'box. Is a "pen" good for touch-ups, or should I stop diddling around and get it done by a professional? I can do some minor wood-work, but I'm definitely an amateur, and have never done anything like this before. So if it's easy, maybe, but otherwise .......... eek! Flinx[/quote'] Flinx, Here are some excerpts from a real pro; Dan Erlewine: All lacquer finishes dent, chip and scratch more easily than polyester because they are more delicate. Lacquer is the easiest to repair because it will redissolve itself; the fact that successive coats or drops of touch-up lacquer melt in completely (even years after the finish was applied) is a real advantage. Always be careful around lacquer finishes they melt when touched by super glue (CA), shellac, alcohol and lacquer thinner (any of which may be used to repair a lacquer finish)... Some professionals will buff the entire surface in order to make even a little teeny chip go away - the finish will no longer look original... I'd rather have a touched up chip or no repair at all in most cases. So to start out, I'm telling you that many dings just aren't worth messing with!" Good advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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