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Polishing your guitar

Bluegrass

By Bluegrass
in Gibson Acoustic

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albertjohn

albertjohn

Posted
Posted
Hey guys' date=' just wondering what you guys use to keep the shine on your guitar?

Will regular furniture polish work? (Pledge)

Thanks[/quote']

 

I have a bottle of Kyser guitar polish I have had for about 7 years and it's still going strong. I restrung and polished my SWD at the weeknd and it does a great job. There a dozens of proprietry guitar polishes around to choose from.

 

Be wary of regular furniture polish. Many of them contain silicon which is left on the surface after polishing. However, Mr Sheen and Sparkle are 2 I know which don't contain silicon apparently. This is what Mrs AJ gets when I go shopping.

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Taylor Player

Taylor Player

Posted
Posted

Please DON"T use pledge! It might be fine for your coffee table, but other than a nice wipedown with a polishing cloth after playing each day (Strings too for longer life), or the occasional blast of Gibson Pump polish (Great smelling stuff with a hint of Nitro in the forumla to keep your Gibby shiny) you really don't need to do much. I will occasionally put a nice wax on my guitars but I will only use "Zymol" which is a high quality automotive wax with no silicone and mostly just Carnuba wax which is fine and looks good once a year or so.

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SGSpecialguy

SGSpecialguy

Posted
Posted
Please DON"T use pledge! It might be fine for your coffee table' date=' [/quote']

 

DONT use PLEDGE !!!!! it contains silicone and will damage your guitars finish over time,, I wouldnt even say its ok to use on your coffee table !!

silicone is BAD news for lacquer finishes !!!

I am a finisher and have seen some REAL nightmares with people using silicone based products [biggrin]

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Buc McMaster

Buc McMaster

Posted
Posted

Hey Bluegrass.......welcome!

 

As aj said, try to stay away from anything containing silicone. Once applied it is nearly impossible to remove completely. While most times this is not a terrible problem, if your guitar ever requires finish repairs the silicone makes it difficult to get new paint/nitro to adhere well. Could be trouble...........

 

There a beaucoup makers of guitar polish and everyone has their fav. I like Virtuoso. Personally, I dislike the feel of a freshly polished instrument, but I do it a couple times a year anyway, just because. Cleaning the fretboard is what's most important to me since it is unfinished wood and tends to absorb spooge rather than hold it on the surface. I don't mind a little funk on my guitar......indicates it's being used!

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bkharmony

bkharmony

Posted
Posted

For regular touch-ups, I use the Gibson pump polish. Smells good, too. But like the last couple commenters, I recommend Virtuoso. It requires a little more work, but the shine is unmatched. In fact, if anything, it polishes TOO well. I find my guitar is kinda slippery after a good Virtuoso polishing.

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Buc McMaster

Buc McMaster

Posted
Posted
really? your not buffing enough then

 

It's not a matter of not polishing properly' date=' I just don't like the way a newly polished instrument feels in the hands.......too slick. I never apply polish to the neck, only clean it, usually with naptha to leave zero residue of any kind on this "user interface" portion of the guitar.

 

I wash, clay, polish and wax my car two or three times a year......it sits out in the sun & rain 365 days a year and needs protection from the elements. My guitar lives indoors year-round and, to my way of thinking, doesn't need too much attention in that regard. I don't pour beer on it, I don't let the cat scratch around on it, and it doesn't get exposed to harsh chemicals nor weather.........it's just fine with a once-a-year cleanup and polish. And really, it doesn't actually [i']need[/i] that. As I said, I prefer a little funk here and there......but not on the back of the neck! It's a tool, not a museum piece.

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Buc McMaster

Buc McMaster

Posted
Posted
Buc' date=' what's the clay do? Is it like a compund?

 

Red 333[/quote']

 

It's actually clay, or something much like it.......kinda like silly putty. You can buy it in a kit at the auto parts store.......comes with a spray lube. Out in the hard, hard world auto paint collects crap - pollutants, bird droppings, acid rain, etc. This stuff settles into your paint, making it quite rough to the touch. Run your fingertips over the hood........yuk! The clay pulls this stuff out of the paint, cleaning it up thoroughly and prepares the surface for polish and wax. Works great! Hard work, indeed, but it does wonders for your paint. The difference between a clayed finish and one not is amazing.......

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