Hairy Dave Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 I bought some Virtuoso cleaner and polish and just used both on my guitar. Have to say I'm really pleased with the result. I had the usual hazing where my arm rests on the bout and the cleaner removed it easily. My friend tried it on his Martin and had mixed results. It cleaned and polished the majority of his guitar up nicely, but where he rests his arm on the bout and his thumb above the low E it failed to remove what I can only describe as a shadow - not quite the same as the haze you get on dark areas of bursts. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GDC Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Just have to keep after it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad4d8 Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I use the Fender Guitar Care Kit, a three stage process with products made by Meguiar's. Unfortunately, it is no longer available. I'm pretty certain the three liquids are from the standard Meguiar's line, but don't know which ones. I also use a Meguiar's vinyl and leather cleaner on cases. It's the same as what Fender markets (or probably marketed) as case cleaner. It does a very good job on the haze from arms on the lower bout. Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarrr Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I use the Meguiars 9, Swirl Remover 2.0 for most everything. A lot of the builders use it after the final buffing on a new guitar to eliminate the buffer wax marks/swirls.... really works great and many people have recommended it over the years. best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rogi Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Do you guys use the same thing to the finger board as the rest of the guitar? I'm thinking about purchasing something to re-vitalize my Hummingbird's finger board but I'm not sure what would be great :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merseybeat1963 Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Do you guys use the same thing to the finger board as the rest of the guitar? I'm thinking about purchasing something to re-vitalize my Hummingbird's finger board but I'm not sure what would be great :) Fingerboard is usually raw wood..I think oiling it is the way to go there. Unless there is a finish on it like Rick or Fender Maple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merseybeat1963 Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I use Martin Guitar Polish but expect very little from it..which is what it gives..but its ok..for cleaning dirt off ,being mild & not harming finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchabalk Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 +1 on oiling it. Lemon Oil is what to use, that's what's in the bottle if you buy "Fretboard Conditioner" 9 times out of 10. i've had a small bottle for the last 8 years or so and only used about 1/5th of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Dave Posted September 10, 2012 Author Share Posted September 10, 2012 Do you guys use the same thing to the finger board as the rest of the guitar? I'm thinking about purchasing something to re-vitalize my Hummingbird's finger board but I'm not sure what would be great :) No, we didn't touch the fretboards at all. Want to get lemon oil as recommended above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 No, we didn't touch the fretboards at all. Want to get lemon oil as recommended above. maybe someone will back me up and i'm not telling you what to do , but after lots of research i got linseed oil for my fretboard , apparently its the very best . but i dont think its a huge deal. make sure its boiled linseed oil though , nit any old stuff . only needs about 6 drops per year so one bottle will do a lifetime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Dave Posted September 10, 2012 Author Share Posted September 10, 2012 Cheers BBG I'll look at linseed oil too. Where did you get yours? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 just on ebay , cant honestly remember the seller, was last year . but theres plenty of choice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 . Fret Doctor . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 Do you guys use the same thing to the finger board as the rest of the guitar? I'm thinking about purchasing something to re-vitalize my Hummingbird's finger board but I'm not sure what would be great :) another good product for rosewood is Glitz's Guitar Honey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest J-Doug Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 For the tough stuff on the finish I use naphtha. Perfectly safe on nitro. Otherwise, I just use warm water mixed with a drop of dish soap. I use soft rags, preferably well washed cloth diapers. I very rarely use polish and only after a thorough cleaning with one of the above. I have been known to use a LITTLE lemon oil of the fretboard and I promptly wipe the excess off. Can't say I polish guitars much though. I'd sooner be playing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 See this thread too: http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/82346-gibson-cleaning-kits/page__p__1248160__hl__diaper__fromsearch__1#entry1248160 Post # 15 from Chuck Bennett: Hello All, I'm Chuck Bennett, CEO of Zymol and a Bass Player for 43 years. I am interested in answering questions but NOT selling product. I don't have my very old Gibson Ripper anymore because my son, who is a better bass player than I am, fell in love with the bass and received it as a birthday gift! I can't promise I will be able to answer technical finish questions on a timely basis but I will do my best. As for the question about what to wipe a guitar or bass with, be VERY careful! We use T-shirts to micro-sand automobile finishes. Never, ever use a diaper. Microwipes are great as long as you use the wipes that are composed of Nylon and Nitrile, not Polyester and Polyamide. This 'rubber' based compound will not scratch. Nitrocellulose finishes are beautiful, in fact you can't use Nitrocellulose on cars anymore due to the level of VOC's because they scratch just looking at them. Knowing what your finish is made of is the first step in caring for it! " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texastrummer Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 I bought some Virtuoso cleaner and polish and just used both on my guitar. Have to say I'm really pleased with the result. I had the usual hazing where my arm rests on the bout and the cleaner removed it easily. My friend tried it on his Martin and had mixed results. It cleaned and polished the majority of his guitar up nicely, but where he rests his arm on the bout and his thumb above the low E it failed to remove what I can only describe as a shadow - not quite the same as the haze you get on dark areas of bursts. Any ideas? The cleaner as well as some of the other products folks have recommended are mildly abrasive. Possibly the reason your friend's Martin didn't completely come clean is that the degradation ran a little deeper into the finish. Repeated applications might get it all but use caution. I use the cleaner infrequently. It will also remove light pick marks, etc. Once you have it where you want it, recommend you use either the polish or the Gibson Pump polish regularly as it will usually be adequate if you keep up with it. Glad it worked for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hairy Dave Posted September 11, 2012 Author Share Posted September 11, 2012 The cleaner as well as some of the other products folks have recommended are mildly abrasive. Possibly the reason your friend's Martin didn't completely come clean is that the degradation ran a little deeper into the finish. Repeated applications might get it all but use caution. I use the cleaner infrequently. It will also remove light pick marks, etc. Once you have it where you want it, recommend you use either the polish or the Gibson Pump polish regularly as it will usually be adequate if you keep up with it. Glad it worked for you! It's a strange looking shadow on the Martin. He had a natural J200 and while it maybe hazed up on the bout it never produced a greyish/black shadow. I'm assuming Martin use a different finish. He's not too bothered by the mark so all is good. Thanks for the comments guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonCarlos Posted September 11, 2012 Share Posted September 11, 2012 I remember over the past few years many discussions concerning cleaners and polishes. Made a special trip to the south side to locate some Virtuoso polish and cleaner. Expensive...... so it must work. But where there was little haze on my guitar, there now appeared to be increasingly more as I polished it with a microfiber. So that in the end I ended up using Gibson pump (orange) to remove the haze left by Virtuoso on my J45. Very satisfied with the cheaper Gibson pump spray. I use the Virtuoso now on my bike instead and not on any guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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