How to polish out very light scratches in nitro?

[merseybeat1963 25]

I often strum with my (no picks) thumb where fingerboard overlaps the body.

My other fingers rest on body next to this area and many little scratches have dulled that area a bit.

Any simple polish that will do the job on nitro and make em disappear? Thanks

[Del Nilppeznaf 47]

Virtuoso Cleaner..will do this... been recommended here many times :)

 

They also do a Polish for lighter cleaning... I think its great stuff.

[merseybeat1963 25]

Thanks.I will look for the cleaner.I went to a little shoppe that has good guitars (Golden Age Fretted Inst Westfield NJ) and he didnt carry it but said he didnt like the polish because it made the laquer checking lines on old guitars look white..!

But I'll resume..I guess its at horrible Guitar Center

[j45nick 484]

The cloth you use may be as important as the polish. When we are trying to buff out scratches, we tend to use a fair amount of force, and may end up adding more scratches if we aren't careful. I'm still looking for the best cloths for this. I got a package of microfiber cloths, but I don't know if that is the way to go, and I haven't given them a try yet.

 

I do use the Virtuoso Cleaner for this, but I've seen my luthier use very fine automotive-type (I think) buffing compounds, very carefully. A lot depends on the age and general condition of the finish.

[dchristo 32]

this will work for fine scratches

 

[Buc McMaster 192]

A slippery slope, indeed. The effort it takes to remove fine scratches can often leave that spot looking different from the area that surrounds. Be thee careful.

[merseybeat1963 25]

this will work for fine scratches

 

 

I have they're Gold paste wax..its not the same is it?

[Red 333 137]

I use a Meguiares automotive polish myself, with a micro-fibre cloth. Some people swear by #2 Fine Cut Polish, and some like Scratch X (though there is some debate whether is contains silicates, which may make complicate refinishing the guitar at a later time).

 

I've never used it, but I've read many raves for Novus #7 Plastic Polish.

 

Red 333

[rodmeister 0]

Be careful with the microfiber. I know some will disagree but microfiber cloth leaves microscratches on nitro finishes in my experiece This is especially visible on factory brand-new guitars: it dulls the finish ever so slightly. But the effect might not be visible on older guitars which have lost the factory shine. I recommend 100% cotton cloth.

[merseybeat1963 25]

Thanks Guys

[bobouz 244]

Be careful with the microfiber. I know some will disagree but microfiber cloth leaves microscratches on nitro finishes in my experiece This is especially visible on factory brand-new guitars: it dulls the finish ever so slightly. But the effect might not be visible on older guitars which have lost the factory shine. I recommend 100% cotton cloth.

A microfiber cloth made exclusively for camera lenses will work extremely well.

[j45nick 484]

A microfiber cloth made exclusively for camera lenses will work extremely well.

 

 

Probably the eyeglass ones as well, since most lenses are plastic.

[onewilyfool 81]

Tap plastics has some polishes fro removing scratches from plexiglass that my luthier uses.....great for swirls, pick scratches, etc.

 

http://www.tapplastics.com/product/repair_products/plastic_repair/novus_plastic_polishes/428

[527 3]

It's best just to leave it. Normal play wear is not a big deal and won't have an impact on the value of your guitar if that's what your worried about. I would rather buy a used guitar with play wear than polish funk.

[Froggy55 1]

i had a small scratch on my Gibson Les Paul standard 2019 which has a nitro finish i used Colgate toothpaste which worked really well as has been stated use cotton cloth in my case i used an old pair of cotton undershorts  i buffed out a scratch on the face of my guitar that i accidentally did with my thumb nail  it came out no problem when i was done buffing and all tooth paste was wiped off i then did a light coat of pledge furniture polish which gave it back its glossy shine and it was as good as new  and on my head stock there was two spots i buffed out one on top from leaving my clip on tuner attached to long which left a indent in the nitro and the other on the right side near the g tuner i successfully buffed out both the scratch on the right side of the head stock in no longer there  the indent however is only noticeable at certain angles and you have to really look to spot it  i could probably get it the rest of the way out but my hands got tired so stopped but the head stock looks immaculate again  and just like the body after buffing and all toothpaste is wiped off  i used a small amount of furniture polish sprayed on to a cotton cloth and gently buffed it in to give it back its gloss  i can say that you can safely use toothpaste to fix any fine scratches and blemishes but use in small amounts and make sure what you use does not have crystals in it as some tooth pastes do this is why i specified Colgate because it does not and works well on a side note i used this same method on my expensive watch  when i accidentally scratched the outer covering of the bezel and now no more scratch i hope this helps and guitar player s beware not to leave a clip on tuner attached to a nitro finished head stock for too long  because it can and did damage the head stock on my expensive Gibson Les Paul with a nitro finish

[kidblast 1,487]

Froggy   it is your guitar so you can do what ya please.  but, do yourself a solid, get a bottle of Gibson Pump Polish, or something else that's 100% nitro safe.  (So many products out there.)  Pledge or any other commercial furniture polish is not.  Over time, that stuff will do far more harm then good.

There are many polishes and cleaners that you can use that are formulated for high gloss finishes .  Virtuoso is a favorite with many here on the forum.  It's good stuff!  But really the good old Gibson Pump bottle is about all you'll ever need.

There are also many well regarded scratch removers, I'm not sure about Tooth Paste...  I wouldn't use it... 

 

Edited September 14, 2020 by kidblast

[E-minor7 276]

4 hours ago, Froggy55 said:

i had a small scratch on my Gibson Les Paul standard 2019 which has a nitro finish i used Colgate toothpaste which worked really well as has been stated use cotton cloth in my case i used an old pair of cotton undershorts  i buffed out a scratch on the face of my guitar that i accidentally did with my thumb nail  it came out no problem when i was done buffing and all tooth paste was wiped off i then did a light coat of pledge furniture polish which gave it back its glossy shine and it was as good as new  and on my head stock there was two spots i buffed out one on top from leaving my clip on tuner attached to long which left a indent in the nitro and the other on the right side near the g tuner i successfully buffed out both the scratch on the right side of the head stock in no longer there  the indent however is only noticeable at certain angles and you have to really look to spot it  i could probably get it the rest of the way out but my hands got tired so stopped but the head stock looks immaculate again  and just like the body after buffing and all toothpaste is wiped off  i used a small amount of furniture polish sprayed on to a cotton cloth and gently buffed it in to give it back its gloss  i can say that you can safely use toothpaste to fix any fine scratches and blemishes but use in small amounts and make sure what you use does not have crystals in it as some tooth pastes do this is why i specified Colgate because it does not and works well on a side note i used this same method on my expensive watch  when i accidentally scratched the outer covering of the bezel and now no more scratch i hope this helps and guitar player s beware not to leave a clip on tuner attached to a nitro finished head stock for too long  because it can and did damage the head stock on my expensive Gibson Les Paul with a nitro finish

Thanx for a good report ^ Tried to remove a scratch on a girlfriends bathroom mirror with t-paste a couple of years ago. Didn't work - might have been too deep. 

Apart from that I thought the micro-crystals was the force behind the trick. If not, then what is. . .

[dhanners623 84]

Whatever you use, go with a microfiber cloth. When getting new glasses a couple of months ago, I asked the optometrist what was best for cleaning glasses and he said normal dishwashing soap was best, but to always use a microfiber cloth. He said paper towels and even t-shirts have microscopic wood fibers in them, which can cause scratches.

As he was saying that, it struck me that if the cloth can scratch glasses, it'll probably scratch a nitro finish on a guitar.

[E-minor7 276]

1 hour ago, dhanners623 said:

Whatever you use, go with a microfiber cloth. When getting new glasses a couple of months ago, I asked the optometrist what was best for cleaning glasses and he said normal dishwashing soap was best, but to always use a microfiber cloth. He said paper towels and even t-shirts have microscopic wood fibers in them, which can cause scratches.

As he was saying that, it struck me that if the cloth can scratch glasses, it'll probably scratch a nitro finish on a guitar.

I use my late father's  vintage handkerchiefs. They are probably clean cotton and he left a bunch them - white, washed and looking like ironed, bless him. . 

 

 

Eeeehh, but is cotton safe. .

[fortyearspickn 475]

Tooth polish, silver polish ...  I'd never use them on nitro on wood.  As KidBlaster said - Gibson's Pump Polish  is what Gibson recommends.  Polishes with abrasives are designed to take off the edges of scratches, smooth them out - by removing some of the surrounding  nitro.  Other polishes fill in the scratch to smooth it out, albeit a temporary patch.   I've read microfibre, which I've used for years, is not recommended - but soft flannel is.   I guess if you ask 10 people here, you'll get 11 answers.  But 9 out  of 10 would not use toothpaste. 

[RBSinTo 36]

Merseybeat 1963,

I suggest you contact a reputable Luthier, and ask their advice on what to use and how to properly use it.

RBSinTo 

[ALD323 29]

Virtuoso. Clean cotton guitar polish cloth. I personally never use a mictofiber cloth. ...I find they work great when brand new as they have no particles imbedded in them...as microfiber ages however, and collects the smallest of particles, those tiny partilcles get caught deep inside microfiber, where they often remain locked and can not be shook out, and often are not even removed easily by washing.  I use a flannel cotton cloth which can be shook to disperse the partilcles, and the particles washed out in the washer as the material is not as thick, so the particles are removed. ...these invisible tiny particles are the enemy of a nitro finish.

[Rosinante 4]

There used to be an amazing product called Petros’ Miracle Finish Restorer.  I wish they still made that...that stuff is amazing.  I have a half bottle of the polish and a half bottle of the wax left and apply it sparingly because when it’s gone it’s gone, but it can truly bring back that mirror shine.