Private Stock
New Member
Hello all, I have a slight scratch on the back of my favorite PRS, any ideas what works best to remove it? it's very light and you can't feel it, just enough to make me crazy 
Guitar finish? best polish?
- Thread starter Private Stock
- Start date
gball
New Member
I've found the PRS polish to be among the best I have used for a light scratch.
There's an art to it, of course...
Whatever polish you use, the idea is to break down the compound into the finest particles. Rub light and fast, too much force will create its own swirl marks, and rub until the polish breaks down.
I use a square of chamois to apply the polish and break down the particles, and follow up with a thick microfiber cloth. Both should be clean to start so you're not rubbing dirt into the finish.
Also, if you hold the guitar up to a light at an angle, you'll see the factory polishing marks all go in a particular direction. You want to match that.
If afterward the polish leaves a trace where it was rubbed that you can still see, a very fine polish like Virtuoso will give you a super nice finish. It breaks down very quickly, and the technique is the same.
Whatever polish you use, the idea is to break down the compound into the finest particles. Rub light and fast, too much force will create its own swirl marks, and rub until the polish breaks down.
I use a square of chamois to apply the polish and break down the particles, and follow up with a thick microfiber cloth. Both should be clean to start so you're not rubbing dirt into the finish.
Also, if you hold the guitar up to a light at an angle, you'll see the factory polishing marks all go in a particular direction. You want to match that.
If afterward the polish leaves a trace where it was rubbed that you can still see, a very fine polish like Virtuoso will give you a super nice finish. It breaks down very quickly, and the technique is the same.
Last edited:
Suppalak Klabdee
PRSi in Black Gold with binding for life
I just stick the scratch pad on the back of all my guitars and be done with it :top:
FennRx
Gibson Fanboy
lol the first one is always the worst. :biggrin:
I use an automotive polish that works on fingerboards too(beats anything on the market and is not commercially available).
WeFixFlats
Respect The Clave
When I comes to my PRS guitars, I only use PRS Fretboard Conditioner, Cleaner and Polish and for the pickup covers and bridge, Blue Magic Metal Polish Cream.
Sekunda
Music is life
+1 :cheers:
markie
Zombie 27 - DFZ
My Son-In-Law is Polish ............ just say'in :vroam:
You could also use a Dremel with a polishing wheel. Spin it nice and fast and press hard and you can take the stain mark and all the rest of the finish off right down to the bare wood in just one go Trust me on this.
Or or you could take your 10 top cu24 to the local luthier to have some fret buzz removed. Since he owned a plek machine he would naturally say it needed pleking. You agree and then his fret smoother would slip and dig a nice gouge in the board. Afterwards there would still be fret buzz which you would eventually fix yourself by screwing the adjustor screws on the bridge to max height. The guitar now sounds good and I probably wasn't going to sell it anyway. Carefule with that polish Eugene.
Or or you could take your 10 top cu24 to the local luthier to have some fret buzz removed. Since he owned a plek machine he would naturally say it needed pleking. You agree and then his fret smoother would slip and dig a nice gouge in the board. Afterwards there would still be fret buzz which you would eventually fix yourself by screwing the adjustor screws on the bridge to max height. The guitar now sounds good and I probably wasn't going to sell it anyway. Carefule with that polish Eugene.
Last edited:
I see what you did there.
markintime
Wood Grain Devotee
Now wait a minute, here. I'M Polish, so that means all I have to do is just touch my guitar? Woo Hoo!!
JPHoush
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2014
- Messages
- 35
Les is correct, it is an art. There are several very good products in the marketplace. I am an owner of a group of several body shops. I use a blend of 3M and Wizard's polishing compounds. Start with the least abrasive polishing product available only after you have cleaned the areas all around where you will be working. If you are not careful, you can introduce minute containments into the mix which will make matters worse. To clean tbe area, use one of the spray products such as Mist & Shine or Final Inspection from Meguiar's. Begin with the least abrasive polishing compound product you have using the proper foam polishing pad. Take your time and don't be afraid to repeat the process several times until the scratch or swirl mark is less obvious. You can almost never fully remove the scratch - only make it less of a nuisance. Always have a supply of quality micro fiber towels. Don't use regular cotton towels since they will leave swirls. The more deliberate you are with this process, the better the result. If you shortcut the process, you will regret it. Nitro finishes are far more delicate than poly finishes, but both can be repaired with the right care. If you unsure about your skill here, don't experiment on your Private Stock guitar first. 
. Be sensible and try it out on a different (less valuable) surface first.
. Be sensible and try it out on a different (less valuable) surface first.
Last edited:
sergiodeblanc
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2012
- Messages
- 28,605
Last edited by a moderator:
justmund
Plank Spanker
OMFG, that's awesome.
ernesthemingway
New Member
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2014
- Messages
- 7
What about the V12-finish? Does it need a special treatment?
CoreyT
PRS Addiction
I use the Virtuoso Polish on my V12 finish on my 2013 408 MT, and I also use it on all of my SE guitars.
Perfectly safe for both finishes including the Nitro on my 2012 Gibson '61 SG Reissue.
Virtuoso is my favourite too, and one of the reasons for that is that it's safe to use on nitro finished instruments, whereas PRS polish is not... so if you have nitro instruments, it's the one to have on hand and it's all you need as it works fine on poly as well. If you don't, then the PRS stuff is absolutely fine too.
markie
Zombie 27 - DFZ
My Son-in-law is not touching my guitars ............................ unless it actually works for you :biggrin:
EDIT: I messed up this answer. I saw V12 and my brain thought "he's asking about nitro."
Please ignore what I said here if you have V12, this "safe for nitro" reference only applies to nitro. The rest of the answer is fine.
Yes, it needs a "safe for nitro" polish. As the others have said, Virtuoso is safe for nitro. However, keep in mind that there are two Virtuoso polishes. One is a very fine polish, almost a finish polish, to rub out the finest spidery swirl marks. There other polish is labeled a "cleaner" but it's actually a polish with more grit, designed to be a first step followed by their finer polish.
I also feel that polishing a guitar is more a matter of "do no harm" than "you need to do this a lot."
The best cleaning system for me is to simply wipe down the finish with a damp, clean microfiber towel, followed immediately by a dry, clean microfiber towel. If it needs a little shine, I use the PRS cleaner, that lends a nice shine without abrasives. I find this necessary very rarely.
I only use polish when there is a light scratch or swirl mark to polish out. In other words, I don't use polish regularly. Because you really are taking finish off the guitar. I know it's tempting to think you're babying your instrument, and it's fun to play around with it, polishing it, etc., but usually with polishes you're doing it more harm than good.
Polishing only when it's truly necessary is the best way to preserve the finish, IMHO. Cleaning the goo off the guitar with a damp microfiber cloth is all that is truly needed on a regular basis, and this is especially true with a thin nitro finish as far as I'm concerned.
Also I'd like to give a shout out to JPHoush, who certainly knows far more about finishes than I EVER will!
Last edited:
