Guitar finish? best polish?

[Whitecat]

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.

V12 does not need to be treated any differently from poly, according to PRS themselves.

http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/care.html

 

[Duffy]

I am reluctant to do a lot of heavy polishing, as in attempting to remove scratches.

I don't mind waxing my guitars now and then, but it is very easy to introduce swirl marks doing any polishing unless you are very adept at this skill.

For me, owning a guitar includes the implicit fact that the guitar is going to get scratched, develop swirl marks, etc. I buy my guitars to play and they get dirty and have to be cleaned. I clean them as best I can using quality products. The fact remains, however, that even one speck of abrasive dirt can easily be introduced into the cleaning, polishing process and this one speck can very easily cause further degradation of the finish in the form of swirl marks, etc.

It seems that scratches and even dings are inevitable if you plan to play your guitar a lot. These wear marks may well be rationalized as the marks of the artist and in this way they may be easier to accept.

I do not put my guitars closed up in cases or in glass display cases. They are for me to enjoy and I try to keep them as nice as possible but I can tell you, my guitars develop wear marks from use rather rapidly. I suppose I could periodically have them buffed up by a skilled technician and that they would regain a lot of that original vibe of perfection to the finish. I have never done this and I'm still very happy with my guitars.

For me, finish wear is to be expected and I don't let it bother me unless someone gouges the finish or abuses my guitar through carelessness. Even with the highest attention to detail, I seem to manage to get minor scratches, dings, and swirls on the finish of my guitars. I have learned to accept it as a consequence of actually "using" my guitars and rocking out. I do not abuse my guitars and this wear just seems to happen automatically and continuously.

Good luck with your attempt to keep your guitars as nice as possible thru what ever means you choose to apply.

 

[László]

V12 does not need to be treated any differently from poly, according to PRS themselves.

http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/care.html

Yes, I was referring to nitro, not V12, I misread the very quote I posted. LOL

 

[Tag]

I am reluctant to do a lot of heavy polishing, as in attempting to remove scratches.

I don't mind waxing my guitars now and then, but it is very easy to introduce swirl marks doing any polishing unless you are very adept at this skill.

For me, owning a guitar includes the implicit fact that the guitar is going to get scratched, develop swirl marks, etc. I buy my guitars to play and they get dirty and have to be cleaned. I clean them as best I can using quality products. The fact remains, however, that even one speck of abrasive dirt can easily be introduced into the cleaning, polishing process and this one speck can very easily cause further degradation of the finish in the form of swirl marks, etc.

It seems that scratches and even dings are inevitable if you plan to play your guitar a lot. These wear marks may well be rationalized as the marks of the artist and in this way they may be easier to accept.

I do not put my guitars closed up in cases or in glass display cases. They are for me to enjoy and I try to keep them as nice as possible but I can tell you, my guitars develop wear marks from use rather rapidly. I suppose I could periodically have them buffed up by a skilled technician and that they would regain a lot of that original vibe of perfection to the finish. I have never done this and I'm still very happy with my guitars.

For me, finish wear is to be expected and I don't let it bother me unless someone gouges the finish or abuses my guitar through carelessness. Even with the highest attention to detail, I seem to manage to get minor scratches, dings, and swirls on the finish of my guitars. I have learned to accept it as a consequence of actually "using" my guitars and rocking out. I do not abuse my guitars and this wear just seems to happen automatically and continuously.

Good luck with your attempt to keep your guitars as nice as possible thru what ever means you choose to apply.

This. If you play the guitars, they are going to get scratches and wear. No matter how careful you are, it happens. It gets marks around the strap locks from the straps just from hanging around your neck. Play them, and they are going to get scrathches here and there. Play them a lot, and do some hard practicing with them, and they are going to get banged up a lot. Try transcribing some fairly difficult parts with your guitar. It is gong to get scratches, nicks, and bumps. If you REALLY want to bond with a guitar, and have it become part of you, its going to get some major dings and bruises, as are you and your ego while working on any kind of advanced music. (Advanced meaning above your comfort level) There is no way around it.

 

[JPHoush]

I am reluctant to do a lot of heavy polishing, as in attempting to remove scratches.

I don't mind waxing my guitars now and then, but it is very easy to introduce swirl marks doing any polishing unless you are very adept at this skill.

For me, owning a guitar includes the implicit fact that the guitar is going to get scratched, develop swirl marks, etc. I buy my guitars to play and they get dirty and have to be cleaned. I clean them as best I can using quality products. The fact remains, however, that even one speck of abrasive dirt can easily be introduced into the cleaning, polishing process and this one speck can very easily cause further degradation of the finish in the form of swirl marks, etc.

It seems that scratches and even dings are inevitable if you plan to play your guitar a lot. These wear marks may well be rationalized as the marks of the artist and in this way they may be easier to accept.

I do not put my guitars closed up in cases or in glass display cases. They are for me to enjoy and I try to keep them as nice as possible but I can tell you, my guitars develop wear marks from use rather rapidly. I suppose I could periodically have them buffed up by a skilled technician and that they would regain a lot of that original vibe of perfection to the finish. I have never done this and I'm still very happy with my guitars.

For me, finish wear is to be expected and I don't let it bother me unless someone gouges the finish or abuses my guitar through carelessness. Even with the highest attention to detail, I seem to manage to get minor scratches, dings, and swirls on the finish of my guitars. I have learned to accept it as a consequence of actually "using" my guitars and rocking out. I do not abuse my guitars and this wear just seems to happen automatically and continuously.

Good luck with your attempt to keep your guitars as nice as possible thru what ever means you choose to apply.

There definitely exists two schools of thought on this topic. Those who are very particular about there "stuff" and those who view the wear and tear on their equipment as a sort of "badge of honor". I can appreciate both positions for sure. I am definitely a little over the top with my stuff. When I have sold guitars to others, they are shocked at how perfect they are when they open the box. That's just me. I would be the guy who receives a Fender Strat finished with their "Relic" look as a gift and immediately run out to the shop with a plan to fix it.

As a Gibson Les Paul owner, I never understood the "VOS" thing where Gibson tries to make the guitar look old. For those who can appreciate the rarity of a genuine 1959 Burst, they aren't going to be fooled by some guy on stage playing a look-alike clone. And for those who don't know any different, well they won't be impressed either way. I ordered a 1957 Gibson Goldtop Darkback Reissue a handful of years ago finished in "Gloss". At the guitar shop, they thought I was nuts because "everyone orders from the Gibson Custom Shop in VOS" to which I responded "Not me!". Then they saw it when it arrived and I opened the case. The guys at the shop almost soiled themselves because it looked so gorgeous. I sold it a couple of years ago and the guy was stunned at how beautiful it was when he got it.

As PRS owners, we know all about beautiful guitars. It's the only thing Paul puts out and I like that about him. No fake Relic or VOS finishes. Just gorgeous guitars all the time. Awesome!

 

[JPHoush]

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.

I would like to add to my prior comments since I was writing at the time on my cellphone, which is painfully slow and tedious.

You want to introduce the least amount of abrasion as you absolutely need to in an effort to arrive at a beautiful shine. For the most part, the best your PRS is ever going to look is when it arrives brand new in the case. For most people, it's downhill from there. Unless you are like me and I start going after the most minute flaws in the finish to arrive at "perfect", which by the way is nearly impossible. As I stated before, I am an owner of a group of 24 body shops where we will have fixed approximately 26,000 cars this year by the time 2014 is over. We spend about $2,000,000 per year just in paint. We have tried lots of different products following lots of different SOPs in an effort to get it right. I don't mean to toot my own horn here, just to share my perspective.

I have found that some of the spray gloss enhancers are simply amazing for routine care. Products like Wizard's Mist & Shine; Meguiar's Final Inspection and C-Magic's Detail Wax (which I think is the best, but you can't find it on shelves) are necessary to do the job right. Use one of these products with a high quality micro fiber towel (you can almost never have too many good micro fiber towels in your inventory) and you will be very satisfied with the look of your finish for a long time. For the most part, that's all you will need for on-going maintenance of your finish unless you run into scratches you want to eliminate. Then, it gets tricky.

As I stated previously, a CLEAN surface is mandatory for introducing polish into the equation. That means, getting the dust and crud removed from the areas near the strings, pickups, knobs and switches. As you work the polish into the finish, if some of that crud makes it into the liquid polish, guess what you are now rubbing into the finish of your guitar? Ask me how I know...... The smallest contaminant can do an amazing amount of damage to your finish. And, then you are fixing your fix - not fun!

If you are working on the back of the guitar, consider the surface that the front of your guitar is resting upon. Another source of possible damage for sure.

Les mentioned the abrasive particles that are contained in polishes and how they break down into even smaller particles as you rub the polish into the surface. The most profound understanding of this is when you attempt to polish the back of an acoustic guitar. The first time I tried that was on my R. Taylor madagascar rosewood-backed acoustic guitar. Trying to buff out swirls on a $X,XXX.XX guitar can bring out a sweat in a hurry. With the enormous sound chamber (the body of the guitar), the grinding of the abrasive polish being rubbed into the surface of the guitar can sound alarms in your head like you wouldn't believe. You never hear that sound while working on a car because the buffer is too loud. You can't really hear it on a solid body guitar either. Not so on an acoustic. Not for the faint of heart for sure. Be careful and be prepared before you start any of these procedures. Again, ask me how I know.........

 

[Tag]

There definitely exists two schools of thought on this topic. Those who are very particular about there "stuff" and those who view the wear and tear on their equipment as a sort of "badge of honor". I can appreciate both positions for sure. I am definitely a little over the top with my stuff. When I have sold guitars to others, they are shocked at how perfect they are when they open the box. That's just me. I would be the guy who receives a Fender Strat finished with their "Relic" look as a gift and immediately run out to the shop with a plan to fix it.

As a Gibson Les Paul owner, I never understood the "VOS" thing where Gibson tries to make the guitar look old. For those who can appreciate the rarity of a genuine 1959 Burst, they aren't going to be fooled by some guy on stage playing a look-alike clone. And for those who don't know any different, well they won't be impressed either way. I ordered a 1957 Gibson Goldtop Darkback Reissue a handful of years ago finished in "Gloss". At the guitar shop, they thought I was nuts because "everyone orders from the Gibson Custom Shop in VOS" to which I responded "Not me!". Then they saw it when it arrived and I opened the case. The guys at the shop almost soiled themselves because it looked so gorgeous. I sold it a couple of years ago and the guy was stunned at how beautiful it was when he got it.

As PRS owners, we know all about beautiful guitars. It's the only thing Paul puts out and I like that about him. No fake Relic or VOS finishes. Just gorgeous guitars all the time. Awesome!

I will tell you when it comes to fender relices and heavy relics, I would prefer a NOS look or even brand new, but whatever it is they do to the relics, they flat out sound MUCH better than the NOS or closet classics for some reason. Do they finish them thinner, or is the finish actually sanded off? Its hard for me to tell on mine, but they sound fantastic. I am with you on the PRSs though. They look and sound great as is. No need to go messing with the perfectness of them. I have bought and sold a lot of guitars, and many of them have been dead mint when I sold them, but its because I never played them hard or practiced hard with them. My #1 guitars that I have for any length of time are going to take hits, no matter how careful I am. When I am playing, I am just to into the music to be thinking of where my guitar is on me at the moment, and when I am practicing hard, I am back and forth and back and forth with the slowdowner or CD player, and the guitar is in my hands. It just bangs into things. I wish I could stop it, but for me, its impossible.

 

[Duffy]

I will tell you when it comes to fender relices and heavy relics, I would prefer a NOS look or even brand new, but whatever it is they do to the relics, they flat out sound MUCH better than the NOS or closet classics for some reason. Do they finish them thinner, or is the finish actually sanded off? Its hard for me to tell on mine, but they sound fantastic. I am with you on the PRSs though. They look and sound great as is. No need to go messing with the perfectness of them. I have bought and sold a lot of guitars, and many of them have been dead mint when I sold them, but its because I never played them hard or practiced hard with them. My #1 guitars that I have for any length of time are going to take hits, no matter how careful I am. When I am playing, I am just to into the music to be thinking of where my guitar is on me at the moment, and when I am practicing hard, I am back and forth and back and forth with the slowdowner or CD player, and the guitar is in my hands. It just bangs into things. I wish I could stop it, but for me, its impossible.

From your point of view, keeping a certain finish on your guitars is a very perspectival orientation. You have strong feelings about these aspects and have a highly developed body of expertise when it comes to maintaining perfect finishes. This is obviously, cool, and we as individuals can do whatever we want with out stuff, regardless of the opinion of others. I can respect your standpoint.

I, personally, do not buy my guitars for the "next guy". The anticipated perspective of the next guy is something that is a waste of my time. I will admit that I take special care to keep certain really nice guitars in as best condition as possible - however with this I am not perfect. I would dig knowing where to get some great easy to use products to spray on and polish off a lot of minor swirl marks, scratches, etc. I would like to find a product that produces a high gloss finish.

Your input here to this forum is a very good thing. Learning about a lot of these things is very useful and potentially valuable. Just looking at a really beautifully polished up guitar is very gratifying.

I'm also not into the intentionally relic'd up look applied to many guitars; it often times looks so generic and fake, time seems to take its toll, and your processes are evidently designed to stabilize the guitars very well.

It seems that you could apply your guitar preservation skills to the level of semi-professional museology. There are probably those out there that could definitely use your skills to preserve very special guitars that they have in their collections.

 

[Tag]

From your point of view, keeping a certain finish on your guitars is a very perspectival orientation. You have strong feelings about these aspects and have a highly developed body of expertise when it comes to maintaining perfect finishes. This is obviously, cool, and we as individuals can do whatever we want with out stuff, regardless of the opinion of others. I can respect your standpoint.

I, personally, do not buy my guitars for the "next guy". The anticipated perspective of the next guy is something that is a waste of my time. I will admit that I take special care to keep certain really nice guitars in as best condition as possible - however with this I am not perfect. I would dig knowing where to get some great easy to use products to spray on and polish off a lot of minor swirl marks, scratches, etc. I would like to find a product that produces a high gloss finish.

Your input here to this forum is a very good thing. Learning about a lot of these things is very useful and potentially valuable. Just looking at a really beautifully polished up guitar is very gratifying.

I'm also not into the intentionally relic'd up look applied to many guitars; it often times looks so generic and fake, time seems to take its toll, and your processes are evidently designed to stabilize the guitars very well.

It seems that you could apply your guitar preservation skills to the level of semi-professional museology. There are probably those out there that could definitely use your skills to preserve very special guitars that they have in their collections.

I think you meant to quote someone else. I am pretty much in agreement with everything you said above, and I know nothing about polishing or preserving guitars. :redface: