Maintenance of Nitro Finish Guitars?

NiceNBreezy

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May 13, 2023
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The guitar (Silver Sky) is starting to build grime so Im looking to wipe it off, I got one of those music nomad guitar polish which is advertised as safe for nitro finish guitars
I am using microfiber cloth for it as well (I wear glasses so I have quite a bit in the house).

So far, I applied the polish on just a small area of the guitar cause I fear it might do something unintended so I wanna test it out first

What do you guys use to clean your nitro finished guitars? Anyone actually tried music nomad products for their guitars?
 
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For safety‘s sake on my ‘21 WL DGT I use the newer nitro safe PRS cleaner and polish.. not the older stuff they used to sell . (That was for their poly finishes). Do not use that on nitro. read a few horror stories..the older polish works great on my 3 poly PRS’s
 
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Nitro is horrible and PRS should put an end to that experiment already. There is no need to use that awful gunk.

Probably doesn’t matter what polish you use, the nitro finish will ruin itself anyway. It’s stupid stuff.

Poly all the way, baby!

But to answer your question, I am loving all Nomad products right now and have a ton of their items. I don’t remember if I’ve put their polish on any of my nitro Gibsons, but I do use their polishing cloth for sure. I haven’t actually had problems with any polishes, and I actually polish my guitars quite a lot. The PRS polishing and cleaning products have been excellent, too.
 
I've had no issues whatsoever with these products and have had excellent results with both poly and nitro finished PRS guitars.

For polishing, I use this...
91uQ7YThvAL._AC_SL1500_.jpg


Then after that, I use this to clean up the residual compound and bring a bit more shine....
51SUP-6sWqL._AC_SL1000_.jpg


I haven't experienced any adverse effects at all in the years I've been using them. Of course, everything should be used in moderation and with a light touch.
 
I have used Gibson guitar polish for decades. It works on all finishes and actually has some nitro in it. I use it on every guitar finish I have ever owned.
 
The guitar (Silver Sky) is starting to build grime so Im looking to wipe it off, I got one of those music nomad guitar polish which is advertised as safe for nitro finish guitars
I am using microfiber cloth for it as well (I wear glasses so I have quite a bit in the house).

So far, I applied the polish on just a small area of the guitar cause I fear it might do something unintended so I wanna test it out first

What do you guys use to clean your nitro finished guitars? Anyone actually tried music nomad products for their guitars?
Polishes aren't used for cleaning, they're for removing swirl marks and scratches in the paint. Think sandpaper without the paper but suspended in a liquid. You don't need sandpaper to clean a guitar.

All polishes remove finish. Abrasives are what makes them work. The abrasive breaks down as you rub, gets finer and finer, and eventually you can only see the scratches the abrasives the polish creates with a microscope. So the finish appears shiny.

When I need to use polish - which is very rarely - I use Virtuoso with my guitars, and they're all nitro. I've found the abrasives are finer than others that use larger particles, and they don't cloud a finish like many other polishes.

But I polish only if they're showing a swirl mark or something.

For shining up the guitar, I use the PRS Guitar Cleaner - no abrasives, and they use it at the factory before sending a guitar out - on a soft microfiber cloth like these from Griot's Garage for cleaning, after first wiping the guitar down to remove surface dirt with a different, slightly damp, microfiber cloth.


Been using them on my PRSes for at least 15 years, and never a swirl mark. The plush surface doesn't grind dirt into the paint, the fibers absorb it instead. The fibers are incredibly soft and absorbent.

The cloths are made for lacquered show car polishing. I also use them when I do use a polish.

I don't use the flat, glasses-cleaner cleaning cloths. They're fine for coated eyeglasses, but given the stuff that gets on guitars, I think they'll just push the dirt around and grind it in.

Am I too OCD about this? You bet! ;)
 
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Polishes aren't used for cleaning, they're for removing swirl marks and scratches in the paint. Think sandpaper without the paper but suspended in a liquid. You don't need sandpaper to clean a guitar.

All polishes remove finish. Abrasives are what makes them work. The abrasive breaks down as you rub, gets finer and finer, and eventually you can only see the scratches the abrasives the polish creates with a microscope. So the finish appears shiny.

When I need to use polish - which is very rarely - I use Virtuoso with my guitars, and they're all nitro. I've found the abrasives are finer than others that use larger particles, and they don't cloud a finish like many other polishes.

But I polish only if they're showing a swirl mark or something.

For shining up the guitar, I use the PRS Guitar Cleaner - no abrasives, and they use it at the factory before sending a guitar out - on a soft microfiber cloth like these from Griot's Garage for cleaning, after first wiping the guitar down to remove surface dirt with a different, slightly damp, microfiber cloth.


Been using them on my PRSes for at least 15 years, and never a swirl mark. The plush surface doesn't grind dirt into the paint, the fibers absorb it instead. The fibers are incredibly soft and absorbent.

The cloths are made for lacquered show car polishing. I also use them when I do use a polish.

I don't use the flat, glasses-cleaner cleaning cloths. They're fine for coated eyeglasses, but given the stuff that gets on guitars, I think they'll just push the dirt around and grind it in.

Am I too OCD about this? You bet! ;)

THIS!

I used the PRS polish on my used Yamaha acoustic. I wasn’t thrilled with the process or the result. The PRS cleaner and the fretboard conditioner are great.
 
THIS!

I used the PRS polish on my used Yamaha acoustic. I wasn’t thrilled with the process or the result. The PRS cleaner and the fretboard conditioner are great.
At some point I'd like to try the new tung oil sealer, too, but don't need to on my guitars at the moment.
 
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