Polish cloths

[CoreyT]

I have three of the yellow Gibson 100% cotton polish cloths I use on my SG and PRS SE Santana.
I have read that using a microfiber one is not the best, as it can scratch a nitro finish, and I prefer not to use the microfiber on my SE Santana too.

Amazon no longer has the Gibson cloths under a Prime Membership, but I found a 100% cotton Planet Waves one.
Planet Waves Untreated Polish Cloth

I had bought their microfiber one shortly before my SG came in spring of this year, but have not used it after reading up on it that it was not good for a nitro finish.

Ordering several of these to try out since they are all cotton.
I like to keep one in each case, so when I get done playing, I wipe the guitar down before I put it away.
I also clean the strings each time with one of these after playing too, and I keep one in each case as well.
The String Cleaner by ToneGear

 

[László]

Good microfiber cloths don't scratch nitro. Cotton actually will, In fact, rub cotton hard on some new clear plastic, like a CD case. Then try it with a soft microfiber like the ones below. The cotton will haze the finish first.

I highly recommend these:

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/micro+fiber+speed+shine+cloths+set+of+3.do?sortby=ourPicks

I used them on my nitro finished Tonare for a year, and the finish looked brand new, not so much as a swirl mark.

 

[CoreyT]

I actually have the Griots blue ones for use with the Speed Shine, and their green ones for interior cleaning.
Big Griots user here for many years.

But everywhere I have read, and especially on the Gibson forum, they say to stay away from the microfiber for guitars.

 

[László]

I actually have the Griots blue ones for use with the Speed Shine, and their green ones for interior cleaning.
Big Griots user here for many years.

But everywhere I have read, and especially on the Gibson forum, they say to stay away from the microfiber for guitars.

And this is info sourced from where? Not sure these forums are great sources of info, but...then again I'm giving this advice on one. Feel free to ignore it!

In any event, I NEVER wipe down a guitar with a bone dry cloth first. Any finish needs a surfactant to reduce surface tension so that particles that might scratch the finish are removed safely, then dry with the dry cloth once these particles are removed.

Water is a safe surfactant, but the cloth should be damp, not dripping wet.

I use them this way: I dampen a blue Griot cloth, and lightly wipe down an area of the guitar with it, and then dry that area immediately with a fresh dry one. Then move to the next area.

I don't rub hard. The cloths are plenty absorbent and the fibers are long enough that no pressure is necessary. In fact, not having to use pressure helps prevent swirl marks.

I've used this with all my PRSes, including nitro finished ones, and my guitars are swirl free. Sometimes I use a little PRS cleaner (not the polish) with the same technique. Spray a little on one cloth, then dry with the other.

I also used this stuff on a Custom Shop 335, and a Collings SJ, both nitro, zero problems. Still, if you're unsure, by all means stick with cotton! Cotton's the best non-microfiber alternative, though I'd dry with a chamois instead.

But try my experiment with the CD case, using cotton, and then your blue microfiber. You might be surprised. Remember, nitro is a plastic finishing material, as are poly and the newer stuff.

Final note: After repeated washings, even the blue cloths Griot sells can get less soft. So after a while, I use a new one for the drying.

 

[Blackbird]

The cotton ones will work great. Rubbing cotton 'hard against a CD case' is different than gently polishing a guitar. You can even use white cotton tshirts without issues. Use one with polish/cleaner, then once dry, use another dry cotton cloth or tshirt to finish up.
Sourced from experience.

 

[László]

The cotton ones will work great. Rubbing cotton 'hard against a CD case' is different than gently polishing a guitar. You can even use white cotton tshirts without issues. Use one with polish/cleaner, then once dry, use another dry cotton cloth or tshirt to finish up.
Sourced from experience.

I used cotton for many years. And microfiber for years. Use what works for you.

The point of the CD case test is to show what fabrics are capable of scratching, and which will do less damage, even with hard rubbing. It's obvious that both fabrics will do still less damage with a gentle rub.

If a fabric doesn't scratch rubbed hard, that tells one something. That's the point.

 

[CoreyT]

Thanks guy's, good advice both ways.
I know Gibson ships their pump spray for their Nitro finish with the yellow cotton cloths.
I used a smooth all cotton shop rag to apply the polish in the thread below, and Gibson's yellow one to buff it out.

I may dry dusting the guitar lightly with the Gibson pump spray then when wiping it down after playing, but my guitars rarely have any surface dust/dirt on them since they are cased most of the time, and I gently wipe them down with a dry rag after playing each time.

http://prsguitars.com/forum/showthread.php?1230-Virtuoso-Polish-Time

 

[dmatthews]

Why does it have to be Polish?
Some of the best cloths made are from the U.S.A. as well as Canada! I'm sure Polish cloths are good and all, but really?

 

[JMintzer]

Why does it have to be Polish?
Some of the best cloths made are from the U.S.A. as well as Canada! I'm sure Polish cloths are good and all, but really?

I was waiting for a reply like this...

 

[CoreyT]

He he he...

 

[dmatthews]

I was waiting for a reply like this...

He he he...

Uh oh... Did I say something wrong?
I wasn't trying to say anything bad about Poland. Hey... one of my fav people on this planet is Polish (Art forgive me).