Protecting satin/nitro finish

[sfos83]

Hi All, I've got a gorgeous satin finish CE24 which, as you may know, is extremely susceptible to chips and scratches. Someone mentioned I can use carnauba (car) wax to protect it - anyone tried this?

Thanks!
Steve

 

[Tone-y]

Best way of protecting a satin finish (nitro?) Is to not play it.
Even without picking up scratches and dents (which I don't think per se satin is more susceptable to) it doesn't take much playing for satin areas to before gloss areas. I've just embraced the natural relicing and allowing mine to wear and pick up dents and 'features' naturally. Even if the body held up perfectly my nickel pickup covers and bridge have dulled and the finish has started to wear off so it's relicing anyway

 

[theDeepender]

Best way of protecting a satin finish (nitro?) Is to not play it.
Even without picking up scratches and dents (which I don't think per se satin is more susceptable to) it doesn't take much playing for satin areas to before gloss areas. I've just embraced the natural relicing and allowing mine to wear and pick up dents and 'features' naturally. Even if the body held up perfectly my nickel pickup covers and bridge have dulled and the finish has started to wear off so it's relicing anyway

And that’s honest relicing.
Most “relicing” jobs I’ve seen make me shudder.
There needs to be a law against guitar abuse.

 

[Broseph]

Use music nomad guitar detailer. Safe for matte/satin finishes.

 

[SinSir]

I'm a car wax on guitar guy myself. I started using all sorts of car products and techniques from when I had an auto restoration business. It'll help protect it. I've done it, and you'll also lose the satin sheen to more of semi gloss or abouts. I dig the way it looks but it's not satin.

 

[theDeepender]

Hi All, I've got a gorgeous satin finish CE24 which, as you may know, is extremely susceptible to chips and scratches. Someone mentioned I can use carnauba (car) wax to protect it - anyone tried this?

Thanks!
Steve

I’m told I’m dead wrong on this, but…
I bought a ‘69 Gibson hollow body in ‘72. The only polish I ever used on it (except for one time my son used furniture wax and I had to buff out the cloudy results) was Dunlop Formula 65. That guitar, like most from that era, had a nitro finish. I wouldn’t call it satin. It had some shine to it. Anyway, when I traded it in 44 years later. The dealers eyes about popped out of his head. Excluding regular usage marks, the cherry sunburst finish looked like new.
Now I’m told that using Formula 65 makes finish repairs nearly impossible. But that was never a consideration for me. I kinda like when they look used. (After dying when that first mark gets on it and then getting over it)

 

[László]

Hi All, I've got a gorgeous satin finish CE24 which, as you may know, is extremely susceptible to chips and scratches. Someone mentioned I can use carnauba (car) wax to protect it - anyone tried this?

Thanks!
Steve

Carnauba wax is so hard that they mix in petrochemicals to soften it. It's received by the wax companies in hard pellets. Then they mix in the petrochemicals.

Car people love it because they run their cars in bad weather, and road grit is a lot harder on a finish than anything you will EVER encounter with your guitar.

But that doesn't mean it's right for a guitar. There is no magic to Carnauba wax as far as the durability of a guitar's painted finish is concerned, and it has a drawback: it yellows the finish. This is also well known to car people. It won't stop dings, dents, or make the paint any harder. It might make the surface a tiny bit less susceptible to sweat, but it doesn't make it harder. And remember the bit about yellowing.

You probably don't play your guitar outdoors on dirt roads in snowstorms, therefore, the whole carnauba thing is irrelevant for most purposes.

There are car polishes that work on a poly finish, and some of the Meguiar's polishes do well. I wouldn't use any of them on nitro.

 

[sfos83]

Best way of protecting a satin finish (nitro?) Is to not play it.
Even without picking up scratches and dents (which I don't think per se satin is more susceptable to) it doesn't take much playing for satin areas to before gloss areas. I've just embraced the natural relicing and allowing mine to wear and pick up dents and 'features' naturally. Even if the body held up perfectly my nickel pickup covers and bridge have dulled and the finish has started to wear off so it's relicing anyway

Wow, such a great range of responses! Thanks all

I find the satin finish chips at the slightest provocation - I once chipped a little chunk off the finish just brushing it on the zipper of the guitar bag! However, fool me once for buying a satin finish, I guess. The natural relic process will happen, and it will be beaten to hell even from bedroom playing. Bit of character I guess

Pro tip: When the frets become corroded (as happened with my Custom 24 with shocking regularity, even while stored in its case) I used Blue Magic metal polish. I'd remove the strings, tape the frets with 3M blue painting tape, and polish away. I used a soft-headed electric toothbrush head to remove the dried residue from the nooks and crannies, and re-string (and repeat every couple of months, ugh). Laborious process but a labour of love - I ended up selling it as it became too painful.

Thanks again!

Steve

 

[Sybo]

I gotta Pipe in. I have an S2 Standard I play every day, toss it in the car, after two years there is nothing but shiny areas where there is play contact. Not a mark, no peeling, no nothing but Satin Heaven. I have never done one thing but wipe her down. She has been re-pupped, different scratch plate, wiring, not a mark. mine has been robust even above my expectations. I must have one of the magical ones that isn’t fragile.I like Satin better than high gloss personally…

https://imgur.com/a/ADyLboc