Hi everyone! I just bought a beutiful PRS SE custom and i learning a few things about maintence. One of the things i read everywhere is that you need to clean the body and neck after every use. Well....i did that and suddenly a lot of mini scratches (swirls) apeard all across the body (specially in the back). I only use microfibre for cleaning. What can i do to avoid more and more scratches after every clean?
It is a polyurethane finish guitar.
Thank you!
There are a lot of myths about finishes. Mine stay mirror-like, no swirl marks, even my 10 year old guitars. I've got some suggestions I've picked up over many years.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If the guitar isn't dirty, don't clean it too often. As the doctors say, 'Do no harm'. Clean when it needs it. All friction will eventually micro-abrade the finish. The neck yes, clean it, besides, very few people see swirl marks on a neck, and your hands are probably more abrasive than microfiber.
You didn't say if when you use the microfiber for cleaning you also use a surfactant; water is a good one, and so is the PRS cleaner that has no abrasives. In any case, a surfactant simply reduces friction as the cloth wipes down the surface for cleaning.
Polish, on the other hand,
always has abrasives, that's what a polish
IS. More on this below, but the suggestion I have is only use abrasives when you need to remove finish, as with scratches or noticeable swirls.
A slightly damp microfiber cloth, followed by a clean, dry soft one is better than just a dry cloth, because you won't be rubbing dust and lint into the finish. BUT there is a substantial difference between microfiber cloths, because some have more coarse fibers than others. Note that even an old cotton T shirt will do more damage to a finish than good microfiber, because cotton fibers are much coarser. Also, only use a like-new, clean, plush microfiber cloth. If you've used it on your car, or around the house, it's picked up plenty of grit that doesn't always come out by washing.
Dust particles are just going to be pushed around by any cloth and they abrade. The surfactant helps with this. So does keeping the guitar in its case or bag when not in use. The air in a house usually contains microscopic but sticky oils and debris suspended in the air. It settles on anything left out. Sticky + dust = grime.
Think about why you need windex or similar to clean glass in your house, instead of just a dust cloth. What you're seeing is the effect of the oils and dust combining and settling on surfaces, that require a grease-cutter to remove it.
You're going to have that much more dust to push around on the surface of the instrument, and the pots get gooey and clogged with dust, creating noise.
Lots of people say, 'Nothing happened to my guitars and I hang them'. We all have different standards. My wife will tell you I'm way, way crazy about all this. We're all different. Do what makes you enjoy the instrument, just be aware that there are compromises.
Anyway, for cleaning or polishing I use, and highly recommend the microfiber cloths that Griot's Garage sells. They use very fine fibers, are edgeless so nylon thread doesn't touch the guitar.
https://www.griotsgarage.com/microfiber-plush-edgeless-towels-set-of-6/
Washing microfiber with clothing and rags causes them to pick up dirt and lint from other materials. So I launder the guitar cloths separately, and when they use their softness after too many washes they go into the pile of stuff I use on my car.
The idea is, the finer the fibers, the better, because they're less likely to abrade the finish. Also, the flat microfiber cloths like the ones used for glasses and computer screens aren't great for soft paint finishes, they aren't thick enough to trap dust particles, so they push them around the surface, and the fibers are stiffer due to the weave. Use the plush stuff.
Obviously, moving the guitar around while you play will pick up button swirls, etc., but even cotton will eventually swirl mark the finish. Not much you can do except try to be careful when you're playing. There's only so paranoid you can become without preventing yourself from playing.
With polishes, the finer the polish the better. Polishes work as the abrasive polish breaks down when it's rubbed against the finish, but the particles will only get so small. What a polish does is remove the finish to reveal the lower, unscratched layer. This is why there are different grades of polish; the particles break down to different sizes so that more or less finish is removed.
I only use polish when it's necessary - swirling or scratching (well, swirls are just fine scratches). Other than that, avoid polish. All it does is create problems unless it's truly needed. The best one I've found is Virtuoso's fine polish. Meguair's polishes are also good, provided you have enough info to choose the right grit. Their #7 polish (if my memory is good) was my go-to until I discovered Virtuoso.
I'm not a fan of the Dunlop or other guitar makers' polishes. I haven't had great luck with them. Others might. Again, we all have different techniques.
Virtuoso also make a heavier polish for heavy scratches and swirls that you use before following up with the fine polish. I haven't needed it, but it's a good company, and I'd try it if I needed something heavier.
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