The Steel Guitar Forum

can anyone tell me whats the best polish to use on a maple laqure guitar???????????????
thought i would throw it out there in cyber space!

thanks
gary

deleted

3M PerfectIt II or Promethius compound. You can buy it at automotive paint supply shops.

I always liked Maguires #9 which is a cleaner and polish.

You need something that will cut. ( Cutting compound ). A lacquer finish is very hard. Miguires #9 is a good product but it is a swirl remover which should be used after a cutting compound with a grey foam pad. I really like the Promethius compound and swirl remover. It is very expensive but it saves so much time. Good luck!

David Wright introduced me to a product called Auto
Magic BC-1. It is a clear coat cleaner and it works great. I have used it ever since he told me about it.
For what it is worth.

GHS Guitar Polish unless you need to take out scratches is very good.
Jerry

maguires

Jax Wax is the best I have ever found,,looks like a mirror finish with little effort & last forever. Not cheap, but its the best
http://www.jegs.com/i/Jax-Wax/552/BWCAN ... oreDetails

Cutting compound!!!! A swirl remover or cleaner will not cut like a cutting compound. I do paintwork professionally for a living. Check out my website. www.fullblownpaint.com

I'd be a little nervous using a cutting compound on some of the older finishes I've cleaned up nicely with the #9. Maybe that's all it needs to restore the luster.

YMMV

They have a white fine paste used to buff out lacquer finishes. Works great!

Well, I know what works for me. And what is time effective. Just remember if you go to cranking on that finish with a swirl remover like the Meguiers 9 and a buffer you have more of a chance of heating that finish up while working to remove the scratches. Which could be very damaging to your topcoat. With a cutting compound, you won't have to buff as much which means less heat from the buffing pad. Less buffing = less heat. Cheers!!!

Joel Cangiolosi wrote:Well, I know what works for me. ...if you go to cranking on that finish with a swirl remover and a buffer... which could be very damaging to your topcoat.

But you're the only one suggesting a "buffer".

That's right! The original post stated a polish. So yes the logical scenario is using a polish( a.k.a compound) to bring back a dull finish and remove surface scratches. If the original post would have stated a wax i would've never mentioned a buffer. I like to wax by hand. Again, my own personal preference.

Gary,
I agree with Joel. I do have three precautions when using a buffer. Keep the buffer moveing to new areas to avoid heat and melting through, buff away from edges and be very careful of edges. Edges are real easy to buff through. Wet sanding first will also give you a much shinier surface. Get some books and do a little study. It will save you a lot of frustration. Ron

And I agree with Ron. If you wetsand be careful not to use much water. I myself use wax&grease remover to wetsand on instruments because it evaporates quickly and won't penetrate into wooden instruments. Also use 2000 grit wet/ dry sand paper. 1500 if there are some deeper scratches. And if you are sanding a flat surface wrap the sandpaper around a paint stick. By using the paint stick as a sanding block you will prevent making waves or finger grooves on your surface. If you are sanding rounded areas use a soft block. Also, if you have an orbital sander you can follow up the wetsanding with a Trizact 3000 grit pad. Run it low with the orbital with water or preferably wax&grease remover as well. The trizact pad will prebuff your surface and reduce your actual buff time. And will reduce the amount of heat on your surface. Last keynote, when Im buffing I always keep a squirt bottle with water and a few drops of liquid soap to lightly mist the surface periodically while buffing to again reduce heat and also keep your compound from building up on the buffing pad. And always use a microfiber towel to wipe down the surfaces. It will not add scratch like regular bath towels and such.

And for a regular wipedown polish/wax I highly recommend 3M 06005. Use a microfiber towel to apply it. Let it dry, then use another clean microfiber towel to wipe it off. Your surface will feel like butter. I use this stuff on all my painted vehicles at the car shows. The judges love it. I call this stuff my secret weapon!!! Below is the link on where to buy it.

http://www.tcpglobal.com/detailsupplyde ... o=MMM+6005

If there are swirls or light scratching, or just atmospheric gunk like smoke residue, I've been using Meguiare's Swirl Remover 2.o, BY HAND. It doesn't damage the patina at all. Finish up with their Showcar Glaze. This old Perm body was really funky!

This is the stuff for hand-polishing lacquer:
http://www.novuspolish.com/fine_scratch_remover.html
We use it for final polishing to give a mirror-gloss surface on new lacquer finishes and also for removing oxidation and organic sludge from vintage instruments.
It's really gentle and easy to use. You can use it in conjunction with a fine buffing wheel or a foam polishing head or simply by hand with a folded paper towel, old t-shirt or fine fabric polishing cloth - depending on whether you're cleaning or final polishing. Just don't leave it to dry on the lacquer...it'll cause more work for you if you don't wipe it off completely.

Also...DON'T use wax products...lacquer is a complete and impervious finish and doesn't need any extra layers of "protection". If you use products that leave a residue (all furniture polishes and a lot of "guitar polish" products do) it'll just build up and attract dirt and moisture, grunge up the finish and eventually compromise the lacquer itself.

I should also mention that the "lacquer" on modern pedal steels is not usually the same as the nitrocellulose lacquer used on vintage instruments. If your instrument is of a relatively recent vintage, it's probably an acrylic or poly type finish that's tougher and less likely to be affected badly by anything you use on it.