Polishing a guitar?

[beggar_guitar]

I was restringing my Fender and decided to give her a good polish. I ran to the closest store and picked up a Fender guitar care kit. I know that there is probably a brand you guys would reccomend over this one, and I may check into that later, but for now this is what I am using.

How much polish should I apply? Should I put it directly on the guitar or on the polish cloth?

Also the neck is maple. Should I just take a DRY polish cloth to it? What is a good fret board conditioner you would reccomend?

For my Dean with a Rosewood neck what would I do differently?

How often should I do this?

 

[big_black]

Re: Polishing a guitar?

LOL...I use Windex on my Fender. It seems like a waste to use polish in a plastic finish. I reserve guitar polishes for my two lacquered guitars.

The Gibson polish I use goes straight on the guitar, it's hardware-safe.

 

[firebirdV]

Re: Polishing a guitar?

I like some stuff called Trick, it's the middle one.

http://www.trickdrums.com/products/polish.html

 

[firebirdV]

Re: Polishing a guitar?

You should follow the directions on the back of the bottle. I don't polish too often because it seems like a waisted effort.

 

[Lu_B]

Re: Polishing a guitar?

I use car wax - Merl as recommened by my tech. but not on rosewood necks though!

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Polishing a guitar?

A great book to consider picking up, if you don't already have it -- and you don't, if you're asking this question -- is "Guitar Player Repair Guide" by Dan Erlewine. It's jam-packed with useful information you're bound to need sooner or later, including the ins and outs of cleaning and polishing your guitar.

An important distinction to make here is that between "cleaning" and "polishing." The former is what you do to release grease, grime and dirt from your guitar's finish; the latter is what you do to an already clean guitar to give it a nice sheen.

Some cleaners and polishes Dan suggests in the book include naphtha (lighter fluid), swirl-mark remover, liquid polish, and warm water. Each has its place depending on your guitar's finish, and each has its own rules of application (i.e., how and where to apply it, how much to use, how to remove excess, etc.).

A good place to start is with a clean, soft rag such as an old cotton t-shirt. You may find that's all you need to get your guitar clean. Then you can apply the polish you bought by following the manufacturer's instructions on the bottle.

- Keith