Recommended Guitar Polish for Satin Finish?

Started by count savage, December 22, 2008, 07:11:21 PM

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What do you recommend using to polish a satin finish?  I have a D-03R.
Larrivee D50 w/Fishman Matrix
Guild D 50 w/D-Tar Wavelength
Gibson J 50 (1967)
Recording King RD-06-12
Silver Creek T 160
Epiphone Firebird (2009)
Vox Phantom XII electric 12-string (1968)
Fender Squier bass (1998)

If you are asking about glossing a satin finish, there is a thread on this in the Technical discussions/Technical FAQS section of the Forum.

If you are just wanting to clean and maintain your satin finish, try a simple damp rag, and possibly a mocrofiber cleaning cloth. Minimize the use of chemicals on the finish, better for guitar, better for you -

Tad
Bunch of Larrivees - all good -
and a wife that still puts up with me, which is the best -

I did not find the discussion in the technical section. I want to give it some oil and gloss a la Martin's guitar polish? This won't hurt it, will it?
Larrivee D50 w/Fishman Matrix
Guild D 50 w/D-Tar Wavelength
Gibson J 50 (1967)
Recording King RD-06-12
Silver Creek T 160
Epiphone Firebird (2009)
Vox Phantom XII electric 12-string (1968)
Fender Squier bass (1998)

Bunch of Larrivees - all good -
and a wife that still puts up with me, which is the best -

Thanks for the link. No, I don't want to approximate a laquered-ed finish. I just want to 'shine up' the satin finish. Maybe this is just cleaning it with a damp cloth.  Just wondered what people were doing, if anything, with their satin finishes.
Larrivee D50 w/Fishman Matrix
Guild D 50 w/D-Tar Wavelength
Gibson J 50 (1967)
Recording King RD-06-12
Silver Creek T 160
Epiphone Firebird (2009)
Vox Phantom XII electric 12-string (1968)
Fender Squier bass (1998)

Wipe them down every time you play and often in the summer when it's hot. I wear a long sleeve cotton shirt or drape a cloth over the lower bout (Two tips from Mr. Holler).

Also, use a warm damp cloth every couple of weeks and stay away from the Cheetos and wings while you are playing. I also use cotton diapers for cleaning my guitars.

Thanks for taking the question seriously, teh.  Your suggestions are extremely useful. I did some searching at the websites of other guitar makers and the gist is, what you said, though you said it better. Wipe them down with clean moist cloths. Don't get them stained from daily life stuff.  I had used Martin guitar polish on my Martin satin and it didn't hurt it, but it didn't seem to do it much good, either.
Larrivee D50 w/Fishman Matrix
Guild D 50 w/D-Tar Wavelength
Gibson J 50 (1967)
Recording King RD-06-12
Silver Creek T 160
Epiphone Firebird (2009)
Vox Phantom XII electric 12-string (1968)
Fender Squier bass (1998)

   Tad hit everything except I would add if it does need a little cleaning from pizza grease etc. use a little Murphy's oil soap diluted in H20. Wet a soft cotton cloth and wring it out well to only allow a little cleaner to be on the surface.
   Seems to work well for me. I cleaned a very grimy Lakewood satin dread recently that way and it worked very well.

Quote from: teh on December 23, 2008, 09:00:53 PM
Wipe them down every time you play and often in the summer when it's hot. I wear a long sleeve cotton shirt or drape a cloth over the lower bout (Two tips from Mr. Holler).

Also, use a warm damp cloth every couple of weeks and stay away from the Cheetos and wings while you are playing. I also use cotton diapers for cleaning my guitars.

Clean ones, I assume.
D-03RE
D-03-12
00-50 TSB
OM-02

...and several other guitars.  Former Larrivees: P-01, OM-03R SH (Twelfth Fret special edition), P-01 Chris Hadfield special edition

The guitar shop here in Hilo recommends stuff called Lizard Spit.  That is the name of the brand, and Ken says that it really is a nice non problem polish for guitars.  Has anyone used it?  Thanks.

Ya know,this was something I asked the very knowledgeable Stan Jay,of Mandolin Bros,last week.I'd bought two guitars from him,but told him I owned a Larrive with a satin finish.I also did not want to gloss,but polish/clean on occassion,and I am careful about pirspiration too.I do what Teh does,regarding protecting with a cotton cloth.Yet,my wife thinks I'm a bit nuts :doh

  Anyway,Stan recomended the Gibson polish over the Martin polish,and claims that is what they use at mandolin Bros for all of the instruments.They happen to have a few nice gits there,btw.  :winkin:

  He gave me two bottles/pumps and it does mention on the label that it is totally safe for "all" guitar finishes.Just my own take on the issue.

  Good luck

Quote from: magictwanger on December 27, 2008, 01:39:28 AM
Ya know,this was something I asked the very knowledgeable Stan Jay,of Mandolin Bros,last week.I'd bought two guitars from him,but told him I owned a Larrive with a satin finish.I also did not want to gloss,but polish/clean on occassion,and I am careful about pirspiration too.I do what Teh does,regarding protecting with a cotton cloth.Yet,my wife thinks I'm a bit nuts :doh
 
  Anyway,Stan recomended the Gibson polish over the Martin polish,and claims that is what they use at mandolin Bros for all of the instruments.They happen to have a few nice gits there,btw.  :winkin:

  He gave me two bottles/pumps and it does mention on the label that it is totally safe for "all" guitar finishes.Just my own take on the issue.

  Good luck

                                 I used some that had a Mcguires logo on the label. Is that what this is?

I have used the Gibson polish on my D03r. It works great.iii
Larrivee DV 03RE
Webber Roundbody EIR/Engelmann

I see no Mguires logo,or labeling on the two bottles Mandolin Bros gave me.The plastic bottle/pump spray is orange and black in color,and says "safe for all finishes,and Earth friendly"....What could be bad?....It was also recommended by Stan Jay(owner of Mandolin Bros,who happens to sell a ton of Martins).If he claims to use it in the shop,and recommended it for "all" of my guitars,including my Satin Larri,I'm down with that as Gospel.The guy knows a few things!

  Good luck

Quote from: magictwanger on December 27, 2008, 05:58:49 PM
I see no Mguires logo,or labeling on the two bottles Mandolin Bros gave me.The plastic bottle/pump spray is orange and black in color,and says "safe for all finishes,and Earth friendly"....What could be bad?....It was also recommended by Stan Jay(owner of Mandolin Bros,who happens to sell a ton of Martins).If he claims to use it in the shop,and recommended it for "all" of my guitars,including my Satin Larri,I'm down with that as Gospel.The guy knows a few things!

  Good luck
I was just curious, because I had some with a very small logo on it and it was good stuff. But it ran out and I haven't seen any more.

Polish by definition is used to make smooth and glossy. If you want to clean a satin finish use a rag damp with water or naptha. If you want to alter the finish use a polish. If you want to coat it in a soft dampening material use wax.

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