polishing up a satin finish guitar

[Dmoney]

so.
is there a good way, some easy steps, to go about buffing up say... a faded gibson SG finish into a glossy finish?
what polish/tools/method would be needed etc?

cheers!

[Twinfan]

Some sort of car polish and a soft cloth should do the trick?

Best to do it by hand than use tools which may eat through the thin finish...

[AndyR]

I'm occasionally using Briwax on mine (maybe once every 3 or 4 months if I remember or feel like it).

If it is a Gibson faded, make sure you use a darker Briwax. I have two tins of it, the lighter of which which I used to use on bare maple necks. I used this on the SG once and I was left with annoying paler wax residue in the grain. Can't see it from a distance, but it's annoying anyway.

I got a darker tin to finish the Explorer I stripped, and when I used this on the SG it fixed the earlier problems. Coming along nicely now. I wouldn't say it's going to get me to a "glossy" finish, but it is developing a nice glow.(Incidentally, I use the darker one on maple necks as well now...)

And I'd definitely do it by hand - the original colour on mine is already wearing off the back of the neck from just playing it on and off for a year...

[Dmoney]

Cheers for the help guys.

I'll get some pics of the guitar i want to work on put up later (NGD!)

I'm apprehensive about getting stuck in until i'm sure i have a good understanding of what to do, from what to use for what exactly, right down to just how hard i need to rub!

[Philly Q]

T-cut will do the trick, but bear in mind that the matt finishes on things like Gibson Fadeds tend not to be 100% "flat", so it doesn't turn out looking quite like a proper "mirror" gloss finish - more like a slightly rippled pond!

And, like the wax Andy mentioned, the T-cut can leave a bit of residue in the grain if you're unlucky.

[Dmoney]

sounds like I need one product to clean and maybe bring out some colour then another to polish up what gets revealed?

am I heading in the right direction?
I'm worried about getting something that is just too abrasive or something

[Philly Q]

Use T-cut on a cloth first - shouldn't be too hard to get a shine, especially on a nitro finish like an SG, so there's not much danger of rub-throughs unless you're really aggressive.

http://www.carplan.co.uk/index.cfm?category=58

Then use a clean cloth and silicone-free furniture polish to get rid of any residue and really bring out the shine.

That's what I do, anyway.  :)

[Dmoney]

T-cut in my mind, just feels like it would be aggressive, which is the main reason im concerned about using it.

I just found this, which might be a one stop solution as far as cleaning products goes...

http://www.dv247.com/guitars/fender-instrument-care-kit--41213


im gonna have a read through that tcut link.

[Philly Q]

I've used T-cut many times over the years.  Must admit I've had a few rub-throughs, but usually when I was doing some kind of spot repair and over-sanded the surrounding area.  :roll:

It is fairly abrasive, but much gentler than something like Brasso (never used that on a guitar, but it will, for example, take gold plate off hardware quite easily).

That Fender kit might do the trick, never tried it, but it might be a bit too gentle to shine-up a matt finish.

[WezV]

t-cut can be a bit too agressive if you use it too dry.  It will definately be too agressive for a faded if used with a buffing machine - but thats normally an effective way to quickly buff up a finish

but t-cut should be fine for this if you keep it moist:
I use a damp cloth, usually a bit of an old t-shirt wrapped around some wadding  so it fits in the hand nicely (similar to the way french polishers work http://www.wood-finishes-direct.com/img/prods/french-polish-big.jpg.)

i also spritz the surface with a little water first for lubrication - I buff just till it starts to drag which shows the t-cut is drying off and could start to leave bigger scratches.  then i either apply another spritz of water and more t-cut or buff it all off with a cheap yellow duster to remove residue and see how i am getting on

change the buffing rag when needed

T-cut isnt really the best buffing compound but it does work - if you want better look for something like Meguiars, farecla, mezerna.  they tend to do more 'grades', basically split into cutting compound and finishing compound  

http://www.farecla.com/?screenID=125#/125


 

[Dmoney]

thanks for the tips.

do you use the T Cut scratch remover? or the T Cut original?

[WezV]

original - just because i am more used to working with it really...

but i am much preferring the more professional stuff i mentioned recently for the odd guitar i finish myself or need to polish up

[AndyR]

Ummm... Wez/Philly

A Gibson Faded doesn't seem to have any clear coats. What you got seems to be basically the colour coat... do you really want to be using a cutting compound to buff it up?  :?

That was my reasoning, anyway, so I went the wax route instead.

By the way Dmoney - when I use Briwax, I do put it on with 0000 wire wool, but LOADS more gently than if I was doing a piece of furniture. In fact, next time I put it on the SG I'll probably use a cloth instead - I think mine's seen enough wire wool already :lol:

[Dmoney]

the way i understand it is the TCut will remove the fine surface layer blemishes and restore some colour. Then you polish that up to a shine.
your 0000 wire wool will be cutting gentle into the finish right? Its just that wax doesn't have any cutting compound in it.

The finish is a thin nitro lacquer

[Philly Q]

Ummm... Wez/Philly

A Gibson Faded doesn't seem to have any clear coats. What you got seems to be basically the colour coat... do you really want to be using a cutting compound to buff it up?  :?

Ah, didn't realise.  :oops:

I assumed it was the same as my old Pete Townshend SG - that was a satin finish but there were definitely clear coats!

Having said that, I think gwEm has polished a Faded V?  Could be wrong.