buffing out a guitar finish

What is the finish on that guitar? How you attempt to shine it up and how easy it will be, will depend on what the finish is at present.
 
i would say that it is a walnut finish:I've tried just about everything and it is dull.I don't know if the guy never cleaned it or what:( under the strings it looks perfect
 
squirt a little on the guitar then attack the guitar with the buffing wheel.
either that or a lot of elbow grease with a buffing rag.

I am a luthier by trade so I have a bench mount buffing wheel in my shop.
you can also pick up a hand held buffing machine prety cheap.

I also recomend removing the strings, pickups bridge and all other hardware before doing this, it is a lot of extra work but the end result will be well worth the effort.
 
Slow down and don't do anything until you know what the finish is. Attacking it with a polishing mop is bad advice. You need to know if the finish will take the heat that that can generate and if it is designed for abrasive buffing. You need to know the best compound to use on that finish. If you have a natural varnish or lacquer on it and you start with a buffing wheel you'll f++++ it pretty quick.

Chances are you have a finish you can buff up but I'd make sure. You would be better rubbing out by hand to start with. Drop a small amount of the rubbing compound you are going to use on the finish right at the top of the guitar's headstock and leave it for a few hours. Does it mark the finish or react with it? If yes, switch to something else with a different carrier. If no, make up some burnishing pads from cotton wool and some very fine cotton cloth. Roll the cotton wool in the cotton to make a pad and use it with small circular movements to rub the compound onto the finish and burnish up the finish. If that works, you can try it with a powered wheel, but take care they can get away from you at any time. You can do the whole thing by rubbing by hand. Some finishes also come up better if you cut the surface back with a very fine grit sand paper. 400 then 800 at least possibly 1200 if you want a real mirror gloss.

Also be aware some finishes will not rub out to a shine. The need to be either reactivated in the case of an oil finish, or pulled over with a solvent, some nitro's this works great on also some lacquers are designed to be pulled over and not rubbed.

Whatever you do try and find out whats on there already. If you cant take things real slow til you know what you propose will work. Sticking it on a buffing wheel right off the bat = real bad idea.
 
mikey@thecave said:
i would say that it is a walnut finish:I've tried just about everything and it is dull.I don't know if the guy never cleaned it or what:( under the strings it looks perfect
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Walnut? Do you mean the timber is walnut? Or that it has a walnut finish.

The reason I'm advising caution is that all finishes need to be treated with a different degree of care when buffing them. Reviving a guitar with a nitro finish is different from one with a polyester finish which again is much different from a French Polish finish. Try and narrow down what might be on there. Get it wrong now and you'll regret it. Trust me.
 
well it must have a walnut stain on it cause i don't think they put a walnut top on it.It must be like a walnut 335 gibson..I'll check into it more thanks
 
If it is a walnut stain thats under the finish. The alarm bells would start ringing for me if someone said it had a "walnut finish" not from a quality point of view but because walnut oil is/ has been used as a base for oil varnishes for a long time as a substitute for other oils. It's makes good varnish, but it's a varnish and you have to treat it different to lacquer when cutting back and buffing out.

I'm not saying thats what you have in fact I'd be very very surprised if you did. It's far more likely you have a lacquer finish that you can hand rub to a good finish. Just advising caution. I hate to see you mess it up for the sake of a bit of research and some discreet trial and error.
 
I was going to jump in but Mutley is spot ON.

KNOW what you're working on and the type of finish. Polished wood, laquer, poly or..what?
 
how do you know it wasn't bulit buy a japanese luthier..?
i'm still trying to find out from fernandez more info
its the P-project guitar model that Domminic Miller played in Stings band
 
mikey@thecave said:
how do you know it wasn't bulit buy a japanese luthier..?
i'm still trying to find out from fernandez more info
its the P-project guitar model that Domminic Miller played in Stings band
Click to expand...
Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude.....honest.

But read the review and then read it again their are loads of "I really haven't got a scooby" comments in it..

As for how do I know it wasn't built by a Japanese luthier? Well lets just say I know quite a bit about Japanese lutherie....

Back to the instrument in question, you best bet would be to contact the manufacturer which you seem to have done. If you get no joy with them let us know and we shall sort it for you one way or the other. The problem you have is not affecting the playability of the guitar so hanging on for a solution shouldn't be a problem for you. I know you want to get it done but stay with it....;)
 
Thanks
Well Dominic Miller said that he went to Japan and picked up his guitar ,so thats why i thought maybe it was made there.It not important.I really like the guitar and may take it in and have it cherryed out.I think the top can be buff or polished the back is fine but the sides have drip marks of paint or varnish.Wonder what it might cost to fix it up..Thanks for your help
 
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