Whats the best way to polish an old guitar the looks like garbage

[thebigz]

I have a Rhoads pro pro that has not been well taken care of and needs a good cleaning. What is the best way to polish the finish so it looks nice and shiney?

I couldn't believe it, but youtube did not have a million videos. A simple search here didn't get me much closer.

Thanks

[AussieTerry84]

Well i have a roads pro pro pro n i like to spray the polish on n then wipe

[JACKSONFREAK]

Use virtuoso cleaner to cut through the grime. Then The music Nomad one polish. I use these at work all the time fro grimy guitars and they turn out great. Or if your on a budget amd cant spring 20 bucks for polish get the dunlop 65 polish. Spray on let it sit for a few seconds then wipe off. Apply a couple coats if needed
Gil

[DonP]

Use virtuoso cleaner to cut through the grime. Then The music Nomad one polish. I use these at work all the time fro grimy guitars and they turn out great. Or if your on a budget amd cant spring 20 bucks for polish get the dunlop 65 polish. Spray on let it sit for a few seconds then wipe off. Apply a couple coats if needed
Gil

Virtuoso is good stuff.

[rdamaral]

Depends on how bad the finish is. You might be able to buff with polich and a buffer, or you may need a light wet sanding and buffing. I'd start with a quality polish and go from there.

[Sharkfin]

One time I got my hands on a friends old Fender that she was keeping in the garage. It was the dirtiest guitar I'd ever seen. Anyway, I first used a damp rag with a little soap to remove the grime and polished with Dr. Duck's Ax Wax using Dunlop's 5430 guitar finish cloth. It only takes a little to go a long way since it can get kinda greasy if you use too much. I've had the Ax Wax for many years and have plenty of it so I've never tried anything else. My 2 cents

[thebigz]

Thanks for the help guys. I have some Dunlop 65 in the mail, we'll see where that gets me. If it doesn't work, I'll get the virtuoso

[j2379]

you can also treat the paint much like car paint. most of the swirl removers, compounds and glazes work great on beat up guitars. BTW i use furniture polish on my guitars and have for many years.

[xenophobe]

you can also treat the paint much like car paint. most of the swirl removers, compounds and glazes work great on beat up guitars. BTW i use furniture polish on my guitars and have for many years.

This^

[Ron Burgundy]

I believe in a 3-step approach.

Step 1: Get slightly damp microfibre cloth and give the body a nice wipe.

Step 2: Get one of those guitar scratch remover products - I haven't tried the EternaShine one, but the Big Bends Encore worked well on swirling on my Warrior. Follow the instructions and then;

Step 3: Wipe off the remainder of the scratch remover with the damp microfibre cloth, and apply carnauba wax (car wax) on the body. Apply, wait for a few minutes, wipe off.

[JACKSONFREAK]

you can also treat the paint much like car paint. most of the swirl removers, compounds and glazes work great on beat up guitars. BTW i use furniture polish on my guitars and have for many years.

You shouldn't use furniture polish like pledge etc on musical instruments. They build up and start to hinder the tone of the guitar and will ruin some finishes.

[MetalDaze]

BillZ should be dropping by shortly with his secret sauce.

[j2379]

thats odd since Ive been using it for 20+ years and the old man that told me to use it fixed and worked on stringed instruments, violins, cellos that kind of stuff. granted i don't have any guitars shot in Nitro, but ive got small collection of natural BCRichs that have been fine with furniture polish, and BCR paint from back in the day is very thin and soft. & i spray the rag not the guitar, and never use it on bare or oil finished wood like fretboards or necks.

You shouldn't use furniture polish like pledge etc on musical instruments. They build up and start to hinder the tone of the guitar and will ruin some finishes.

[BigE13]

I like to hit mine with the water hose...if you use a spray nozzle on blast it gets the grime out. Then I buff with a Sham-wow, plug in and rock! JK

[ginsambo]

I like to hit mine with the water hose...if you use a spray nozzle on blast it gets the grime out. Then I buff with a Sham-wow, plug in and rock! JK

I was told South Carolinian's were a bit backward and you had to be extra wary of them driving on the roads when I was in Virginia, I don't doubt that advice now.

If it's got a thick factory clearcoat and it's poly, yeah, treat it like a car. Use G3 or G4 cutting/polishing compound and then a polishing buffer, like they use after colour sanding and it will cut it back to shine. Don't repeatedly overdo it though otherwise you are through the clearcoat onto the paint.