Zymol, Scratch X and Turtle Wax

[jingle_jangle]

Tough to tell without seeing it in person. The whole guitar looks pretty dull, judging from the reflections. I've been able to get these to shine pretty well...

[admin]

John: That is a bit of a tall order I consider. It takes a considerable bit of effort when larger surface scratches are involved. It wouldn't hurt to give it the old college try. I would focus on only one half of that scratch so that you can monitor your progress.

[ibmindless]

I certainly don't have Paul's level of knowledge on this subject; however, that won't deter me from offering a few remarks. For example, I know that Bob Taylor, of Taylor Guitars recommends Turtle Wax, but I'm not sure which particular Turtle wax he uses on his production guitars.

I also know that Zaino wax (not to be confused with Zymol) has a fervent following from many car buffs (little wax-on, wax-off pun there).

A couple of years ago my son left numerous pick scratches in the top of one of my guitars. In an act of desperation (it wasn't an expensive guitar), I tried some Zymol Cleaner Wax. Amazingly, with just a little rubbing, the scratches disappeared. The guitar had a black finish and the scratches looked pretty deep, although I don't recall if I could feel them.

Following that experience, I got a bit braver and tried the Zymol on several other guitars, all with great results. I even bought a used guitar at a later date that was covered with many light scratches --- the Zymol worked again.

So, just an endorsement of sorts, that some waxes can be used on guitar finishes with success some of the time. Naturally, your results may vary. Personally, I'll stick with my 1/2 full bottle of Zymol, but if I discover any scratches that can't be magically removed, I'll probably have to give the Scratch-X a try.

Thanks for that tip and the other wax information, Paul.

[admin]

Interesting Mark. Your comments also raise other questions for me such as, when should one use a polish versus a cleaner.

What I like about Zymol is that it will allow for a build up, however slight, of the surface by filling in small scratches.

[ibmindless]

Hi Peter. The answer to that question is, it depends. Here's what Meguiars says:

"Meguiar's offers two types of polishes, Cleaner Polishes and Pure Polishes. Cleaner Polishes are for removing very light or fine defects while restoring a crystal clear, smooth high gloss surface. Pure polishes are for finishes already in excellent condition and are for the purpose or creating brilliant high gloss with deep dark reflections."

Meguiars has an excellent FAQ's section on their website. Check it out here:

http://www.meguiars.com/faq/

And be sure to keep in mind that most automotive waxing compounds are mostly designed for painted metals with clearcoat finishes, so these may not all be compatible with your guitar finish.

From my personal experience, I have safely (and sparingly) used Zymol Cleaner Wax on several fairly new guitars (not more than 15 years old) with a variety of colorations; from black to sunburst to glossy clear. I have been quite pleased with the results.

To maintain the sheen, I sparingly apply Martin's spray on Guitar Polish, mostly to remove fingerprints/smudges. Typically, a guitar of mine might see a wax job once a year or longer, and 1 or 2 "sprays" in between.

In any event, I'd highly recommend that you try the wax on a discrete spot first to test the results. If your cherished guitar's finish is eaten away, please disavow any knowledge of this posting...

[juke_box_hero]

Speaking of polishing may I add this. I started using microfiber cloths and they are excellent. But don't buy them on-line or at your favorite music store. I went to the automotive dept at Walmart and got them at $1.00 apiece.