Best guitar polish...

[ozover50]

I have attended the last 4 "Cit-ins", which are gatherings of Citroen owners from all over Australia held every Easter and four SMs have turned up. Two the ****** "gold" colour that Paul has mentioned and two dark blue. Sadly, they were all in pretty poor condition, especially the interiors. Perhaps they got it ***-about and used Zymol inside and leather conditioner outside!!

[bitzerguy]

Zymol did a good job on this one Labor Day! Me in a friends special British car, 1969 Marcos 3 liter. I did the Zymolling.

[desertgoldenboy]

Paul, at the beginning of this thread, you said that Turtle Wax and Zymol were great for a painted finish...are these products also good for the clearcoat on a Mapleglo finish?

Also, what products can we use on the clear satin finish of a 4001C64S?

Thanks!

[jingle_jangle]

All Rickenbackers are finished with conversion varnish, except the natural wood 650s and basses and the recently-dropped 380S Laguna. So regardless of color of finish, the same tips and methods apply.

Satin finished guitars should be first wiped with a soft cloth which has been dipped into a mild soap solution and then wrung out. This will remove fingerprints. To treat the guitar so that it will shed fingerprints, use some "Brillianize" or some Meguiar's Instant Detailing Spray. Both come in spray bottles, and mist on and wipe off, leaving a surface that resists fingerprints.

For the oil-finished natural wood guitars and basses, I've used Watco's Danish Oil Finish in the "natural" or uncolored version. Wipe on, let remain a minute, wipe off with a dry cloth, buff with a second dry cloth.

[radams]

Paul - in a previous post on this thread you said "I use 3M Perfect-It III Machine Rubbing Compound, which you can get in 8-ounce bottles wherever auto body shop supplies are sold."

I have been trying to find this everywhere. On 3M's website, there are 2 variants...

3M™ Perfect-It™ III Rubbing Compound
3M™ Perfect-It™ III Extra Cut Rubbing Compound

...but both of these seem to only be available in either quart or gallon size. Is the 1st variant (not Extra Cut) what you use? If so, do you know where I can buy 8 oz. bottles? If you don't, I'll spring for the (presumably lifetime supply) quart size.

Thanks, Rich

[charlyg]

FWIW - Here's a plug for a buddy!

Dr. Duck's Axe Wax


http://www.ducksdeluxe.com

[jingle_jangle]

Thanks, Charlie. I'm pretty stuck on Zymol, after trying everything else on the market, including Dr. Duck's. I think it's the smell...

Richard, I've just discovered a new compound. Please note that this is not a wax, nor is it a replacement for Scratch-X or Zymol. It is for rubbing out scratches and dull spots, prior to using Scratch-X (for very fine rubbing and haze removal) and Zymol (last step--filling clearcoat pores and protection).

It's made by Meguiar's, the same folks who make Scratch-X. It's called SOLO Cutting Cream. It is terrific for scratch and haze removal. The smallest quantity it's available in is quarts, MSRP $22.95, but this is because it's a professional material.

Soft cotton cloth (diaper preferred), etc. You guys and gals know the drill...

[charlyg]

I work with a fellow who worked in a lab at UCLA Before UMG, and his son got a scratch on his new bass, so he asked me what I did for scratches. I told him I knew you guys had 2 great products, but I couldn't remember the name. I came on to the forum, did a search, found Zymol and Scratch-X and past on the info. I got an email back saying, "Super, I already have those, I don't have to buy anything!" It turns out, he uses them on his cars and motorcycle!

An Addendum on the Axe wax. Most folks use too much. A spot the size of a dime should pretty much do the whole guitar, unless extremely dirty.

[radams]

Thanks Paul.