Best Guitar polish for Martin guitars

[pjbelsch]

Hey all,
i have a 000-18e Retro that i play regularly. i do wipe down the body and neck with a clean un-treated polishing cloth everytime after i play. i notice there are spots that need some cleaning/polishing and i am wondering what the best options are. i have the martin guitar polish but that stuff is bad. it leaves a hazy finish on the guitar. i used to use dunlop polish on my other guitar when i had it and i realized the silicone based finishes arent good for your guitar finish especially a martin. any ideas? thanks

[Bowie]

I usually used a 100% cotton or microfiber cloth for daily cleaning, then Gibson polish at string changes. I'm a product fiend and have probably bought every type of foo-foo cleaning and polishing product out there. Some of the expensive ones smell great, but I've not found another that cut grease and left no residue like the regular Gibby polish.

[Denny B]

I haven't found anything that works nearly as well as Virtuoso products...cleaner and polish...it's the good stuff...

[JakeStone]

I use a nice cotton cloth rinsed in warm water... followed by a clean dry cotton cloth to dry. I buy them from auto parts store. They are very soft.

Once in a while when needed.. I use some Gibson Pump polish (orange label).

Virtuoso for polish maybe once a year.

My Satin Finished Larrivee.. It was suggested by Larrivee to use Naptha to clean it. Works great!

[dneal]

Meguiars Final Inspection. No Silicone.

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product/final-inspection

[Bowie]

Originally Posted by JakeStone

My Satin Finished Larrivee.. It was suggested by Larrivee to use Naptha to clean it. Works great!

Good point there^. If I get a used guitar that needs a real scrubbing, I'll use naptha (lighter fluid) because it makes an excellent solvent that is safe on poly and nitro finishes. Gets off the gunk without a lot of friction. First time users usually think, "No way." but it really is an excellent option for removing grime.

[fongie]

I don't use any type of polish on my guitars, just a damp cloth and a dry cloth after a string change or if it really needs a clean. I do wipe down after every play. But I have read many use Virtuoso or Lizard Spit polish.

[Jabberwocky]

Virtuoso Polish; the Cleaner is the strong stuff. Legend Polish is much the same thing. I would ONLY use the Virtuoso Cleaner on a really grimy guitar.

Gibson Polish in a Pump, Orange Label is surprisingly good for nitrocellulose finishes.

Novus Plastic Polish 2 for French Polished guitars. It is a mild abrasive used to remove scratches in aircraft windshields and underwater camera domes.

[Goodallboy]

Originally Posted by pjbelsch

Hey all,
i have a 000-18e Retro that i play regularly. i do wipe down the body and neck with a clean un-treated polishing cloth everytime after i play. i notice there are spots that need some cleaning/polishing and i am wondering what the best options are. i have the martin guitar polish but that stuff is bad. it leaves a hazy finish on the guitar. i used to use dunlop polish on my other guitar when i had it and i realized the silicone based finishes arent good for your guitar finish especially a martin. any ideas? thanks

Just as I believe "what strings are best for a Martin", I equally believe that about guitar polish.

With that said, I bought some Lizard Spit brand polish that has been the best I've ever used. It specifically takes off haze, if not too old, and won't harm your Martin....or your Taylor....or your H&D......and on and on.

[vindibona1]

I don't use polish. Just lighter fluid to clean off dust, fingerprints and gunk. Cheap. Works.

[TBone-Idle]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

I don't use polish. Just lighter fluid to clean off dust, fingerprints and gunk. Cheap. Works.

I use the same. It is pure naptha and does no harm to a nitro-cellulose finish. It works a treat. However, it must be used sparingly as it can weaken glue.

[lowrider]

Originally Posted by TBone-Idle

I use the same. It is pure naptha and does no harm to a nitro-cellulose finish. It works a treat. However, it must be used sparingly as it can weaken glue.

I used to know a guy who polished his car with a gasoline soaked rag. The car always looked great, but I was always waiting to hear that the car went up in flames!

[crwheat@sbcglob]

Virtuoso cleaner and polish. Works great.

[Bowie]

Originally Posted by lowrider

I used to know a guy who polished his car with a gasoline soaked rag. The car always looked great, but I was always waiting to hear that the car went up in flames!

Yikes! I can see using naptha but gas is notorious for ruining automobile finishes. Maybe it looked good because he was working out the swirls each time by softening up the finish.

When I worked at a hot-rod shop we used gas to clean-up the most grime-coated parts that wouldn't get clean any other way. Like, parts that have been collecting gunk for decades. Strips it right off.

[RossM]

Is there anything wrong with the Dunlop Formula 65? I've been using that for years with no problem but I've never tried any of the others. I also don't own any Nitrocellulose finished guitars.
I'm just curious because it never sows up in this sort of threads.