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  #1  
Old 05-17-2021, 04:26 PM
PeteyPower16 PeteyPower16 is offline
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Default Remove oil stains on satin guitar top

I recently spilled some manufacturer-approved fretboard oil on the top of my poly-satin finish guitar. I wiped it up at the time, but only partially. I did not notice for a few days, and unfortunately the oil left a stain on the guitar’s top.

The stain is somewhat subtle and hard to photograph, but the oil smudges catch the light and can be clearly seen at certain angles. It doesn’t look horrible but I’m pretty mad at myself for not foreseeing this possibility and taking caution. I’ve never had an issue removing fretboard oil from other guitar tops with a simple cloth.

I have tried to remove the stain with soap and water, Naptha, and Mohawk wax wash remover (also manufacturer recommended). No success.

Has anyone ever encountered this before, and if so, does anyone have advice to offer?

Thank you!
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Ibanez PF-15CE-MS 2003
Taylor 410-CE-L2 2003
Taylor 322e 12-Fret 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Ltd Ovangkol 2019
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus 2020
Taylor 414ce 2020
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Blue Sunburst - 2005

Previous Guitars:
Epiphone DR-100 2006 (est.)
Squier Bullet Blue 2006 (est.)
Taylor 414ce 2008 - RIP 2020
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  #2  
Old 05-18-2021, 03:36 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Bit more info needed, what brand of fretboard oil did you use, what brand of guitar are you having the problem with

Steve
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  #3  
Old 05-18-2021, 05:24 AM
PeteyPower16 PeteyPower16 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mirwa View Post
Bit more info needed, what brand of fretboard oil did you use, what brand of guitar are you having the problem with



Steve


Thanks, Taylor fretboard oil and Taylor 322e satin top.
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PeteyPower16

Ibanez PF-15CE-MS 2003
Taylor 410-CE-L2 2003
Taylor 322e 12-Fret 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Ltd Ovangkol 2019
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus 2020
Taylor 414ce 2020
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Blue Sunburst - 2005

Previous Guitars:
Epiphone DR-100 2006 (est.)
Squier Bullet Blue 2006 (est.)
Taylor 414ce 2008 - RIP 2020
Fender CD-60CE SB-DS-V2 2013
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  #4  
Old 05-18-2021, 06:01 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Perfect, the taylor fretboard oil is a nice oil to use, any residue that gets onto tops will smudge if you try to just wipe it away.

Be it a nitro finish, poly finish, etc, it is easily cleaned of with their satin finish spray on cleaner

Steve
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  #5  
Old 05-18-2021, 07:05 AM
PeteyPower16 PeteyPower16 is offline
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Default Remove oil stains on satin guitar top

Quote:
Originally Posted by mirwa View Post
Perfect, the taylor fretboard oil is a nice oil to use, any residue that gets onto tops will smudge if you try to just wipe it away.

Be it a nitro finish, poly finish, etc, it is easily cleaned of with their satin finish spray on cleaner

Steve


Thank you, Steve. I have tried the satin cleaner, but the oil seems to have set in and I can’t lift it! Stain has been there a week.

I’m wondering if this is a stain from the previous owner, but given its location I think it was probably me when I tried to oil the guitar last week.

I was contemplating Oxiclean, but I’m afraid it could do damage to the top.

Thank you!
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PeteyPower16

Ibanez PF-15CE-MS 2003
Taylor 410-CE-L2 2003
Taylor 322e 12-Fret 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Ltd Ovangkol 2019
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus 2020
Taylor 414ce 2020
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Blue Sunburst - 2005

Previous Guitars:
Epiphone DR-100 2006 (est.)
Squier Bullet Blue 2006 (est.)
Taylor 414ce 2008 - RIP 2020
Fender CD-60CE SB-DS-V2 2013
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  #6  
Old 05-18-2021, 07:48 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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The oil cannot impregnate the surface, that is the good thing about the taylor finishes.

If you have used the taylor satin cleaner with no success, then i suspect you have some other issue happening.

It may be possible since you have tried a few things to clean the surface that now it has a shine to it which is what you are seeing or as you mentioned it was there previously and was un-noticed

Steve
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  #7  
Old 05-18-2021, 08:18 AM
PeteyPower16 PeteyPower16 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mirwa View Post
The oil cannot impregnate the surface, that is the good thing about the taylor finishes.

If you have used the taylor satin cleaner with no success, then i suspect you have some other issue happening.

It may be possible since you have tried a few things to clean the surface that now it has a shine to it which is what you are seeing or as you mentioned it was there previously and was un-noticed

Steve


Thanks for this. I actually feel better about this, because it is easier for me to accept some other phenomenon in an older guitar than to accept the idea that perhaps I stained it myself!

I appreciate your insight on this.
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PeteyPower16

Ibanez PF-15CE-MS 2003
Taylor 410-CE-L2 2003
Taylor 322e 12-Fret 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Ltd Ovangkol 2019
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus 2020
Taylor 414ce 2020
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Blue Sunburst - 2005

Previous Guitars:
Epiphone DR-100 2006 (est.)
Squier Bullet Blue 2006 (est.)
Taylor 414ce 2008 - RIP 2020
Fender CD-60CE SB-DS-V2 2013
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  #8  
Old 05-18-2021, 10:00 AM
phavriluk phavriluk is offline
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Default A thought

Ask Taylor. They've likely seen this question before.
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  #9  
Old 05-19-2021, 10:37 AM
PeteyPower16 PeteyPower16 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by phavriluk View Post
Ask Taylor. They've likely seen this question before.


I asked Taylor about this and they recommended Mohawk Wax Wash Remover. The product worked great on my finger printed remotes, etc., however, the shiny oil marks on the satin top still persist. :-(

I’m pretty much at a loss for what to do on this one. Deep regrets about getting oil on there, but I never figured it would be impossible to get off unless I caught it right away!
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PeteyPower16

Ibanez PF-15CE-MS 2003
Taylor 410-CE-L2 2003
Taylor 322e 12-Fret 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Ltd Ovangkol 2019
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus 2020
Taylor 414ce 2020
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Blue Sunburst - 2005

Previous Guitars:
Epiphone DR-100 2006 (est.)
Squier Bullet Blue 2006 (est.)
Taylor 414ce 2008 - RIP 2020
Fender CD-60CE SB-DS-V2 2013
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  #10  
Old 05-20-2021, 12:05 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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As mentioned its likely different looking due to the amount of rubbing, satin finishes on Taylors are a poly finish, no oil will penetrate them.

I do Taylor warranty work including finish work
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  #11  
Old 05-22-2021, 07:31 AM
PeteyPower16 PeteyPower16 is offline
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Default Remove oil stains on satin guitar top

Quote:
Originally Posted by mirwa View Post
As mentioned its likely different looking due to the amount of rubbing, satin finishes on Taylors are a poly finish, no oil will penetrate them.



I do Taylor warranty work including finish work


Thanks for this answer. I’m pretty sure that I have some shiny spots from wear; however I definitely am seeing some blotchy spots and streaks from oil as well. Taylor suggested that oil could seep through the surface with a week or more, but in my case the oil was only there for 3 days, so this seems unlikely. However, it is clearly there and also won’t come off.

As someone who does finish work, how crazy/complicated is it to buff the entire surface to a consistent shine? Can this be done without much risk of error with a less fine microfiber cloth?

I’m guessing going all shiny is much easier than trying to restore the shiny spots to a satin look. I’m also wondering if this is a bad idea and would make things worse.
__________________
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PeteyPower16

Ibanez PF-15CE-MS 2003
Taylor 410-CE-L2 2003
Taylor 322e 12-Fret 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa 2015
Taylor GS Mini-e Ltd Ovangkol 2019
Taylor GS Mini-e Koa Plus 2020
Taylor 414ce 2020
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Blue Sunburst - 2005

Previous Guitars:
Epiphone DR-100 2006 (est.)
Squier Bullet Blue 2006 (est.)
Taylor 414ce 2008 - RIP 2020
Fender CD-60CE SB-DS-V2 2013

Last edited by PeteyPower16; 05-22-2021 at 07:56 AM.
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  #12  
Old 05-22-2021, 08:18 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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It is not hard and you could do it with a cloth as you mentioned, I am just not a fan of the look. If you did it, just do a small section first near current area and leave it for a week, then you can make the decision on doing the whole guitar.

The finish itself is a poly satin on top of a uv clear coat, they are not difficult to touch up, but...... not a job for someone that does not do finish work, Taylor themselves do finish repairs and as you would expect they are pretty flawless and IMO not expensive either

I will try and upload a photo for you of what a satin finish on a Taylor looks like touched up tomorrow

Steve
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  #13  
Old 05-24-2021, 09:51 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Here is a blend after crack repairs on a satin taylor finish

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  #14  
Old 05-24-2021, 09:54 PM
phavriluk phavriluk is offline
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Can/t see a picture...
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  #15  
Old 05-24-2021, 10:32 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Coming up in my feed, here is a link

http://www.mirwa.com.au/images/tj.JPG
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