#1
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Polish for vintage finishes...
So I got some Lizard Spit VIP (Vintage Instrument Polish) in the mail today for my '52 J-45 and it says right on the bottle not to use it on cracked finishes. There's finish checking all over this guitar. Do they mean actual cracks (there aren't any cracks) or do they mean finish checking?
I can still return the unopened bottle, but I wanted to take care of the hazing on the area where my arm rubs against the guitar. Just for basic maintenance and protection. I just don't want to do any damage.
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Current: 1952 Gibson J-45 - Schatten HFN passive / Fishman Matrix Infinity 1983 Washburn Timber Ridge Custom - Fishman Onboard Prefix Premium Blend & - Schatten HFN passive 2016 Gibson J-45 Standard - Fishman Onboard Prefix Premium Blend & - Schatten HFN passive backup Tonedexter & Sunnaudio Stage DI 1990 Yamaha FS-310 Past: 1995 Martin D-28 2015 Eastman E10SS |
#2
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Yes, they mean cracked finishes. I'm glad you read the label before you used it on the guitar.
On a guitar that old and weathered, trying to shine it up is going to be counter-productive. If it needs to be cleaned, use a clean damp all-cotton or microfiber cloth, and clean small areas at a time. If there's some gunk that won't come off with only some judiciously applied moisture and gentle motion, use a (very) small amount of mild soap or detergent (like Ivory Liquid) and carefully clean small areas at a time, immediately followed by a moist cloth with no soap on it to clean up any soap residue. On any nitrocellulose finished guitar, whenever you shine it up you're doing so by removing a thin top layer of finish. After sixty seven years in existence, that finish isn't thick or robust enough to be polished. Over the years some of it evaporates in a process called "gassing off," where the volatile plasticizer chemicals migrate out of the lacquer, which shrinks it. That's partly why it forms that "windowpane" checking: the lacquer shrinks and pulls away from itself, just as mud on the bottom of a dry stream bed cracks once the moisture in it has evaporated. Dry Stream Bed Finish Checking It's essentially the same process, just with different materials involved. Short version: don't try to shine the guitar up into something it no longer is. Clean it gently when needed, and leave it at that. Hope this helps. Wade Hampton Miller |
#3
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What Wade said
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George 1930 National Style O 1931 National Triolian 1933 Gibson L-1 2007 Martin 000-18 SB Authentic 2013 Gibson 1935 Advanced Jumbo Limited Edition 2013 Gibson 1934 Original Jumbo Limited Edition 2021 Martin D-28 CAA 1937 2022 Martin 000-28 CAA Many Strat's, Tele's, ES 335's and a Gretsch Duo Jet |
#4
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"Checking" and "crazing" are terms that mean "cracked".
The "danger" with using a product such as Lizard Spit on a cracked surface is that the Lizard Spit residue will stay in the cracks after it has been applied and rubbed off. Depending on the product, it often appears as a white residue. If a damp, not wet, cloth doesn't work to clean your guitar, you could use a cloth dampened with naphtha. |
#5
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Quote:
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Current: 1952 Gibson J-45 - Schatten HFN passive / Fishman Matrix Infinity 1983 Washburn Timber Ridge Custom - Fishman Onboard Prefix Premium Blend & - Schatten HFN passive 2016 Gibson J-45 Standard - Fishman Onboard Prefix Premium Blend & - Schatten HFN passive backup Tonedexter & Sunnaudio Stage DI 1990 Yamaha FS-310 Past: 1995 Martin D-28 2015 Eastman E10SS |
#6
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I really like the Stewmac Preservation polish and find that it leaves nothing behind on crazed finishes. Naptha as mentioned is also a good safe choice that does a great job.
Also just to add one more note, no kind of cleaner should be used on a guitar with an actual wood crack. It might leave behind gunk that makes the repair more difficult. |