NGD - What would you do?

[northtrader]

Originally Posted by steelvibe

https://www.guitarscratchremover.com/

This ^^^

I bought a used 2009 Rainsong jumbo with quite a bit of haze where the players arms touched the surface and it had quite a few scratches in the 'pick guard' zone - not pick scratches but most likely finger nails etc.

Nothing removed the haze and scratches until I tried eternashine. This product is awesome. Restored the gloss and removed the haze and significantly reduced the scratches. I've recommended it to many players with guitars that have a polyurethane finish.

[Dbone]

Originally Posted by jonfields45

It is possible that the factory lighting is such that they don't know. I looked at my other all gloss RainSong, again at home, and it looks fine too.

They are likely using a really hard poly finish. Taylor long ago reformulated their poly to be softer. Taylor PR said it was to be closer to nitro but my guess is it is easier to polish. A less durable soft nitro-like finish on a CF guitar does not make sense (there are no vintage CF guitars with nitro to emulate).

The black background is also a tough venue for gloss. My clear pickguards (I've made low tack and static cling versions) look great on spruce and never look as good close up on black CF (every tiny air bubble is visible where they are invisible on my partner's Taylor).

I think the V-DR top is likely no better than the back. It just isn't black and you can't see it.

The neck probably is the same but the convex curved surface does not give you the flat surface to see fine defects.

My new black Fender Strat has swirl marks I can see in the same lighting that the RainSongs look perfect.

Anything is possible. That is as good a theory as any in terms of your assertion that their lighting might be such that they don’t see such problems well.

The better question is, what is causing all the scratching? Are the work surfaces abrasive? When assembling, etc?

[Dbone]

Originally Posted by northtrader

This ^^^

I bought a used 2009 Rainsong jumbo with quite a bit of haze where the players arms touched the surface and it had quite a few scratches in the 'pick guard' zone - not pick scratches but most likely finger nails etc.

Nothing removed the haze and scratches until I tried eternashine. This product is awesome. Restored the gloss and removed the haze and significantly reduced the scratches. I've recommended it to many players with guitars that have a polyurethane finish.

Good to hear. Gives further confidence that this may be the way to go when I get around to it...Thanks

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by Dbone

Anything is possible. That is as good a theory as any in terms of your assertion that their lighting might be such that they don’t see such problems well.

The better question is, what is causing all the scratching? Are the work surfaces abrasive? When assembling, etc?

IMHO it is probably as good as it gets for gloss over black. Looking at my V-DR there is no way that is a final assembly problem (and why only the back and sides...because the top is gloss over spruce). It is too pervasive under just the right light. However, my black gloss Fender Strat is certainly much worse. However, its all maple neck is perfect in the same lighting!

Compounding is something you can pursue to very small diminishing returns.

I'm thinking the next time I'm in Nazareth I'll check the black Martins in their museum to see how good they look.

[Dbone]

Originally Posted by jonfields45

IMHO it is probably as good as it gets for gloss over black. Looking at my V-DR there is no way that is a final assembly problem (and why only the back and sides...because the top is gloss over spruce). It is too pervasive under just the right light. However, my black gloss Fender Strat is certainly much worse. However, its all maple neck is perfect in the same lighting!

Compounding is something you can pursue to very small diminishing returns.

I'm thinking the next time I'm in Nazareth I'll check the black Martins in their museum to see how good they look.

Can’t argue with the idea that black is a bad color relative to others... But as good as it gets in terms of a new guitar? Not so sure...Like you suggested, I’ll have to try and more consciously observe some new black gloss guitars...

In 2 cases it was all sides including the top for me...neck and headstock are perfect...

Appreciate your thoughts and insight.

There’s worse things.