Hello,
Has anyone used automotive polish on their guitar bodies? If not why. If so what are their brands they did use. Thanks in advance.

Hi Mdred85: just be aware that some automotive "polishes" are actually mild cutting compounds. Meaning, they contain a gentle abrasive to remove tiny scratches from the surface. Products with words such as "swirl remover" on the front fall into this category.

That's fine if an abrasive is indeed what you want.

But if it is truly just for polishing then a guitar product is probably better - or best of all just a dry cloth, plenty of hot breath and some elbow grease.

Cheers - C

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I would never use car polishes for the reason Ceri pointed out...too abrasive.
Regular Dunlop 65 or similar guitar polish is fine.

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-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield

Thanks for the feedback. I wasn't sure but this helps a lot.

Just use Pledge to clean and shine up your guitar.

I have used automotive "scratch and swirl removers" to, well, remove scratches, swirls, light abrasions, deepish scuffs, etc. Such automotive products will be cheaper than the same stuff marked for guitars.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

For a polish I use Meguiar's Show Car glaze. Depending on how bad the scratches are, I use either Menzerna's Medium or Fine compound or 3M Swirl Remover.

Edit: The key is no silicones - especially if using on a nitro finish.

I only use polishes made especially for guitars and specific finishes and wouldn't risk anything else for the simple fact that if something doesn't work well it may be doing more harm than good.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I use Lizard Spit www.lizardspit.com

Look in the "Music Products" section.

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Chet Feathers

Authorized TonePros Dealer
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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

There is a new product on the market from the people who make Big Bends Nut Sauce it's called Big Bends Encore Fine Scratch Remover,it's made specifically to get fine scratches and swirls from guitar finishes.This polish doesn't contain any wax or silicone and they say that it can restore dull or clouded high gloss finishes. www.bigbends.com
BTW it's only $12 or $13.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I don't really care about the silicones because there are no refinishes in my future ...

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

This subject has been talked about on the Forum many times and there are a lot of opinions. I agree with Mr. C. that one wants to be thoughtful about abrasive polishes. There are some that say never use automobile polish or wax on a guitar. Well, I use to run a resto shop painting street rods and classic cars. When I started getting into guitar (again) I ended up refinishing several and still do it from time to time. In doing research on colors for Fender guitars, I was quickly reminded that the finishes started out as automobile finishes (nitro, which i have shot many, many times) and then later polyurethane and urethane finishes. I find it odd that, while these type of finishes are still used on guitars, and that after years of research and development has gone into waxes and polishes for cars, that just because these finishes are used on guitars, some think they should not be used. Some say, one type is made for guitars and one one is made for guitars! Ummm....

If you look on my website, you will see a lot of super shiny guitars. I will tear down a guitar, polish it with abrasive based polishes, ending up with a non-abrasive polish and then after a good wipe down to remove excess polish, a coat of a Nano based wax (like Sonax) is applied. For a quick clean on a dusty guitar I use Fender polish in the small spray bottle and then once a year use the Nano technology wax. This Nano wax hardens and protects the finish from UV and fills in micro scratches.

If one is fearful of this wax or even silicon waxes, there are two things to consider. 1) Is use it only once or twice a year, 2) if you refinish any thing, guitar body included, one should always clean thoroughly with a solvent to cut any contaminates before one starts to sand the body.

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

I totally agree. The finishes on most commercial guitars are simply automotive lacquers of whichever type. A product that works on one will work on the other.

And Orvilleowner is quite correct (above) in saying that the "dangers" of silicone based polishes are only relevant if respray or touchup work might ever be done on the guitar's finish.

My cautionary remark earlier was simply to be aware that some automotive polishes don't only shine the finish, they "cut" it too. And that is fine if that is what you are out to do. But worth avoiding if a simple clean and shine-up is all you want to achieve.

Now. Where's my T-Cut...?

Cheers - C

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No.

Because I don't polish my car with lemon oil either.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Mike, would you use lemon oil on your dash if it had a lot of natural exposed wood grain? I had a 1939 Packard Super 8 sedan and I would use furniture polish (lemon oil) on the wood components on the dash, even though some of them were a composite material! How things in Miami? Cold and snowy up here!

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

Sounds like an awesome car, Mr X!

Things are warm in Miami, but right now I'm in New England (and wishing I was in Miami) while this is what is going on :

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!