hey guys my olympic white strat is getting these strange dark (almost black) marks on the finish where my arm rests and at the bottom of the body... could these marks be from the black gigbag? could it be some wearing? (doubt it since the finsh is polyurethane) what could i do to prevent it

and now that i'm talking about finishes, anyone have a sonic blue guitar? i'm trying to get a guitar in a finish that looks like that greyish blue primer finish and i want to know if it comes close to that?

The black dye in the gig bag could very well cause those marks. My first strat had it's maple neck stained red from a red lined gig bag! As for Sonic Blue, it does NOT look anything like primer. It is a baby-blue like color that can age to tint ever so slightly to a greenish-blue. My Sonic Blue Jagstang used to be sonic blue, LOL, now it looks like a cross between sonic blue and seafoam green!

sweet... so how does charcoal frost look? (i'm trying to choose the finish for my new strat)

what can i do for my white strat?

I'd try a little soap and water first... If it has somehow worked its way into the clear coat I would try a light wax compund like Maquire's no7. It takes out light swirl and pick marks. I know because I've used it on mine. I don't see why it wouldn't take out stains.

i've been using dunlop 65 on the body... wouldn't that have cleaned it

If the 65 didn't work then soap and water won't either... While I'm not familiar with Dunlop's ingredients most cleaners are waterbased with a little water soluable wax. this is fine for removing fingerprints, sweat etc. but won't do much for stains. A car wax with a light polishing compound would be your next best bet. Thats why I mentioned Maquire's no7. Try a small section on the bottom and see if it works. The worst that could happen is you would have a shiny sort of black spot...

Go to Autozone or Advace Auto Parts and buy a bottle of 3M Scratch Remover. You can dab the white paste on to a rag, and rub the crap out of the body in the affected area. Keep rubbing until the paste turns to powder and buffs away. If that doesn't remove the black, try rubbing alcohol....it won't harm a poly finish. If the scratch remover works, you can use it all over the body and REALLY shine the guitar up It will also remove light scratches and swirl marks. Do not get it on a rosewood fretboard, or near the frets though, cause it will leave white residue in the cracks and crevices But it will work wonders on all of the finished surfaces of your guitar!