Please Help! I ruined my finish?

rmconner80 · Aug 8, 2002

I just got my first lester paulster, an '82 wine red deluxe.

I've been playing it all night, and I was finishing up so I grabbed my ernie ball guitar polish to shine 'er up. When I was about done I noticed a 6x2 inch cloudy patch in the finish right on the very bottom of the guitar, like the bottom if it were sitting in a stand or hanging on the wall, so it's really on the maple top, on the bottom of the guitar, north of the binding directly under the bridge, if the neck is perpindicular to the ground. There is a patch right next to the binding where the finish is all cloudy, no longer shiny and mirror like. I'm positive i wasn't there before and I can't polish it out with water, guitar polish, dry, or a mixture of water/vinegar (I'm testing small patches so as to not make it worse). Strangely, this is the only place this patch showed up after polishing the whole top, back, neck....

WTF? Has anyone seen this before? Could this be the plastic binding causing some reaction with the polish, and then smeared all over the top?

Any ideas on how to get this out, or am I just screwed for using the wrong polish?

Agonizing,

1958teaburst · Aug 8, 2002

try using naphtha (lighter fluid)

fl_799 · Aug 8, 2002

I had a similiar issue with a wine red '75 Custom I bought 10 years ago.....finish was almost milky in a few spots especially near the playing arm binding area. Traditional guitar polish only seemed to make it worse. I used very fine rubbing compound and lightly buffed it out.

Cogswell · Aug 8, 2002

This is what I might do (right or wrong): Take off everything from the guitar, get one of those spongy or lambswool buffer thingies from Schuck's for your drill, use polishing compound on the whole thing. If this doesn't make a difference, then do what I would most likely do: Get used to it! Your guitar is aging naturally & will look cool in a few more years. :yah

Flamed93+ · Aug 8, 2002

Is it possible that area was resprayed for some reason?

JDPS150 · Aug 8, 2002

I have the same thing on my 85 custom, right where my right fore-arm lays on the body.
I've tried naptha, & one of those buffing wheels that go on a drill with regular guitar polish.
It's still there.
Been planing on trying mirror glaze #7.

Guitardon · Aug 8, 2002

1958teaburst1 said:
try using naphtha (lighter fluid)

teaburst - I don't think you are correct about naphtha being lighter fluid. Naphtha is the same as paint thinner or turpentine. In fact some cans say turpentine (naphtha) on the label.

Paint thinner products work great for cleaning almost all painted surfaces after they are fully hardened - it's the old antique dealers favorite method of cleaning off years of grime. You have to be careful of some solvents. Lacquer can be ruined by using some products to clean. I am positive about paint thinner, turpentine and naphtha, I have used them for years - including guitars that have years of grime caked up on them.

The guy that posted about using fine rubbing compound might be correct though. It sounds like the surface is damaged. I bought some stuff from a Track Auto that is a polishing product that removes scratches just fine on my car - test a small area though. Car finishes are more forgiving then guitar surfaces.

MadmanMayhem · Aug 8, 2002

I don't think the Ernie Ball polish caused the clouding, I've used it before with no problems.

zakk's-man · Aug 8, 2002

i only keep my strat on a stand but my LP goes in it's carry case so it will stay in great cond.

Rev.WillieVK · Aug 8, 2002

Could the clouding be wax? I had a used guitar that the previous ownder had shined up with paste wax - looked great until the first time it got damp and turned cloudy. Won't shine up or rub off easily. I ignored it but always thought I should check into using some sort of mild wax stripper (Disclaimer: check with the pros before trying this!).

My theory: the Ernie Ball polish wet the wax and made it cloudy.

John Vasco · Aug 8, 2002

When I saw Doyle Dykes showcasing Taylor guitars, I asked the Taylor executive with him what the best product was for cleaning and protecting the gloss finish top of guitars. His reply was simple and unequivocal: Turtle Wax, that used for cars! So I tried it, and it got rid of all the sweat and shite that accumulates from your hands and arms. Polishes up to an excellent finish also. I never use anything else now. Worth a try with the problem you have described.

Hope this helps.

john V.

PhilcoFord · Aug 9, 2002

Lighter Fluid = Naptha. Says so right on the can.

Dan E. recommends it, and that's good enough for me.

Wilko · Aug 9, 2002

For best results use no liquids on your guitar. Take yours outside and thoroughly let it dry. That cloud is moisture trapped in the lacquer. Then use turle wax. Or find the finist actual carnuba wax you can find.
That's all I use.

The good car car finishes all work well and don't cloud your lacquer. NuFinish is good. Don't use armourall.

Buzz · Aug 9, 2002

Micromesh from Dan Erlewines Stu-Mac catalog. The box includes many different grades from about 1200 grit all the way up to 12,000 grit. When soaked in warm slightly soapy water it will glide across the finish with no sticking. This stuff is not going to leave scratch marks because all the fibers are microscopicly the exact same size. You might want to start with 4000 grit and go thru all the grades not skiping any up to 12,000 which will bring it back to the polished mirror like finish. The Stu-Mac catalog is online and they have everything that could possibly be needed for that sort of problem, whatever it is. Ask Dan Erlewine about what it is first at his forum, or look it up in his book.

Buzz · Aug 9, 2002

I hope your problem is on the surface and not between the wood and the lacquer. If that's the case, micromesh won't remove it. I've tried that, I have what I think they call blisters, or fish eyes. These spots, hard to see but dissapointing may have been caused by overzealous "sunning" the guitar. The heat creatas a blister when it separates from the wood. At first I thought that Blow off contact cleaner had caused some of them because they were around the pots. After I had cleaned a scratchy sticky pot these spots appeard. Than after I read some information about them, and saw more of them appearing no where around where the contact cleaner could have gotten..I realized that they might be from exposing it's finish to a sunny sky when it was very hot outside, BEWARE! All finishes react differently, a Tom Murphy finish might not have this reaction whereas somebody else's finish will. I've never had two guitars that would react the same towards the same type of weather, cleaning, polishing etc...Treat them as what they are, fragile musical instruments, not surfboards or something unless you want to be a regular customer of Scott Lentz, Lay's or Tom Murphy.

Good luck, btw I had a '73 custom that had the cloudy problem you described, that was a long, long time ago so I never got to the root of that problem.

Bluesey · Aug 9, 2002

Try Lighter fluid for cigarette lighters. My Ronsonal bottle says "also excellent for removing grease, oil, tar, wax, gum, labels, crayon and heel marks. I work at a petro refinery and lighter is a very refined naphtha. I use it on my guitars and just used it to take the stickum off the back of selector washer (rythym/treble) and it didn't even hurt the plastic. lol

rmconner80 · Aug 9, 2002

Thanks for all the suggestions guys!

I tried Naphtha last night and it did absolutely nothing. I don't know what that means, but I'm assuming this means that the cloudy non shine is not some kind of gunk adhering to top of the finish. Maybe it is gas trapped in there as one person suggested. I'm going to try each suggesion on here and report back! First "airing" it out, perhaps with a little help from sunlight. Next up, I'll test a small patch with that fine grit finishing compound for cars...

The weird thing is that this cloud either wasn't present or at least wasn't visible before I polished it. And polishing did not produce the same thing anywhere else on the guitar. Because of the location on the guitar, I still suspect some type of binding reaction which I then rubbed into the finish before I noticed it. But I don't know what could have caused that. I could easily live with a cloud south of the bridge...if only I hadn't caused it!

r-senior · Aug 9, 2002

I sometimes get the slight milky patch under where my sweaty forearm has been. I think as Wilko says, it's just a little moisture in the laquer. I find it comes out with a light application of Gibson Pump Polish. Follow the instructions, i.e. shake the bottle well then spray onto a clean, soft cotton cloth (not direct on the guitar 'cos that doesn't work). Rub slowly but firmly on the milky area, then polish gently with a dry cloth.

Guitardon · Aug 10, 2002

r-senior said:
I sometimes get the slight milky patch under where my sweaty forearm has been. I think as Wilko says, it's just a little moisture in the laquer. I find it comes out with a light application of Gibson Pump Polish. Follow the instructions, i.e. shake the bottle well then spray onto a clean, soft cotton cloth (not direct on the guitar 'cos that doesn't work). Rub slowly but firmly on the milky area, then polish gently with a dry cloth.

I agree that it is moisture trapped.

I remember once when I was in the Antiques business the lady who had a store next to me had a plumbing leak. All her oak cabinets got wet. The wood turned milkey white. When everything dried most of the white was gone. Unfortunately when they were completely dry there were spots that sound like rmconner80's problem. She never got them out. i have aq friend who still is in the business of refinishing - I will ask him if he knows how to get the white out.

Classic Goldtop · Aug 10, 2002

Instead of possibly causing your baby harm you should consider just being cool and sitting it out. It does sound as if it is moisture and moisture will soon go away.

Please Help! I ruined my finish?

New member

Active member

Member

The Duke of Dumbassery

Banned

Active member

Well-known member

Member

New member

Active member

Well-known member

New member

All Access/Backstage Pass

All Access/Backstage Pass

All Access/Backstage Pass

New member

New member

New member

Well-known member

New member