Polishing A Turd: Satin to Gloss Guitar Finish

[@Aceroxx02]

Maple top yes, but not all flamed. The flame is a thin veneer like Epiphone uses.

[@JuanJaim]

You can tell if it's a top if the seam goes into the cavity. In this case, I think it doesn't. Anyhow, it does have a thick top and that veneer is stunning!

[@savoystylo]

Just tried it myself on an Epiphone Traditional worn. The Meguiar's scratch x did a phenomenal job! It looks pretty damn close to a nitro finish now, I hated the matte feel.

[@frossbog]

Polishing a satin poly finish actually results in a look that is very close to a vintage gloss finish.

[@DeepFriedHallelujah]

Just did this to my Epi LP Classic Worn and you are spot on. I prefer the look and feel of old guitars. Only buffed mine about halfway didn’t want a mirror finish

[@garybrady9531]

I have a satin black Mockingbird the only satin in my collection I have use flitz but only on metal stuff good to see your results

[@hirocaster]

who's the seller of this particular Chibson? Look so good

[@ofershragay]

Looks great!

[@j.jester7821]

Thanks for the video. thinking about doing this to a "worn finish" les paul. not sure what clear coat it with.

[@horrorview]

The relic Chibsons come with "nitro" finishes (like yours, which is actually a common "relic" one) that use some sort of matte spray that actually reminds me of the Les Paul Tribute line. Doesn't SMELL like nitro, but who knows.

[@CorbenEdward]

I heard some wivestale about polishing satin guitars: "If you do that, It'll look good at first, then go all cloudy!" How is this finish holding up to the shine? Is that at all true. I really want to do this to my Ibanez BTW 805ms to even out the shiny parts from my palm lol. How's yours holding up?

[@boechlerguitarsandrepair]

Mine looks the exact same since I've done it. No clouding

[@CorbenEdward]

@@boechlerguitarsandrepair thanks for letting me know and thanks for the satisfying video!

[@aperezdeal]

Wow!

[@ernestschultz5065]

If you really wanted to get crazy you could add 5 or 6 coats of clear nitro and then polish it.

[@Shaylok]

I have a guitar with a beautiful satin finish, but it wears away just from use. I know someday i will want to sand and repaint it. I'll give it a nice protective, long lasting finish. I won't be going with satin again.

[@tcollacott]

that's a paper thin veneer on a chunk of maple

[@boechlerguitarsandrepair]

Hard to believe, but it is a proper cap. You can see figuring on it in the pickup cavities

[@FabianSalomonsson]

@@boechlerguitarsandrepair The thick maple top could still have a bit of figuring to it which you see in the cavities but I have a really hard time believing it's not a veneer, such a thick flamed top is worth more than the guitar. Perhaps it's really hard to see because of how thin it is?

[@boechlerguitarsandrepair]

@@FabianSalomonsson it's possible, I'll have to take another look next time I change the strings or do some work on it

[@KFitzG35competitor]

​@FabianSalomonsson some of the better chibsons aren't a veneer. Some people buy them just for the body because of it.

[@AuroraRicci-p5m]

And some ugly flames too

[@j.jester7821]

its chibson. Why bother?

[@solarismoon3046]

So you can polish a Gibson - I meant turd! You can polish a turd. 🥴

[@solarismoon3046]

It's pronounced Meg-wires but Meguiar's all one word. Not Meg-u-ars. And that's not a lacquer because lacquer (not nitro) would polish out easily. Everyone that knows "nitro" refers to NITROUS OXIDE. This is short hand in the racing industry. How it is now being misused to describe lacquer is beyond me. This is a polyester finish. All the overseas manufacturers use it. It's a lot higher solid content and is more suited for industrial applications. Polyester takes a lot more to finish and polish. I use Meguiar's Mirror Glaze or Ultimate Mirror polish. Both can be used with a buffer or by hand. Hand polishing doesn't provide the high speed that most guitars are polished with but wet sanding papers always make this much easier. Start with 600 grit then go directly to polish. I use a terry cloth towel as this works best. And that CURL - not flame is what you see in the wood grain. It's CURLY MAPLE - not FLAME maple. The wood growth curls as it's developing which is why you see those pronounced lines in it.

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

It is uncertain what causes the beautiful figure in curly maple. Some experts maintain that minerals concentrated in an area of the tree's soil affect the grain, while others believe the pattern may be caused by a viral infection.

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

BEWARE. DO NOT FOLLOW HIS ADVICE. Flame maple (tiger maple), also known as flamed maple, curly maple, ripple maple, fiddleback or tiger stripe, is a feature of maple in which the growth of the wood fibers is distorted in an undulating chatoyant pattern, producing wavy lines known as "flames". This effect is often mistakenly said to be part of the grain of the wood; it is more accurately called "figure", as the distortion is perpendicular to the grain direction. Prized for its beautiful appearance, it is used frequently in the manufacturing of fine furniture and musical instruments, such as violins, guitars, and bassoons.

[@ericrussell2378]

"Nitro" as it pertains to guitar finishes refers to nitrocellulose lacquer. Nitrocellulose lacquer is what is used on Gibson as well as other high end guitars, and no, not everyone who hears nitro thinks nitrous oxide. It depends on what realms you are in, someone who doesn't do or follow anything with regards to cars or racing but is really into guitars will automatically think nitrocellulose lacquer when they hear it.

[@solarismoon3046]

@@ChrisShortyAllen Those are all MISNOMERS. It's not my advice that they shouldn't follow but people that make comments like yours just because you don't agree with me. It's technically CURLY MAPLE as the grain has a slight curl against the regular grain of the wood. I don't have to look it up to know this or to explain it as you obviously had to plagiarize. Figure is a general term and can be type of grain and not particular to any real species of wood. So would you like to try that again?

[@ChrisShortyAllen]

@@solarismoon3046 zzzzzzzz. You are wrong.