How to get a glossy guitar finish?

**frostypyro** · 03-19-2018, 07:59 PM

I've had my Washburn j600 for a while now and I've gotten tired of the matte finish, and I was wondering if there's anyway to go about turning it into a high gloss. I've looked around on the internet and saw this forum here Polish satin to gloss - The Acoustic Guitar Forum, but wasnt too sure. What are your thoughts?

TH · 03-19-2018, 08:13 PM

You can certainly "gloss" it up but the finishes are essentially different. You'll never get the deep clear gloss you can look into and see clear grain beneath. Don't try it. It's a lot of work removing all the hardware, buffing through all the corners, nooks and crannies only to wind up with an uneven meh qualilty semi gloss that looks like an old clear finish instrument that's been through a hard summer in the back window of the car. Hey but if somebody wrote an article showing you the way to do it, more power to you!
I base my experience from my time on the assembly/inspection line of a big guitar company. The first satins we got in we were warned "Do NOT scratch the finish. You CANNOT buff any flaws out." Well I was setting one up and sure enough a tiny finish flaw was revealed. So instinctively I went to the buffer and the moment I made contact I knew. Shiny patch on a dull guitar. No way to get around that. Period.
Satin is popular because it's easier to apply and perfect gloss is not an issue. It kinda looks like a gloss before you buff it out.
As far as that article, well that's under really great light conditions and it's a flat top. I wouldn't try it with a poly satin on an archtop, but don't let me stop you.

My kinda ignorant opinion anyway.

David

**ptchristopher3** · 03-19-2018, 10:19 PM

You know all those things in your life you wish you could have not done?

This will be right up there with that second girlfriend after high school, those plaid pants, and admitting at a party that you like some Jimmy Buffett songs.

No.

Really, no.

We can explore the details of how a dull finish is done on this guitar, and why it is a staggeringly bad idea to try to “rub it out”. But much better use of bandwidth to say this is maybe the worst idea of 2018, and it is only March.

Really, you will spend 10X the time you expect for 1/100 the result (in VERY dim light).

No.

Seriously.

In my opinion.

**TedBPhx** · 03-19-2018, 10:50 PM

Thank you for this thread!

I have a J600k and had also considered buffing it out. Now I can put that idea to bed knowing it’s for a logical reason and not laziness.

**Thumpalumpacus** · 03-20-2018, 02:15 AM

I've seen decent jobs -- as told by online pics -- at MLP. But if the guitar talks to me, it doesn't really matter if it's shiny. /.02

**hotpepper01** · 03-20-2018, 03:54 AM

I did it once on a Gibson Les Paul Tribute goldtop- What I used was Turtle Wax. It took quite some work and corners are difficult. Started a test on a non visual spot underneath the pickguard. After that showed good results, I took the step by doing the whole guitar. It worked out nice. I cannot predict how a method that you chose will work out on your J600. The pictures in the album would certainly encourage me to do the same.

TH · 03-20-2018, 06:37 AM

One added addendum and a DAH obvious fact. Buffing a lacquer finish from satin to gloss. Sure. It's in the nature of the medium. Taking a satin poly finish and trying to make a gloss... sow's ear (inherent refraction index?). Read that into your articles and commentaries.
But sorry for stating the obvious here.
David

**Little Jay** · 03-20-2018, 09:19 AM

Totally do-able and for me it was totally worth it.

My Ibanez AF55's finish looked exactly like yours. I did as hotpepper: I took turtle wax car polish and a cotton cloth and after a lot of elbow grease (couple of hours, so not too much practice time waisted ;-) it looked like this:

**Little Jay** · 03-20-2018, 09:26 AM

So my Ibanez went from this:

to this:

I like the looks so much better that in my head it sounds and plays better as well and that's all that counts!

**Michaelmm** · 03-20-2018, 09:45 AM

I've done three guitar so far using Meguiar's ultimate compound with great results. Two looked like factory gloss finish. One inexpensive epiphone solid body that wasn't grain filled was so so.

**rlrhett** · 03-20-2018, 11:48 AM

I suppose it depends on what you like and think is acceptable. The before and after shots a couple of posts above is exactly what you are being warned against. To me it looks milky and there are areas around the cutaway and in the re-curve that look blotchy. I could never sell a guitar that looked like that.

That said, a super high gloss flawless finish hasn’t always been the standard on guitars. The most valuable stringed instruments in the world (Stradivarius, Guarneri, etc) would look ridiculous with a high gloss mirror finish. So if you like the way that looks, go for it.

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**Ray175** · 03-20-2018, 12:02 PM

If acoustic tone is important to you, then think twice. Adding a gloss finish could have an impact on the resonating qualities of the soundboard. Had long discussions with the Martin guys on this when I considered putting a gloss finish on my matte JM...... I didn't take the jump

**TedBPhx** · 03-20-2018, 12:09 PM

My Washburn J600k does not have much of an acoustic tone as it is.

**frostypyro** · 03-20-2018, 01:06 PM

Thanks Y'all the replies. What I may end up doing is waxing a part maybe under the pickguard, and if i like it I'll keep going, and if not then ¯\_(?)_/¯. As for acoustic tone, I really don't care all that much.

**ptchristopher3** · 03-20-2018, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by frostypyro

Thanks Y'all the replies. What I may end up doing is waxing a part maybe under the pickguard, and if i like it I'll keep going, and if not then ¯\_(?)_/¯. As for acoustic tone, I really don't care all that much.

Sounds like a good plan. Please post your results if you do not mind.

Chris

**Jabberwocky** · 03-20-2018, 01:15 PM

Why not?

Surfaces | menzerna polishing compounds GmbH & Co. KG

Men Zer Na.

**Little Jay** · 03-20-2018, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by Ray175

If acoustic tone is important to you, then think twice. Adding a gloss finish could have an impact on the resonating qualities of the soundboard. Had long discussions with the Martin guys on this when I considered putting a gloss finish on my matte JM...... I didn't take the jump

If you polish you don’t add anything, you are taking away some finish, making it thinner!

But it’s such a minute little bit that it probably won’t enhance acoustic tone at all (I didn’t notice any difference).

**Little Jay** · 03-20-2018, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by rlrhett

I suppose it depends on what you like and think is acceptable. The before and after shots a couple of posts above is exactly what you are being warned against. To me it looks milky and there are areas around the cutaway and in the re-curve that look blotchy. I could never sell a guitar that looked like that.

That said, a super high gloss flawless finish hasn’t always been the standard on guitars. The most valuable stringed instruments in the world (Stradivarius, Guarneri, etc) would look ridiculous with a high gloss mirror finish. So if you like the way that looks, go for it.

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Nah, no milky-ness at all, must be my greasy finger-residue you see in the picture.... ;-)

But you are right it will never be a such a high gloss as with a finish designed to be high gloss I guess, it stays slightly satin and a bit duller. Although I like that look a lot because it looks just like an old vintage instrument with a slightly worn or dirty finish!

**mr. beaumont** · 03-20-2018, 02:54 PM

I like that Ibanez...went from a kind of boring looking guitar to a baby 350

**rio** · 03-20-2018, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by Little Jay

So my Ibanez went from this:

to this:

I like the looks so much better that in my head it sounds and plays better as well and that's all that counts!

I think that looks great. Not like a factory gloss finish but more like an older gloss finish that has dulled a bit over the years. It’s a good look.

If you wanted to go back to matte it isn’t hard. I had an upright bass that had a plasticky gloss finish I didn’t like and using a green scrub pad was easy to matte the finish with good results. So if you mess up the gloss you could always go back to matte.

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**rio** · 03-20-2018, 03:59 PM

Edit: whoops, meant to edit, not post.

**Jabberwocky** · 03-20-2018, 06:11 PM

Requires lots of elbow grease but Novus Plastic Cleaner #2 followed by #1. These are used to take scratches out of Plexiglass and UW camera domes. There is a #3 which has a rough cut.

Fun fact: some classical guitar makers use Novus 2 for the final buff of French Polished surfaces.