Official Luthiers Forum!

If I can find the results anyway the money shot is that Bounty is the least scratching paper towel commonly available everywhere on the market, that's what we use as a result.

We also studied fret spacing and vintage jigs to set-up fret boards and that's been talked about here for years at times here. We can authenticate an instrument based on it's fret spacing and have been asked to do this more than once on very valuable instruments approaching $1M in sales price.

We also studied fret wire and on and on and on..... Science projects are us at A2 Guitars.

Hi Hesh,
I might just give you a call - email me your number if you're down for a quick conversation (info@fayguitars.com). I think a phone conversation would be a bit easier to discuss the topic.

The thing that still concerns me about applying silicone containing polish is that it leaves a residue on the guitar. Does that layer build up over time with repeated applications or does it wear off - maybe it concentrates in places that aren't touched?

I do agree that applying a guitar polish carefully isn't going to "contaminate" the shop. I do think repair folks should be careful about guitars that may be coated in Pledge or something like that - because that may spread silicone unknowingly. But more than likely, it's not a huge issue and is something that can be addressed by thorough cleaning.

So back to the main issue for me -- and that is does the small amount of silicone in the polish interfere with future repair work? I'm still inclined to think that it does. I've read a few furniture threads and it is a common theme to have problems when refinishing old furniture - especially if you are spraying something like lacquer. Regardless, lets discuss this in more detail if you can spare the time.

I can make the case that guitars that are not regularly cleaned with an effective polish also suffer from other surface contaminates that can ruin a refinish effort as well if good prep work is not in play.

Feel free to call me at the shop, the number is available if you google Ann Arbor Guitars.

Again no finish contamination issues with us when I use a lot of guitar polish and we, our business has successfully serviced over 10,000 guitars now not to mention basses and mandolins. Most all instruments get some level of cleaning while in our shop unless we are specifically asked not to do so and that happens too with people who want a dirty guitar on their album cover.

Careful use of commercial guitar polish including ones with some silicone in a dedicated guitar repair shop with segregated finishing facilities AND with Luthiers who always do proper prep work has not resulted in any contaminated finishes for us.

Not everyone has a segregated finishing area. I will continue to ban silicone from my shop, except for what comes in on guitars for repair/restoration. Have we whipped this horse to death yet?

Absolutely not -- the horse can definitely handle more whipping. BTW, what kind of horse cleaner/polisher do you guys use -- and more importantly, does it contain silicone.

Ha! Horses are totally different. They love to be greased down with a heavy coat of silicone. Helps keep the flies off them too.

LOL yeah it's been whipped to death . Poor horse.

Wanna talk about glue?

Horses. Glue. Sending aged horses to the glue factory. Nice segue!

Well it was the glue f*ctory or my Weber.....

That means it's either a very small horse or a very large grill.

Which reminds me of one of my favorite parts of O Brother, Where Art Thou?:

Washington Hogwallop : Mrs. Hogwallop up and R-U-N-N-O-F-T.
Ulysses Everett McGill : She musta been lookin' for answers.
Washington Hogwallop : Possibly. Good riddance as far as I'm concerned. I do miss her cookin' though.
Delmar O'Donnell : This stew's awful good.
Washington Hogwallop : [examining his fork] You think so? I slaughtered this horse last Tuesday... I'm afraid she's startin' to turn.

I hated this film....