Thanks for this video. I'm putting the final coat of wipe on gloss poly on my guitar build and I've been debating on how to level sand and finish to a high gloss. (No buffing wheel here and I'm not a fan of compounds) I know it'll take some time but I like the work and the result looks awesome. Thanks again.
@@RedSpyderX On my neck and headstock I'm using the same Minwax Wipe On Gloss Poly. I'll do the same wet sanding to level and polish, but on the back of the neck, I'm going to tape the ends and sand up to 1000 grit to give it a smooth satin feel.
So u said u had already sanded it up to 1500 grit. Was that wer sand the whole time? If so just regular wet sanding paper? Also what was the most coarse u started with? I recently bought a 80's fender f-210 that with a little elbow grease I think can be brought back. There are a few scratches into the clear I don't think will come out completely.
I have a question..i sanded a laquor guitar classical that got at at yard sale.it had house paint coverage the original finish..now the original finish is exposed.what do u recommend to regloss it up? Its fine sanded with 1000 grits.
Hi Maxime, This process is used to buff a guitar finished in lacquer. It is used if one doesn't have access to a buffing wheel. If you could normally buff carnauba on a buffing wheel I suppose it would work but I'm not sure.
What am I doing wrong? I've been trying to get a dull patch as glossy as the rest of the front, using 15000 wet sandpaper. It doesn't seem to be doing anything near a shine. I'm about to use a buffer, when it arrives.
Hi, your videos are really very helpful. I have a question, will this work on the top of a classical guitar too, do wet sanding the top with that process would eventually makes the top finish thinner and more fragile?
Glad to hear you are enjoying my videos and finding them useful. Thanks for watching. This technique works on any type of finish. It does not work on bare wood. Any time you rub out a finish, to either high gloss or a satin sheen, you end up making the finish thinner. The trick is to not rub through the finish or one of the layers of finish if using a finish that builds inlayers. The technical term for that is "BAD".
This video answered my questions about turning my satin guitar to a gloss guitar, i think the wood grains on my sws solid rosewood seagull would look much better glossy
Thank you! Is there any reason not to do this on a Taylor satin finish? I would do the back and side to open up the tone and response. If that goes well, I might do the top.
There are two ways to get a satin finish. One is to put agents in the finish that cause light refraction. The other is to use a high gloss product and then rub it out to a satin sheen. If the guitar finish is the first type I mentioned then you will not be able to get it to a high gloss. If the product used was a high gloss that has been rubbed out to a satin then you could possibly get it back to a high gloss by reversing the rubbing out process. However, you run the risk of going through the finish so be careful.
I got a 12 string acoustic guitar that someone painted on the body. Is it possible to remove the painting and bring it back to it's original state ...🤞🤞🤞
So if I wanted to go (in reverse of this) from a high gloss to a satin, what grits would you use to take the gloss out evenly? I like a matte/satin finish. Thanks.
This video is not taking a satin finish to a high gloss finish. This is taking an unbuffed gloss finish and showing how to buff it by hand. A satin finish is determined by the lacquer solution not by how much or how little sanding is done to the finish. Trying to take a high gloss finish to a satin one will only give you a scratched instrument.
I am going to ask this one: Why not use super fine grit sandpaper with an oil application instead of water and soap? I used a mineral oil and fine grit to finish with a super nice finish. So, I would like your reply Robbie O'Brien. Thanks in advance.
I suppose you could use an oil as a lubricant if you were not going to rub the finish out to a high gloss. The advantage of the water as a lubricant is it comes off the surface easily and I can go right to my buffing wheel or use micro mesh like I show in the video to achieve a super high gloss.
Thanks for this video! I want to try it on an early 2000s HD-28 I recently picked up that had been abused- it has sharpie writing all over it, and the finish is completely dull. So before stripping it and refinishing I wonder if the old finish still has enough thickness to shine up again. Would save a lot of work if so. Question - what grit sandpaper did you start with when wet sanding before using the Micro-mesh? You mentioned wet sanding up to 1500. Did you start with 400 for instance, or is that going to burn through the finish? Apologies if you already answered this, I checked the comments but didn't see it. One more thing- the back has a crack in it, should I be concerned about water seeping in during the process? Would a little tape in the inside of the guitar over the crack protect the inside from getting wet, or should I not worry with this small amount of moisture? Thank you.
I would start with a higher grit and then back down if needed. For example, start with 1000 grit. If that does the job then go forward with the micromesh. If not, then back down to 800, 600, 400 etc. Be very careful as you can do more damage than good if not done right. The crack also worries me. Use very little moisture in that area. You might even consider dry sanding that area. Good luck.
@@OBrienGuitars Thanks, that's very helpful. I'll take it slow starting at 1000. If the finish is too thin for much sanding, would you recommend polishing compounds instead? I don't have a buffer so it would be done by hand.
@@OBrienGuitars It's a good candidate to try, since it's already in such poor shape, but hopefully this will work and I won't need to refinish completely. Thanks for the advice!
@chrisherrod3338 I always find 400 too rough unless there are obvious scratches/damage. 600 seems perfect to me to start on a lacquer rattle can texture. I go 600, 1000, 1500, 2000, then micro-mesh all the way up to 12000 as in the video here
This is a process for buffing a guitar by hand. It's for people who don't have a buffing wheel. You are not removing paint or finish. You are buffing up a nitrocellulose application. For this reason, you don't need to protect the binding.
I've had the same thought - need advice on this. The finish on this guitar is a nightmare to keep looking good. Virtuoso Cleaner & Polish have improved things markedly.
I have a Walden acoustic. It's been my beater guitar for years. I would like to give it a face-lift. Will this work to remove scratches and shine my guitar.
Very impressive. Two questions : is it laquer + wet-sanding 1500 + micromesh 3600... OR RAW WOOD + wet-sanding ... ? Will it work on tru-oil? Thank you.
I am rubbing the finish out to a gloss not the wood. You will not get a shine like this from raw wood. This will work with tru oil but this product is not designed for super high gloss like lacquer, urethane, polyester etc.
Hi, im wandering if i can do this method to a satin finish guitar. Would i have to sand it before hand (if so what is the proper way to sand?) or can I jump straight to the micromesh? Thanks
I want to revisit a question that a viewer posed five years ago: Can a satin finished Taylor be glossed using this same method and MicroMesh grits. I'm aware that doing this will void my warranty, but I would like to try it first on an area at the bottom of the guitar.
It is unlikely that this will work. It might make it a bit more glossy but probably won't take to a high gloss. A flatting agent is typically used to achieve a satin finish and buffing won't take this out. This method is really for people without a buffing wheel to buff out their finish or taking a gloss finish back to its original glossy look.
I applied polyeurethane (from Home Depot) over the lacquer on my flamenco guitar but learned that the poly remains too soft to buff...it leaves a haze. Having sanded off most of the junk poly, I want to try again with a better product. Since the surface now has areas of poly and areas of lacquer, I hesitate applying nitro cellulose lacquer, fearing it will lift up the areas of poly (I understand that poly will go over lacquer but not lacquer over poly).
I searched the Internet for a polyeurethane that comes with a hardener but found none. Can you recommend a high gloss product that I can put on top of my instrument that will harden sufficiently to buff?
hope its a cheap flamenco guitar... cause otherwise you are better off french polishing if you have the patience, it will end up sounding a lot better than anything else out there. its about the looks or the sound id say. What did you end up doing?
@@MastersOfTheHeart Even the most artful French polishing is crude compared to lacquer. For a wet, glassy finish, laquer is unsurpassed. I finished French polishing my 1941 Ramirez, 20 applications over a period of three months. It looks beautiful, until a close up inspection. So I bought a can of laquer and will apply a few coats by spraying, since the shellac acts as a barrier coat. I think French polish for furniture is nice, but not for a professional finish on a guitar. But this is merely my opinion.
Have you not taken a layer (or more) of lacquer off that hasn't been replaced i.e. you can't do this procedure too many times otherwise you'd be through to the wood?
This is for a new lacquer finish. It's how to buff it out when you don't have a buffing wheel. This is not meant to be a process that is repeated. You can continue to polish your finish over time, however.
This video is what I've been looking for. However, I have an additional question; I have an expensive Gibson which has a nitro finish. The persperation where I contact the instrument has dulled the finish. Will the technique you show on this video work on a nitro finish? Will it blend in with the surrounding high gloss nitro finish?
It should work but proceed with caution. You don't want to burn through the existing finish. These polishes are specifically made for this issue and you may be able to just use the fine polish finish and solve your problem.
Yes, you can buff colored finishes to high gloss. Most spray paints are lacquer based with a color. You can also make your own by adding dye to the lacquer.
OBrienGuitars well it's going to be some kind of shelf on top of my desk. The top of the shelf is where my speakers and computer screen go, so I would like the top to be very shiny.
Yes. In this video I am leveling the finish after the lacquer has been applied. It also has been leveled up to 1000 grit with wet/dry sandpaper. This process is just to get it to a high gloss.
i have a question. since this method is only wet sanding the finish with a very fine grit sandpaper for the high gloss, does it feels as smooth as if you sand a gloss finish on the guitar neck or it feels sticky just like a normal gloss finish?
A ‘normal” gloss finish done properly shouldn’t feel sticky. the reason why a satin finish doesn’t feel sticky to you is that most folks rub out to a satin using a lubricant like a high quality wax during the rubbing out process.
i sanded all of my guitar neck that have a gloss finish with 400 grit sandpaper and it feels way smoother and i didn't apply any kind of wax. and this method use 12k grit sandpaper, so i just wanna know if it feels as smooth as if i sand it with 400 grit. because i love high gloss finish on the neck but it doesn't feel comfortable for me because of that sticky feel.
Hi can I use this technique to rebuffed my 5 years old classical guitar. Because some of the part are not that glossy anymore. But the guitar doesn't have a lot of scratches just some micro scratches.
Thanks you OBrienGuitars for replying. I've been using fender guitar polish for as long as I remember but It seem to not working anymore. I'm living in Malaysia and can't seems to find any LMI product online. I could only find car polishing and swirl remover. Can I use car product? Could you please send me a link for that product that you've been saying? It would be a great help. Btw I've subscribed to both of the channel. OBrienGuitars & Luthiers Mercantile International
I have a high gloss Yamaha fg830 guitar and I want to remove the gloss, I mean make it matte or satin, is it possible to do it just using sandpaper????
Matte finishes have to do with the solids in the product and not the level of sanding so it is unlikely you'd be satisfied with the result if you tried this.
Can someone please explain what is the elbow grease coment about? I understand he says "Yes, it is possible, however it requires a little bit of elbow grease" but I don´t see the elbow grease on the procedure, just a bowl with water and a drop of detergent. Is that some kind of slang?
I am not sure what you mean by renew and I would be very careful buffing a finish if you have no experience in this area. I would try using a fine scratch remover or swirl remover to polish the finish rather than using something more aggressive.
This might be a bit of an amateurish question, but could this method be used on a new guitar that has a satin finish? I would like to give an Epiphone AJ-45ME a gloss finish. Cheers
There are two ways to get a satin finish. One is to put agents in the finish that cause light refraction. The other is to use a high gloss product and then rub it out to a satin sheen. If the guitar finish is the first type I mentioned then you will not be able to get it to a high gloss. If the product used was a high gloss that has been rubbed out to a satin then you could possibly get it back to a high gloss by reversing the rubbing out process. However, you run the risk of going through the finish so be careful.
@@luthiersmercantileinternat5786 Jack Newton asked the question I want to ask but you copied and pasted an answer to a different question by Michael Allen, above. My guitar, an Ibz AM53, has a [factory] flat 'burgundy-burst' finish. I like the colour. Like Jack, I want to end up with a gloss finish over this original finish. Is yor vid the way to do this or adding clear coat and then ...
@@chrisnation49 Hi Chris, Sorry I missed your question. The video above is meant for folks who don't have access to a buffing machine when applying a lacquer finish. If you want your satin guitar to have a gloss finish, you will have to apply a finish over the existing finish. The question is then one of compatibility. If the existing finish is lacquer, you could probably scuff it and then finish over it and buff that finish out to a gloss, but it's a risk and there's really no way to test that it will be successful.
I have a guitar with a matte finish from top to bottom. Can I use this method to get a high gloss finish instead? And if I do use this method. Will I have to refinish my polished surface to reseal the wood?
You can progress to the next grit when the scratch marks from the previous grit go away. It is easier to see this if you sand diagonally with one grit and then straight or opposite direction with the next grit.
It depends on how badly damaged the finish is. If it is light marks, then yes. If it has damaged all the way to the wood, then no. I would proceed with caution if you have never done this type of repair before. If it is just light marks from the suction cup you might try just a swirl remover and a cotton ball to polish the area.
You can rub out a high gloss finish to a matte sheen but if your finish product has light defractors in it, this making it a matte finish, then you will not be able to rub it up to a gloss.
@@hikupmusicofficial You can take a gloss and dampen the sheen but you can't take a low sheen and make it high due to the light defractors Robbie mentioned above. To put a gloss finish on your guitar you would have to have it refinished with a glossy product.
@@hikupmusicofficial You would have to strip the guitar and then use a gloss finish product. Here is a link to our finishes page filtered for High Gloss finishing products. Give us a call or email us through our website if you need additional direction. www.luthiersmerc.com
The guitar had a lacquer finish (different from varnish). Lacquer finishes are often buffed using a buffing machine but since not everyone has a buffing machine or access to one, Robbie showed how to do this buffing process by hand.
Yes, Micro mesh works well on any film finish. I like to level with sandpaper up to about 1000 before I transition into the Micro mesh to get that high gloss finish.
Just sand long enough to remove the previous grit marks. It doesn't take much. The trick is to do this without sanding through to the wood or through previous layers of finish.
That's a harp guitar. Here's what wiki says about harp guitars: The harp guitar is a guitar-based stringed instrument generally defined as a "guitar, in any of its accepted forms, with any number of additional unstopped strings that can accommodate individual plucking." The word "harp" is used in reference to its harp-like unstopped open strings.
I suppose you might be able to dull the finish a bit by inducing very fine scratches - in other words, the opposite of removing scratches by polishing. A cut polish might dull the finish a bit. If it didn't work you could always repolish it, but I'd be very nervous to try this honestly.
The object of progressing through grits is for each subsequent grit to remove the scratches from the prior grit so it's important to move up through the grits.
This video leaves out what state the guitar body he is working on is in at start. Had it already had lacquer applied and if so what kind, how many coats etc, or was it raw wood sanded to a certain level which he continued here in preparation for application of finish.
This is a newly completed instrument with a lacquer finish that is ready to be buffed out to a high gloss. Robbie is demonstrating how to achieve a finish that looks buffed without using a buffing wheel.
Thanks so much for the response! I will give it a try. I am also sorry to hear you guys are closing up shop but happy retirement and guitar building!@@luthiersmercantileinternat5786
This video is about taking an unbuffed gloss lacquer finish on a newly built or refinished guitar and buffing it by hand. Not everyone has a buffing wheel or access to one and this is an alternative method to using a buffing wheel.
Hi Arthur, Wet sanding a finish is a very standard practice in guitar building. Wet sanding prolongs sandpaper life and allows you to obtain a smoother surface than dry sanding.
Shouldn't we be afraid of our wood absorbing the water? It seems like yours isn't doing that. Is that because of the wood you're using or is it for some other reason?
There is a lacquer finish on this instrument that prevents the absorption of the water. You don't want to drown it, but this is the process for producing a high-gloss finish on a lacquer finish if you don't have a buffing wheel.
Those "circular motions" 😮. There is no reason, what so ever, to use those. I really mean never! Not when you sand, polish or wash your car, always use straght motions!
Another Tip when you are wet sanding it is a good idea to rub on some soap on the paper so it doesnt clog and helps prevent sanding too much paint
Great video!
Thank you!
Wow，This is great info. Thanks
Thanks buddy that was awesome! A+
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the video and found it useful.
Hey guys, just started on your channel and great video. Can this method be used to reinvigorate a used piece that's being reworked into shape?
WOW! that was freaking awesome! then you!
Very nice.
Very nice
Beautiful
Thanks for this video. I'm putting the final coat of wipe on gloss poly on my guitar build and I've been debating on how to level sand and finish to a high gloss. (No buffing wheel here and I'm not a fan of compounds) I know it'll take some time but I like the work and the result looks awesome. Thanks again.
Did you follow any video to do the neck? What kind of poly you used? I'm about to jump to do my neck!
@@RedSpyderX On my neck and headstock I'm using the same Minwax Wipe On Gloss Poly. I'll do the same wet sanding to level and polish, but on the back of the neck, I'm going to tape the ends and sand up to 1000 grit to give it a smooth satin feel.
So u said u had already sanded it up to 1500 grit. Was that wer sand the whole time? If so just regular wet sanding paper? Also what was the most coarse u started with? I recently bought a 80's fender f-210 that with a little elbow grease I think can be brought back. There are a few scratches into the clear I don't think will come out completely.
how do i finish a snooker cue to make it shine gloss finish without having to use lacquer?
I have a question..i sanded a laquor guitar classical that got at at yard sale.it had house paint coverage the original finish..now the original finish is exposed.what do u recommend to regloss it up? Its fine sanded with 1000 grits.
Cool! I'm going to look for some "elbow grease" on Amazon.....
..what about hand sanding techniques at the bouts? ...special sanding block? convex or concave? thkx again for another informative video!
Just a normal backing block will work. No need to over think it. I have even just used my hand before. Good luck.
Hello, what laquer it was? Nitro? Will it work over tru-oil? Thank you.
Hi! I have one question: what kind of lacquer did you use for finishing this guitar? Thank you!
Awesome. Can you do this exact same process with a carnauba hard wax finish?
Hi Maxime, This process is used to buff a guitar finished in lacquer. It is used if one doesn't have access to a buffing wheel. If you could normally buff carnauba on a buffing wheel I suppose it would work but I'm not sure.
Wicked video. Thanks! About to do the same on my home made dreadnought. What is the equivalent to 12000 grit mocromesh in standard sandpaper?
Here's a chart that shows micromesh equivalents: www.sisweb.com/micromesh/conversion.htm
What am I doing wrong? I've been trying to get a dull patch as glossy as the rest of the front, using 15000 wet sandpaper. It doesn't seem to be doing anything near a shine. I'm about to use a buffer, when it arrives.
Hi, your videos are really very helpful. I have a question, will this work on the top of a classical guitar too, do wet sanding the top with that process would eventually makes the top finish thinner and more fragile?
Glad to hear you are enjoying my videos and finding them useful. Thanks for watching. This technique works on any type of finish. It does not work on bare wood. Any time you rub out a finish, to either high gloss or a satin sheen, you end up making the finish thinner. The trick is to not rub through the finish or one of the layers of finish if using a finish that builds inlayers. The technical term for that is "BAD".
@@OBrienGuitars Thank you so much. Stay safe always.
Can you buff out a satin finish to gloss on a Big Baby Taylor? Thanks
This video answered my questions about turning my satin guitar to a gloss guitar, i think the wood grains on my sws solid rosewood seagull would look much better glossy
Did you do it? If so how did it go?
Just don't
Thank you! Is there any reason not to do this on a Taylor satin finish? I would do the back and side to open up the tone and response. If that goes well, I might do the top.
There are two ways to get a satin finish. One is to put agents in the finish that cause light refraction. The other is to use a high gloss product and then rub it out to a satin sheen. If the guitar finish is the first type I mentioned then you will not be able to get it to a high gloss. If the product used was a high gloss that has been rubbed out to a satin then you could possibly get it back to a high gloss by reversing the rubbing out process. However, you run the risk of going through the finish so be careful.
I got a 12 string acoustic guitar that someone painted on the body. Is it possible to remove the painting and bring it back to it's original state ...🤞🤞🤞
Clearly this method works my question is, what is going to protect the wood after is glossy? O is it just going to dry out?
The wood is lacquered before wetsanding! Do not do this to unfinished wood.
@@karelenhenkie666 would i be able to use this method on top of a coat of tru oil?
Wow
What is that ? Liquid detergent , like washing machine liquid ? Dish soap ? I dont get it
Probably. You'd have to strip it back to bare wood and then completely refinish it. It will be a lot of work but might be worth it.
So if I wanted to go (in reverse of this) from a high gloss to a satin, what grits would you use to take the gloss out evenly? I like a matte/satin finish. Thanks.
This video is not taking a satin finish to a high gloss finish. This is taking an unbuffed gloss finish and showing how to buff it by hand. A satin finish is determined by the lacquer solution not by how much or how little sanding is done to the finish. Trying to take a high gloss finish to a satin one will only give you a scratched instrument.
I am going to ask this one: Why not use super fine grit sandpaper with an oil application instead of water and soap? I used a mineral oil and fine grit to finish with a super nice finish. So, I would like your reply Robbie O'Brien. Thanks in advance.
I suppose you could use an oil as a lubricant if you were not going to rub the finish out to a high gloss. The advantage of the water as a lubricant is it comes off the surface easily and I can go right to my buffing wheel or use micro mesh like I show in the video to achieve a super high gloss.
How should I prepare my guitar before doing wet sanding like you
i was wondering the same thing, what did you do?
How long did it take you to sand this section with the micromesh in this video to get these results? I see you cut the film.
i would say it probably took about 30 mins
Thanks for this video! I want to try it on an early 2000s HD-28 I recently picked up that had been abused- it has sharpie writing all over it, and the finish is completely dull. So before stripping it and refinishing I wonder if the old finish still has enough thickness to shine up again. Would save a lot of work if so. Question - what grit sandpaper did you start with when wet sanding before using the Micro-mesh? You mentioned wet sanding up to 1500. Did you start with 400 for instance, or is that going to burn through the finish? Apologies if you already answered this, I checked the comments but didn't see it. One more thing- the back has a crack in it, should I be concerned about water seeping in during the process? Would a little tape in the inside of the guitar over the crack protect the inside from getting wet, or should I not worry with this small amount of moisture? Thank you.
I would start with a higher grit and then back down if needed. For example, start with 1000 grit. If that does the job then go forward with the micromesh. If not, then back down to 800, 600, 400 etc. Be very careful as you can do more damage than good if not done right. The crack also worries me. Use very little moisture in that area. You might even consider dry sanding that area. Good luck.
@@OBrienGuitars Thanks, that's very helpful. I'll take it slow starting at 1000. If the finish is too thin for much sanding, would you recommend polishing compounds instead? I don't have a buffer so it would be done by hand.
@@jdyfilm That might work. Be careful to not damage the finish or sand through layers.
@@OBrienGuitars It's a good candidate to try, since it's already in such poor shape, but hopefully this will work and I won't need to refinish completely. Thanks for the advice!
@chrisherrod3338 I always find 400 too rough unless there are obvious scratches/damage. 600 seems perfect to me to start on a lacquer rattle can texture. I go 600, 1000, 1500, 2000, then micro-mesh all the way up to 12000 as in the video here
Just a side question - how much care do you need to protect the binding? Obviously, coarse enough to remove finish or paint can be an issue, right?
This is a process for buffing a guitar by hand. It's for people who don't have a buffing wheel. You are not removing paint or finish. You are buffing up a nitrocellulose application. For this reason, you don't need to protect the binding.
I would love to make my 2020 Martin 000-15M like this, but Im nervous 😆
I've had the same thought - need advice on this. The finish on this guitar is a nightmare to keep looking good. Virtuoso Cleaner & Polish have improved things markedly.
Hi, what kind of finish was on the guitar prior to your wet sanding with Micro Mesh? Many thanks!
This particular finish was lacquer but the technique works for all types of finishes.
@@OBrienGuitars Also on french polish shellac??
@@franciscojavierruizguerra9872 yes.
@@OBrienGuitars Thank you!!
I have a Walden acoustic. It's been my beater guitar for years. I would like to give it a face-lift. Will this work to remove scratches and shine my guitar.
Buffing wheel on my drill is what I'm going to use. I'm searching for the right compound to use. No need to hand do this.
Very impressive. Two questions : is it laquer + wet-sanding 1500 + micromesh 3600... OR RAW WOOD + wet-sanding ... ? Will it work on tru-oil? Thank you.
I am rubbing the finish out to a gloss not the wood. You will not get a shine like this from raw wood. This will work with tru oil but this product is not designed for super high gloss like lacquer, urethane, polyester etc.
Hi, im wandering if i can do this method to a satin finish guitar. Would i have to sand it before hand (if so what is the proper way to sand?) or can I jump straight to the micromesh? Thanks
This will not work on a satin finish. It is meant to buff a new lacquer finish.
I want to make a guitar but please tell how can I achieve high gloss like you on guitar tell me which thing I required
I want to revisit a question that a viewer posed five years ago: Can a satin finished Taylor be glossed using this same method and MicroMesh grits. I'm aware that doing this will void my warranty, but I would like to try it first on an area at the bottom of the guitar.
It is unlikely that this will work. It might make it a bit more glossy but probably won't take to a high gloss. A flatting agent is typically used to achieve a satin finish and buffing won't take this out. This method is really for people without a buffing wheel to buff out their finish or taking a gloss finish back to its original glossy look.
I applied polyeurethane (from Home Depot) over the lacquer on my flamenco guitar but learned that the poly remains too soft to buff...it leaves a haze. Having sanded off most of the junk poly, I want to try again with a better product. Since the surface now has areas of poly and areas of lacquer, I hesitate applying nitro cellulose lacquer, fearing it will lift up the areas of poly (I understand that poly will go over lacquer but not lacquer over poly).
I searched the Internet for a polyeurethane that comes with a hardener but found none. Can you recommend a high gloss product that I can put on top of my instrument that will harden sufficiently to buff?
hope its a cheap flamenco guitar... cause otherwise you are better off french polishing if you have the patience, it will end up sounding a lot better than anything else out there. its about the looks or the sound id say. What did you end up doing?
@@MastersOfTheHeart Even the most artful French polishing is crude compared to lacquer. For a wet, glassy finish, laquer is unsurpassed.
I finished French polishing my 1941 Ramirez, 20 applications over a period of three months. It looks beautiful, until a close up inspection. So I bought a can of laquer and will apply a few coats by spraying, since the shellac acts as a barrier coat.
I think French polish for furniture is nice, but not for a professional finish on a guitar. But this is merely my opinion.
How many layers of lacquer did you apply prior to sanding?
I don't remember exactly. I usually spray about 3 to 4 coats per day over a 3 to 4 day period.
Have you not taken a layer (or more) of lacquer off that hasn't been replaced i.e. you can't do this procedure too many times otherwise you'd be through to the wood?
This is for a new lacquer finish. It's how to buff it out when you don't have a buffing wheel. This is not meant to be a process that is repeated. You can continue to polish your finish over time, however.
This video is what I've been looking for. However, I have an additional question; I have an expensive Gibson which has a nitro finish. The persperation where I contact the instrument has dulled the finish. Will the technique you show on this video work on a nitro finish? Will it blend in with the surrounding high gloss nitro finish?
It should work but proceed with caution. You don't want to burn through the existing finish. These polishes are specifically made for this issue and you may be able to just use the fine polish finish and solve your problem.
What "polish" are you referring to?@@natalieswango2863
Does it also work if you sand that way on paint? does the paint get that glossy effect?
Yes, you can buff colored finishes to high gloss. Most spray paints are lacquer based with a color. You can also make your own by adding dye to the lacquer.
OBrienGuitars Okay! I have a piece of a desk painted with paint out of a can, which is based on water. does that work too?
It should be able to be buffed but why would one want to buff a desk to a high gloss?
OBrienGuitars well it's going to be some kind of shelf on top of my desk. The top of the shelf is where my speakers and computer screen go, so I would like the top to be very shiny.
Robbie was any finish on this guitar before you started sand the guitar in this video?
Yes. In this video I am leveling the finish after the lacquer has been applied. It also has been leveled up to 1000 grit with wet/dry sandpaper. This process is just to get it to a high gloss.
i have a question. since this method is only wet sanding the finish with a very fine grit sandpaper for the high gloss, does it feels as smooth as if you sand a gloss finish on the guitar neck or it feels sticky just like a normal gloss finish?
A ‘normal” gloss finish done properly shouldn’t feel sticky. the reason why a satin finish doesn’t feel sticky to you is that most folks rub out to a satin using a lubricant like a high quality wax during the rubbing out process.
i sanded all of my guitar neck that have a gloss finish with 400 grit sandpaper and it feels way smoother and i didn't apply any kind of wax. and this method use 12k grit sandpaper, so i just wanna know if it feels as smooth as if i sand it with 400 grit. because i love high gloss finish on the neck but it doesn't feel comfortable for me because of that sticky feel.
Hi can I use this technique to rebuffed my 5 years old classical guitar. Because some of the part are not that glossy anymore. But the guitar doesn't have a lot of scratches just some micro scratches.
I would start by using a swirl remover and soft cloth. This will restore the shine. LMI sells a good polishing and swirl remover product.
Thanks you OBrienGuitars for replying. I've been using fender guitar polish for as long as I remember but It seem to not working anymore. I'm living in Malaysia and can't seems to find any LMI product online. I could only find car polishing and swirl remover. Can I use car product? Could you please send me a link for that product that you've been saying? It would be a great help.
Btw I've subscribed to both of the channel. OBrienGuitars & Luthiers Mercantile International
You can use a car polish/swirl remover. Any brand will work. I use Mcguire's.
Wow thanks. I will try. And I'll try to find Mcguire's brand too. If I can't find it i'll use anything else. Thank you so much for your help OBrien. 👍
I have a high gloss Yamaha fg830 guitar and I want to remove the gloss, I mean make it matte or satin, is it possible to do it just using sandpaper????
Matte finishes have to do with the solids in the product and not the level of sanding so it is unlikely you'd be satisfied with the result if you tried this.
Can someone please explain what is the elbow grease coment about? I understand he says "Yes, it is possible, however it requires a little bit of elbow grease" but I don´t see the elbow grease on the procedure, just a bowl with water and a drop of detergent. Is that some kind of slang?
It is American slang. Elbow grease means hard physical work, especially vigorous polishing or cleaning.
@@luthiersmercantileinternat5786 Thank you
Alright it is possible, you’re removing a thin layer of the clear coat. Once, Twice...ok. Just be careful after multiple uses.
Hi, Can you also renew electric guitar varnish?
I am not sure what you mean by renew and I would be very careful buffing a finish if you have no experience in this area. I would try using a fine scratch remover or swirl remover to polish the finish rather than using something more aggressive.
This might be a bit of an amateurish question, but could this method be used on a new guitar that has a satin finish? I would like to give an Epiphone AJ-45ME a gloss finish. Cheers
There are two ways to get a satin finish. One is to put agents in the finish that cause light refraction. The other is to use a high gloss product and then rub it out to a satin sheen. If the guitar finish is the first type I mentioned then you will not be able to get it to a high gloss. If the product used was a high gloss that has been rubbed out to a satin then you could possibly get it back to a high gloss by reversing the rubbing out process. However, you run the risk of going through the finish so be careful.
@@luthiersmercantileinternat5786 Jack Newton asked the question I want to ask but you copied and pasted an answer to a different question by Michael Allen, above. My guitar, an Ibz AM53, has a [factory] flat 'burgundy-burst' finish. I like the colour. Like Jack, I want to end up with a gloss finish over this original finish. Is yor vid the way to do this or adding clear coat and then ...
@@chrisnation49 Hi Chris, Sorry I missed your question. The video above is meant for folks who don't have access to a buffing machine when applying a lacquer finish. If you want your satin guitar to have a gloss finish, you will have to apply a finish over the existing finish. The question is then one of compatibility. If the existing finish is lacquer, you could probably scuff it and then finish over it and buff that finish out to a gloss, but it's a risk and there's really no way to test that it will be successful.
I have a guitar with a matte finish from top to bottom. Can I use this method to get a high gloss finish instead? And if I do use this method. Will I have to refinish my polished surface to reseal the wood?
No, and I would put new paint over the matte and then polish
Was this done on a Barr wood? Or was this a lacquer/polyurethane finish? Because, that is shiney 😳
This was on a lacquer finish. The video describes how to buff a lacquer finish without a buffing wheel.
Do you prefer sandpaper or micro mesh pads?????
It depends on what Iam doing. I use sandpaper if I am going to buff on a buffing wheel. If I am not using a buffing wheel then I use the micro mesh.
Haii thanks for your educated contain, may i know what is a liquid that i see on a jar?
If I understand your question correctly and you are asking what is in the plastic container, it is water with a very small amount of liquid dish soap.
@@luthiersmercantileinternat5786 thanks..
@@luthiersmercantileinternat5786 i seen mirror glossy at last minute, is that dry or wet condition?
@@ijulmahardika8923 It should be mirror glossy when dry and wiped. Note this is a technique specifically for a lacquer finish.
How do you know when to stop with each grit?
You can progress to the next grit when the scratch marks from the previous grit go away. It is easier to see this if you sand diagonally with one grit and then straight or opposite direction with the next grit.
I have suction cup marks on a Martin D28. Can this tip help me remove them? Thanks
It depends on how badly damaged the finish is. If it is light marks, then yes. If it has damaged all the way to the wood, then no. I would proceed with caution if you have never done this type of repair before. If it is just light marks from the suction cup you might try just a swirl remover and a cotton ball to polish the area.
@@OBrienGuitars Thank you. I will leave it to a professional.
I got a matt black acoustic guitar with this work with that and do I have to wet sand it first
You can rub out a high gloss finish to a matte sheen but if your finish product has light defractors in it, this making it a matte finish, then you will not be able to rub it up to a gloss.
@@OBrienGuitars is there any way I can make my black matt finish to a high gloss finish I also have a satin black guitar would it work for that
@@hikupmusicofficial You can take a gloss and dampen the sheen but you can't take a low sheen and make it high due to the light defractors Robbie mentioned above. To put a gloss finish on your guitar you would have to have it refinished with a glossy product.
@@luthiersmercantileinternat5786 any recommendations for what to use and how to do it
@@hikupmusicofficial You would have to strip the guitar and then use a gloss finish product. Here is a link to our finishes page filtered for High Gloss finishing products. Give us a call or email us through our website if you need additional direction. www.luthiersmerc.com
So you did not varnish the guitar at all? Or was the guitar already varnished before?
The guitar had a lacquer finish (different from varnish). Lacquer finishes are often buffed using a buffing machine but since not everyone has a buffing machine or access to one, Robbie showed how to do this buffing process by hand.
Will the micromesh work with a polyurethane finish?
Yes, Micro mesh works well on any film finish. I like to level with sandpaper up to about 1000 before I transition into the Micro mesh to get that high gloss finish.
How long should I Sand the portion each grit????
Just sand long enough to remove the previous grit marks. It doesn't take much. The trick is to do this without sanding through to the wood or through previous layers of finish.
can i do this on a electric guitar?
It depends on the finish. If the guitar has a lacquer finish, yes, if paint, no.
woah whats that giant guitar in the back!!??
That's a harp guitar. Here's what wiki says about harp guitars: The harp guitar is a guitar-based stringed instrument generally defined as a "guitar, in any of its accepted forms, with any number of additional unstopped strings that can accommodate individual plucking." The word "harp" is used in reference to its harp-like unstopped open strings.
Wont it affect the wood?
Nope, the lacquer finish will protect the wood. You will have applied lacquer first. This is simply hand buffing instead of machine buffing.
Now how can you make too glossy a bit dull. Not satin but not too glossy?
I suppose you might be able to dull the finish a bit by inducing very fine scratches - in other words, the opposite of removing scratches by polishing. A cut polish might dull the finish a bit. If it didn't work you could always repolish it, but I'd be very nervous to try this honestly.
from 1200 grit, can i go straight to 12000?
The object of progressing through grits is for each subsequent grit to remove the scratches from the prior grit so it's important to move up through the grits.
Raw sanded wood is going to absorb that moisture no?? Can’t be good for a humidity controlled guitar
This video leaves out what state the guitar body he is working on is in at start. Had it already had lacquer applied and if so what kind, how many coats etc, or was it raw wood sanded to a certain level which he continued here in preparation for application of finish.
This is a newly completed instrument with a lacquer finish that is ready to be buffed out to a high gloss. Robbie is demonstrating how to achieve a finish that looks buffed without using a buffing wheel.
Why can't you just spray the guitar with a gloss nitro-lacquer aerosol?
Or just hand buff it ;)
Did that guitar already have lacquer on it? Or was it just stained wood?
It had lacquer on it.
@@luthiersmercantileinternat5786 - OK - thanks.
How about guitars already have stain finish?could it be turned into gloss finish?
@@kamchuenso7836 You would have to add a finish that can be buffed like lacquer or urethane in order to achieve a gloss.
Whats the name of the song at the beginning?
Hey Matias, It's called Sharper's Revenge by Brad Hoyt
Thanks a lot. Great video, by the way!
How will look the guitar with matte finish doing this? Thanks.
It will look beautiful! A matte finish is one of my favorites.
would this work with tru oil finish?
I suspect it would but I can't guarantee it.
Thanks so much for the response! I will give it a try. I am also sorry to hear you guys are closing up shop but happy retirement and guitar building!@@luthiersmercantileinternat5786
😀👍💯
Then does it depreciate your guitar doing this???
This video is about taking an unbuffed gloss lacquer finish on a newly built or refinished guitar and buffing it by hand. Not everyone has a buffing wheel or access to one and this is an alternative method to using a buffing wheel.
How paint face guiter
This is how to buff a lacquer finish without using a buffing wheel. The process is the same for the top of the guitar as for the back.
Is that a Nitro finish, or Poly?
It's nitro.
does anyone know the name of this gypsy jazz tune , anyone please help
The name of the piece is Sharper's revenge by Brad Hoyt.
You can buff it up using a hand drill. And putting water onto the surface of a guitar is not a good thing.
Hi Arthur, Wet sanding a finish is a very standard practice in guitar building. Wet sanding prolongs sandpaper life and allows you to obtain a smoother surface than dry sanding.
@@luthiersmercantileinternat5786 I have seen people using oil, not water for wet sanding a guitar. Water and wood are not friends.
12000 feels like normal paper almost
It does. Amazing it would have any effect, but it does.
makes sense. An old trick for burnishing pool cue shafts is to use a brown paper bag.
I polish windows with only news paper
99
i thought water and wood were enemies!
Not always. Water is good for grain-raising and of course, bending!
Shouldn't we be afraid of our wood absorbing the water? It seems like yours isn't doing that. Is that because of the wood you're using or is it for some other reason?
There is a lacquer finish on this instrument that prevents the absorption of the water. You don't want to drown it, but this is the process for producing a high-gloss finish on a lacquer finish if you don't have a buffing wheel.
@@natalieswango2863 Aah, that makes a lot of sense! Thank you for answering!
@@natalieswango2863 was it liquid detergent like washinng machine liquid he was using ?
@@stegarumihaita7201 Dish soap for washing dishes, but just a small amount to break the surface tension. Nothing with any particles in it.
@@natalieswango2863 oh thank you , what if I use a cloth that came with my glasses ? Is that good enough?
Those "circular motions" 😮. There is no reason, what so ever, to use those. I really mean never! Not when you sand, polish or wash your car, always use straght motions!