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A lot of us that are nuts about our cars are also nuts about other stuff, like maybe guitars. The great news is that Meguiar's is now producing a line of finish care products for guitars, marketed under the Fender name!
Fender Instrument Care by Meguiar's
I have been searching for YEARS to find something that would care for the finish on my guitars, but inevitably the products that are out there usually dissapoint. Furniure products on most store shelves just don't do a good job because they aren't designed to handle the specialized finishes found on guitars. Specialty guitar care products never seemed to do a good job either, as the results were always disappointing.
No matter what I tried, my guitars always ended up with hazy, swirly finishes from micro-fine scratches and the interaction of sweat and body oils with the finish of my guitars. Years of that kind of abuse can take its toll on even the best instruments, robbing them of their beauty and sound.
I was just browsing around one day and stumbled upon Fender's announcement of the new instrument care line made by Meguiar's. I was thrilled! Meguiar's car care products have done wonders on my cars, so I expected that their instrument care line would deliver the same spectacular results that their care care products had.
I was not disappointed, as these photos show. The first guitar pictured is a custom made Heritage 535 semi-hollowbody guitar:
Notice what you do NOT see: No hazing of the finish around the top of the guitar where the playing arm rests. And take a look at the neck:
Notice the deep, rich finish of the ebony fretboard. And take a look at what you don't see in the next picture:
No swirl marks, microfine scratches, or built up crud! The Meguiar's guitar care package cleaned and polished the guitar's finish to BETTER than it was when I bought it new. Some of the flaws it had when it left the guitar store were GONE after using Meguiar's swirl remover.
The polish gave the guitar a deeper, clearer luster than it has ever had. The Chrome polish did a great job too, and was so gentle that excess polish didn't harm the guitar's wood finish.
As good as those results were, I decided to try the guitar care products on an old Gibson small bodied acoustic guitar. This guitar belonged to my grandmother, who received it from my dearly departed grandfather as the first Christmas present he ever gave her.
This isn't just an instrument, but is an heirloom and a reminder of people that I love dearly.
Unfortunately the guitar had never been properly cared for. It had spent the last 56 years being tossed in closets, banged against vaccum cleaners, and neglected. It hadn't even been out of its tattered case in almost 15 years.
Needless to say, there was a lot of built up crud on the finish which has now cracked. I was worried about using anything on the finish for fear that it might make the situation worse. I figured that if anyone's products could work, Meguiar's would and would not harm the guitar.
I was right:
No hazing, no crud! Even on an old brittle finish Meguiar's swirl remover was able to clean up imperfections. The polish did a good job too, restoring luster that I thought impossible before I started:
The finish was flat and completely non-reflective before I treated it with Meguiar's. The fretboard was even worse, as it had NEVER been oiled in the last 56 years. I applied the fretboard conditioner 5 TIMES, and the thirsty wood drank every drop eagerly. As a result, the once ashy and awful looking rosewood is now dark and rich in appearance:
As you can see, guitar players now have reason to rejoice! Our beloved instruments can now receive the same excellent care that our vehicles have had, and we can do it at a very reasonable price without having to worry about damaging our vintage instruments.
My commendations to the Meguiar's staff who have helped me to protect my cherished instruments and to preserve a priceless heirloom for another 56 years.....
Fender Instrument Care by Meguiar's
I have been searching for YEARS to find something that would care for the finish on my guitars, but inevitably the products that are out there usually dissapoint. Furniure products on most store shelves just don't do a good job because they aren't designed to handle the specialized finishes found on guitars. Specialty guitar care products never seemed to do a good job either, as the results were always disappointing.
No matter what I tried, my guitars always ended up with hazy, swirly finishes from micro-fine scratches and the interaction of sweat and body oils with the finish of my guitars. Years of that kind of abuse can take its toll on even the best instruments, robbing them of their beauty and sound.
I was just browsing around one day and stumbled upon Fender's announcement of the new instrument care line made by Meguiar's. I was thrilled! Meguiar's car care products have done wonders on my cars, so I expected that their instrument care line would deliver the same spectacular results that their care care products had.
I was not disappointed, as these photos show. The first guitar pictured is a custom made Heritage 535 semi-hollowbody guitar:
Notice what you do NOT see: No hazing of the finish around the top of the guitar where the playing arm rests. And take a look at the neck:
Notice the deep, rich finish of the ebony fretboard. And take a look at what you don't see in the next picture:
No swirl marks, microfine scratches, or built up crud! The Meguiar's guitar care package cleaned and polished the guitar's finish to BETTER than it was when I bought it new. Some of the flaws it had when it left the guitar store were GONE after using Meguiar's swirl remover.
The polish gave the guitar a deeper, clearer luster than it has ever had. The Chrome polish did a great job too, and was so gentle that excess polish didn't harm the guitar's wood finish.
As good as those results were, I decided to try the guitar care products on an old Gibson small bodied acoustic guitar. This guitar belonged to my grandmother, who received it from my dearly departed grandfather as the first Christmas present he ever gave her.
This isn't just an instrument, but is an heirloom and a reminder of people that I love dearly.
Unfortunately the guitar had never been properly cared for. It had spent the last 56 years being tossed in closets, banged against vaccum cleaners, and neglected. It hadn't even been out of its tattered case in almost 15 years.
Needless to say, there was a lot of built up crud on the finish which has now cracked. I was worried about using anything on the finish for fear that it might make the situation worse. I figured that if anyone's products could work, Meguiar's would and would not harm the guitar.
I was right:
No hazing, no crud! Even on an old brittle finish Meguiar's swirl remover was able to clean up imperfections. The polish did a good job too, restoring luster that I thought impossible before I started:
The finish was flat and completely non-reflective before I treated it with Meguiar's. The fretboard was even worse, as it had NEVER been oiled in the last 56 years. I applied the fretboard conditioner 5 TIMES, and the thirsty wood drank every drop eagerly. As a result, the once ashy and awful looking rosewood is now dark and rich in appearance:
As you can see, guitar players now have reason to rejoice! Our beloved instruments can now receive the same excellent care that our vehicles have had, and we can do it at a very reasonable price without having to worry about damaging our vintage instruments.
My commendations to the Meguiar's staff who have helped me to protect my cherished instruments and to preserve a priceless heirloom for another 56 years.....
Actually...take back the "not really fun" part...I love restringing my instruments. Almost like giving them new life.
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