# nitrolicious satin finish poloshing



## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

I have a new norman b20 folk that i plan to record with,the problem is it has a matte finish that can be noisy when recording.
I've seen a matte finish being polished here :http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=152168&highlight=buffing+matt+finish
I showed it to a customer service guy at norman and he advised against using this method.He told me not to use any product that contains any wax since it would cause build up.What are my best options fro getting this guitar to a nice sheen and noise free?


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## Alain Moisan (Jan 16, 2010)

Hi There,

I don't have much experience with turning a mat finish into a glossy one, but I'm curious as why you say that a mat finish is noisy? Are talking about your arm/hand/cloths that brush against your guitar as you play?

As to having buildups using wax to polish, i don't buy it. All guitars are polished using buffing compound that is full of wax.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

im with Alain -
only reason i can see to avoid wax is if your refinishing- wax is a pain if its on the wood, nothing sticks to it.
that norman should buff right up nicely- ive got an a&l with the matte lacquer finish- back of the neck and on the face where my right hand makes contact shined up super just from use-
regarding noise- is your hand squeaking as it slides on the neck? mine stopped doing that after it shined up lol.


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

It's more of a swishing against my shirt or pants when playing.If i play quietly i can here it slightly.When recording it will make a lot of noise so I'm hoping to get rid of it before i go into the studio.


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## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

Satin or semi gloss lacquers are the same as gloss lacquer, chemically, but just have a flattening agent (a powder) added that makes them less shiny when dry.

They will, however, polish up just as much as gloss lacquer. I suggest using a fine buffing compound, and then a polish/swirl remover.

You can buy some car polish - which is a fine abrasive designed to remove the scratches - but make sure its not wax, but a polishing compound. Just put it on a clean soft cotton cloth and rub it out by hand. I did all my older guitars this way. Hard work though... you have to use a lot of elbow grease!

AJC


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

Well i looked all over town and came up short.I looked online and am considering this stuff:Nu Finish Liquid Polish | Canadian Tire
It says on the website it's wax free but uses some other chemical here:Nu Finish | Scratch Doctor | Nu Vinyl | Car Polish | Car Wax | Car Wash | Scratch Remover | Rapid Dry | Reed-Union
Is it good or bad for the finish?I might re finish the guitar later down the road,if i do i don't want to have any problems removing the old finish with wax buildup.


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

well i had a hw1 strat it had a nitro satin finish .it didnt take long for the arm contour to wear shiny to a gloss so i buffed it using mequires scratch x and buffed it shiny .but after i buffed her i noticed some dimpling or orange peel effect maybe thats why they do em in satin it hides flaws .i should of started with a wet sanding before buffing


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

copperhead said:


> well i had a hw1 strat it had a nitro satin finish .it didnt take long for the arm contour to wear shiny to a gloss so i buffed it using mequires scratch x and buffed it shiny .but after i buffed her i noticed dome dimpling or orange peel effect maybe thats why they do em in satin it hides flaws .i should of started with a wet sanding before buffing


I also have a HW1 strat with the nitro satin finish and it's shiny as hell where my arm touches it. I'm sure they'd buff up real nice with very little effort.


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