Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF
Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Lessons, Recordings, How Tos, Repair, Accessories => Topic started by: MexicoMike on March 31, 2013, 04:12:58 PM
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I'm new to Taylors, having just purchased a NOS 2008 414CE while visiting in Texas. But it is quite easy to put a gloss "finish" on a matte/satin surface. I have done it on several guitars, most recently a Martin D16. Takes maybe 30 minutes using some 3M Finesse-it II, available at most any auto parts store. When completed, it will look exactly like a factory gloss finish. The only issue is whether you want to "modify" the guitar in that way. IMO, it's always well worth it but for resale purposes, it may not be a good idea because it won't be "original." But I will be glossing my 414's back/sides when I get it back home next week.
Just follow the directions on the "Finesse-it" and the sides/back will look like glass. You don't need any tools at all, just the product and an old t-shirt is a polishing pad. Here's a pic of a Martin D16 side that was a matte/satin finish (like a 414) 10 minutes before this pic was taken.
merged topics
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Hey Mexico ... does that product have any silicone in it?
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No - no silicones. It is essentially an extremely fine abrasive in a "cream" form used for polishing show-car finishes. No silicones/waxes/anything like that at all. It's used extensively in auto/boat re-finishing. It can polish almost anything to a high gloss finish. I've used it for years on cars and boat painted/fiberglass surfaces...as well plexiglas/lexan windows AND satin finished guitars! :)
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"I hate that it has matte back and sides. "
I'm new to Taylors, having just purchased a NOS 2008 414CE while visiting in Texas. But it is quite easy to put a gloss "finish" on a matte/satin surface. I have done it on several guitars, most recently a Martin D16. Takes maybe 30 minutes using some 3M Finesse-it II, available at most any auto parts store. When completed, it will look exactly like a factory gloss finish. The only issue is whether you want to "modify" the guitar in that way. IMO, it's always well worth it but for resale purposes, it may not be a good idea because it won't be "original." But I will be glossing my 414's back/sides when I get it back home next week.
Just follow the directions on the "Finesse-it" and the sides/back will look like glass. You don't need any tools at all, just the product and an old t-shirt is a polishing pad. Here's a pic of a Martin D16 side that was a matte/satin finish (like a 414) 10 minutes before this pic was taken.
Hey Mexico,
Is this really as easy as it appears? I used rubbing compound then Meguiars wax on a beat up old Cort that I polished. It took a ton of elbow grease and I did get a bunch of scratches out but the finish didn't look like a factory gloss.
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"Is this really as easy as it appears?"
Yes - at least it has been every time I've done it on 4 different guitars in the last 2 years. Of course, if the guitar is scratched/dented, Finesse-it can't fix that. But as far as simply making a satin finish into a gloss finish it is pretty quick and easy. If you look at the Taylor videos on Utube, you see them polishing guitar bodies with a large buffing wheel. That's all that makes a satin finish into a gloss finish and that's essentially what you are doing with Finesse-it by hand. Just takes longer. They do it in maybe two or three minutes; it takes me around 30 to do back/sides. Doing the headstock will require unstringing/removing the tuning machines which adds some more time. I tried rubbing compound the first time I attempted this some years ago and it just didn't work very well at all.
Although I'm visiting in TX at the moment, if I have time I'll try to go out today and get a bottle of Finesse-it and polish the 414, or at least part of it. I'll post a pic later so you can see the results of whatever I have time to do. (We're visiting relatives so I can't just ignore everybody to go "do my own thing") :)
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Here are a couple of pics shot with my old iPhone of the lower bout (upper curve in the pics) before/after some polishing. I did this in about 5 minutes with Finesse-it II. It is not yet to the "glassy" level but it will give you an idea - hope the pics show it decently.
I did notice that the Taylor finish, whatever material it is, seems tougher than that used on a Guild, a Martin, and a Seagull. It takes more rubbing than the others did to "gloss up." But that's just a matter or more time. You could do it very quickly - just like the factory does, with a machine polisher BUT if you are not proficient, you can burn through the finish. Doing it by hand makes it impossible to hurt anything. I figure it will take 45minutes to an hour to do a nice job on the Taylor.
Again, I just did that curve in the upper part of the pics very quickly just to demonstrate and I had to get back to "being social."
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Thanks for sharing MxMike and please disregard my "contact Taylor first" comment on you other thread. You seem to know exactly what you are doing!
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awesome, I've seen someone on AGF do this. how long does that polish last? do you have to reapply often?
thx for the tip!
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you are polishing the surface of the finish and changing the actual finish from a satin one to a glossy one. You are not using any sort of wax so there is no need to apply or reapply anything other than whatever cleaning you may wish to do. Using the Finesse-it permanently makes the finish into a gloss finish. You can vary the level of gloss by doing the rubbing for shorter or longer time. You can make it slightly glossy, just a bit more than factory, on up to mirror-like.
I'll complete the work probably tomorrow after I get back home and post more pics.
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I can't stop thinking about polishing my 414ce now! can't wait to see pics
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I just bought my first Taylor - NOS 2008 414CE. I had posted a few days ago on a different thread about polishing it because I don't care for matte finish on guitars so I have polished several in the past so I decided to do the same with my 414. At the same time I decided to replace the end pins with polished bone (I happened to have an extra set laying around that I bought for my D28 Martin but ended up not using) and make a new bone nut and saddle to replace the oem nut and saddle. So this morning I started on that at around 9AM, finished a 12:30.
I discovered that the finish that Taylor uses is considerably tougher than that used on other guitars I have polished. Normally I use only 3M Finesse-It II (I'll call it "FI" from now on) for this purpose but I quickly found that I would have been rubbing all day to "glass" out the finish so I started with 0000 steel wool. This alone will make the finish gloss a bit. Then rub with a cloth/FI until the level of gloss you want is achieved - anything from just slightly gloss to glass-like. You can't hurt anything doing this by hand. You could use a polishing wheel like Taylor does at the factory but unless you know what you are doing, you could burn through the finish. It's impossible for that to happen by hand. Yes, it will take you an hour or more instead of 2-3 minutes like it does the factory guys. It was well worth it and I love the look of the polished ovankol or whatever the heck the wood is called.
I know some folks are really interested in the sound difference between the oem tusq (I think) nut and saddle/ebony pins and the new polished bone nut/saddle/pins. Frankly, no one in the audience could ever tell the difference if you did a few tunes with the oem and then came back and did them again with the bone. Yes, there is a difference if you do an A/B recording and listen one after the other. The bone is a bit less bright but the difference in how you pick/pluck the strings from one instant to the next will make more difference. And using a thick or thin pick makes a dramatic difference by comparison. SO IMO, the difference is one of shades, rather than a change of color. If pressed, I would say that I think I prefer the sound of the bone/bone/bone with the slightly reduced brightness but it's a very subtle difference. Strings were 4 day-old DAddario PB lights.
Below are a few pics. I hope they capture the appearance. I realize that some folks may prefer the original look of the matte sides/back but I don't care for it and I don't like the look of the ebony pins either but all this is totally a matter of taste.
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Posted the results/comments/pics in the lessons/repairs/how to section of the forum - seemed more appropriate there...
sweetness!
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Looks good. Nice job! Like you, I'm a gloss kind of guy.
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Mike, you did a really nice job with your 414. You ought to think about doing this for others (for a fee of course)!
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Thanks! But I don't think I'll make a profession of it! :)
But really, anybody can do the polishing if they just decide to do so. At worst case, it might take longer than expected. Heck, you can do a bit on it today, some more tomorrow, etc. There's literally no way to screw it up.
One thing - Finesse-It II is not cheap but I've found it to be the best stuff for this and virtually any other other polishing purposes. I bought a quart of it at an auto parts store a few days ago. Note that when I say "polish" in this context, I'm talking about "rubbing out" the finish to a glossy surface. Finesse It is not a wax or any other sort of coating.
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How long do you use the steel wool? I'm starting on my 416CE today
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Just rub with steel wool until the finish smooths out a bit - you will see it get a bit glossy. I'd say it goes from "Matte" as original, to "satin" by using the steel wool but that's just my personal view of the change. You can do it all with the finesse-it but it will take a lot longer. Once you switch to the Finesse-it, the level of gloss depends totally on how long you rub/how much gloss you want.
Since doing mine I have learned that Taylor uses a catylized finish - basically a two-part epoxy-type coating - which is much harder than traditional finishes and explains why it takes so long (relatively speaking) to rub it to glossy using just Finesse-it.
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When using the steel wool and FI, do you rub in circles or stay with the grain? Considering trying this out on one of my 214s soon.
Thanks for the all the info you've provided!
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Good question that I should have mentioned...steel wool goes WITH the grain, Finesse-it goes on in circles ("Wax on;Wax off") It will work OK with the grain but it works better in circles. Rub it until the finesse -it "disappears" as you are rubbing. It is not a wax or coating, you do not leave it on like a wax and wait for it to dry. Just keep adding the finesse-it, circle-rubbing 'till it disappears, until you get the gloss you want.
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Nice job Mike! I was wondering if you could post a few more pix of the back? A couple of different angles to really catch the shine? I'm thinking of doing this first to my Takamine which has a satin cedar soundboard. Also, do you finish with a coat of wax? I am impressed with your results.
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Here's a pic that may be helpful. I tried all sorts of angles/light but this seemed to capture it pretty well, reflecting a colorful bedspread. Please, no comments on out taste in bedspread colors/patterns! :)
FWIW, I may get to do this again - I'm considering a Taylor 355ce 12 string which will need to be polished... ;)
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Excellent. Thank you! I started the steel wool part of the process on Saturday. I have found that you can hear when you are "there" with the steel wool as it gets a lot quieter and smoother sounding.
Is this your experience?
I also have some FI on the way. Hopefully it gets here tomorrow
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I'm debating trying it out on my 314. so you say you started with the steel wool ,I want to make darn sure I get this right. So you are using JUST the steel wool and going WITH the rain, and then what? When you get your FI you are gonna put the FI on in circles with a soft rag if I' m right. What about the 3 knobs for the expression system, how were they to come off, cause the last thing I want do is break the Es inside, then I'm gonna look like a fine how do you do!
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The ES knobs pull off easily - just pull straight off with your thumbnail/middle finger nail under opposite sides of the knob. Then do the steel wool thing with the grain - just rub across/between the knob mountings that are still in place after you remove the knobs. Then use the FI. A circular motion works best for the back because of the large surface area but it may be easier on the sides to use the FI with or across the grain but it doesn't matter it will gloss equally well either way - whatever is most comfortable for you.
As I said, doing this by hand you CANNOT damage anything. But remember, FI is not a coating. This not something to try with the idea that if you don't like the resulting gloss finish you can just "wipe it off" and change it back to the factory matte. Once you start with the 0000 steel wool, anything you have used it on will now be slightly glossier than the factory finish and the FI increases the gloss from there.
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OK thanks Mike , i get it good now.Ive read lots of posts on this but none explained the way you did.Confident enough to give it a shot now.
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What if you used 800 or 1000 wet dry sand paper with a sanding block.
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What if you used 800 or 1000 wet dry sand paper with a sanding block.
That's what I'm wondering. Start with 800 grit and work your way up to 2000.
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In theory it will work fine but sandpaper is more difficult to use in this situation - The guitar surface is not flat. So a pad of steel wool pad followed by a cotton pad with FI will better polish the surface more uniformly. I don't think you could hurt anything with the paper but you may end up with streaks of shiny/dull as you move over the gently curved surface. I would not personally use that method for this but, as I said, it probably won't hurt anything.
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Didn't even think about the top and back radii. Too used to electrics.
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Mike: where did you find the white bridge pins? I got the pin specs from Taylor customer service, but can't find any white ones that match the size.
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They are white polished bone pins w/Ebony dot that I had laying around - probably got them from Colosi or LMI a few years ago. The were larger than Taylor-size at the top of the taper but it takes maybe 20 seconds per pin to chuck them in a drill and using a small file, adjust them to fit.
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Mike: I didn't think of chucking them in a drill. Stewart-MacDonald had some pins a little larger than the Taylor pins, and they told me to buy a bridge hole reamer and ream out the holes in the guitar so their pins would fit. I'm NOT about to do that to a nearly-new guitar. So, I decided to get a set of ebony pins from Taylor and spray-paint the crowns white with a premium spray paint that I found. If the spray paint job looks tacky, I'll try your method.
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Yeah - I would NEVER modify a guitar to accept some other part - modify the part to fit the guitar! I'm actually very surprised that a company like stew mac would suggest such a thing when it's so easy to adjust the pin size. Sure, you could enlarge the sting holes in literally seconds per hole with a hand reamer but it's just not the appropriate thing to do IMO...you don't modify the BIG thing to allow the little thing to fit.
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But it is quite easy to put a gloss "finish" on a matte/satin surface. I have done it on several guitars, most recently a Martin D16. Takes maybe 30 minutes using some 3M Finesse-it II, available at most any auto parts store.
There is 3M Finesse-it "glaze" and "polish." Which one did you use?
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Mike: I hate to beat the polishing thing to death, but the stuff you used, was it Finesse-It II Finishing Material, or something else?
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Would this technique work on a GS Mini? I think they have a varnish finish?
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" I hate to beat the polishing thing to death, but the stuff you used, was it Finesse-It II Finishing Material, or something else?"
Yes, Finesse-It II!
The technique will work on any finish, regardless of type. The only difference will be the time it takes to get the gloss based on the hardness of the finish type.
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The bottle I purchased states "machine polish". Purchased through Amazon. I did the buffing by hand with a very soft cotton cloth.
FMB
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Wow Mike, that sure came out nice! I have a mandolin that has a satin finish i may try this on, I too prefer the glossy finish. Thanks for the tutorial!!
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I did this in about 5 minutes with Finesse-it II.
I used to use Finesse-It II on bowling balls to give them not only an extra shine, but a rock hard coating that took a beating. It would definitely protect a guitar and give it a luster that would shine like a diamond.
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I know this is an old thread but it response to OP, yes, the 414ce is incredibly versatile and it is my favorite Taylor out of the 300-400 series. In the past year I have played dozens of Taylor's from the 300-400 series and the latter sounded sweeter to my ears almost every time. I like all shapes and sizes but I think that if you are going to get a Taylor a GA or GS is the way to go IMO. Ironically, I preferred the 414ce against the 416ce for my style.
The new 414ce Fall LTD 2013 will have Rosewood back and sides with Ceder or Spruce top. I'm still unsure if I should get a LTD or the standard 414ce.
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Any opportunity to play them both? If the guitar is going to be for serious playing, play them and then decide. If it's more for guitar art, pick whichever wood you think is "prettiest."
I think Ovankol looks very nice if glossy finished. However, there is no appearance comparison if, for example, the rosewood is glossy and the Ovankol is matte finished. If the LTD rosewood is glossy, it will look far better (IMO). OTOH, glossy Ovankol can look as nice or nicer than rosewood, depending on the specific pieces of wood involved.
For example, I have two Brazilian rosewood nylon-string guitars, one is very attractive, the other is very bland and nothing special to look at. So it all depends on the specific pieces of wood, not the type of wood.
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Well Mike I've read on this topics before and was too chicken to try it on my 314 but the way you explained it I think I'm gonna give it a go . The posts that I was reading they used fine steel wool .What do you think Taylor girl Jerry should we give it a go ?
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Well every one said it's expensive but no one said HOW expensive for a quart! My brother runs a Mazda shop and talked to his 3M rep and she was gonna give me a deal for the quart which makes no sense just to do a 314 Taylor then it's gonna sit on the shelve for ever . They me there has got to be some thing else out there to the job besides FIness it 11.
$
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Can't your brother just give you a small container of it? :)
Yes, it's expensive. The last quart I bought (last year) was from an auto parts store - list price is higher but nobody charges that as far as I know. I use the stuff quite a bit so I have no issue with buying a quart as needed. Most boat stores like West Marine stock it and have smaller bottles though WMs prices are usually absurd for everything so they might charge as much for a pint as the auto store does for a quart.
As far as using something else..well, maybe. One would think that one of the fine rubbing/polishing compounds would do the job and they may. But Finesse-it II is pretty much an industry standard product for polishing a finished surface to a mirror gloss and it seems reasonable to use it for that purpose. If you tried a very fine rubbing compound, it would probably work ok, maybe needing some wax afterward to get the gloss. Finesse-It needs no waxing or further treatment to get the gloss.
Just a reminder - the Taylor catalyzed finished is much tougher than a lacquer finish so it takes a lot longer to polish. I completely polished the back/sides of my Martin D16GT (lacquer) in maybe 20 minutes. It took at least an hour on my Taylor 414ce. OTOH, there is no rush. Heck, you can do one side today, the other tomorrow, the back next week,...whatever.
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i'm gonna attempt it with the 324 i think. again, thank you for the information !
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Just a question
Are you guys doing the top as well or just sides & back ?
Sorry, tried to read the whole thread but couldn't find mention of it.
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No, the top is gloss-finished from the factory, at least on the 414. There is no need to touch the top. If a matte-finished guitar had a matte soundboard as well as back and sides, I personally would not do this. It would be much more difficult to get a nice, uniform, glossy finish on the top because of the bridge, the fretboard, etc.
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Steppy's 324 has a satin finish top -
glossed back & sides with a satin top could make for a rather "unique" look :-\
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Well, though I'm comfortable doing just about anything to a guitar as far as maintenance/adjustment/re-fretting/polishing, whatever. I would not attempt polishing a matte top because I just don't think it could be done properly unless you removed the fretboard and bridge. But, as noted, a polished back/sides with matte top would certainly be unusual! Who knows, in a few years manufacturers might be doing it/selling it as the latest "improvement" that you just HAVE to have. :)
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The topic of glossing matte finishes has been discussed previously--either here or elsewhere. At the time, no one mentioned trying it on a 1xx series (I think that was the model) which had a different matte finish than the 3xx and 4xx. I'm not able to access Taylor's web site right now, but I haven't heard of anyone with a 1xx series who has attempted this. It's possible that it has been done, but I don't know--just a heads-up.
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That's a good point re the finish itself…regardless of the difficulty of polishing around the fretboard and bridge, if there is not enough finish material on the top to accept being polished, you'd end up trying to polish the wood itself.
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I have a GS Mini (Koa) & a 114 in Sunburst.
This thread got me thinking about what either of these guitars would look like polished.
But you'd still have a matt top. Interesting 'look' I'd imagine ?
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I have a GS Mini (Koa) & a 114 in Sunburst.
This thread got me thinking about what either of these guitars would look like polished.
But you'd still have a matt top. Interesting 'look' I'd imagine ?
varnish finish is used on the GSmini & 100 series & baby series too -
the spec is listed as being a matte 2.0 (mil), which is less than 1/2 the finish depth of the
300/400s satin back & sides, & top on the 32Xs, & 1/3 as thin as the gloss UV finish.
combined with the more "open-pore" style, there really is barely any finish there to begin with
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No, the top is gloss-finished from the factory, at least on the 414. There is no need to touch the top. If a matte-finished guitar had a matte soundboard as well as back and sides, I personally would not do this. It would be much more difficult to get a nice, uniform, glossy finish on the top because of the bridge, the fretboard, etc.
hmm... i hadn't thunk about that >:( i assumed that you had done the whole thing. not that worried about the bridge and neck...heck, that's what a Dremel is for ! but the lack of uniform finish???? i guess a 324 with a camo finish would look silly if the polishing doesn't work out... maybe not...hmm..... :o :o :o
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Well, though I'm comfortable doing just about anything to a guitar as far as maintenance/adjustment/re-fretting/polishing, whatever. I would not attempt polishing a matte top because I just don't think it could be done properly unless you removed the fretboard and bridge. But, as noted, a polished back/sides with matte top would certainly be unusual! Who knows, in a few years manufacturers might be doing it/selling it as the latest "improvement" that you just HAVE to have. :)
removing the heel block label & the 3 neck bolts & masking the bridge with blue 3M painter's tape is not that difficult,
or if one would rather not remove the neck, painter's tape could be used on the edge of the fretboard extension as well -
i'd think there'd be more of a hassle removing the preamp & power supply on an ES model, but Steppy's is a pure acoustic 324
That's a good point re the finish itself…regardless of the difficulty of polishing around the fretboard and bridge, if there is not enough finish material on the top to accept being polished, you'd end up trying to polish the wood itself.
the satin finish on the 300 & 400s is the same, whether it's on the top, sides or back -
a hardwood top should be similar to the back & sides but a spruce top, not so much
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I have a GS Mini (Koa) & a 114 in Sunburst.
This thread got me thinking about what either of these guitars would look like polished.
But you'd still have a matt top. Interesting 'look' I'd imagine ?
varnish finish is used on the GSmini & 100 series & baby series too -
the spec is listed as being a matte 2.0 (mil), which is less than 1/2 the finish depth of the
300/400s satin back & sides, & top on the 32Xs, & 1/3 as thin as the gloss UV finish.
combined with the more "open-pore" style, there really is barely any finish there to begin with
Just as well I didn't attempt to try this on my guitars.
I'd have been left with a neck, bridge & six strings ;)
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I used Stewart MacDonald polishing products on my Larrivee OM-03R and a couple of other satin finish instruments with great results.
A buffing cone in a hand drill and some finger pressure in the tight spots and Boom! shine!
(http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f280/dcarey69/OM-03R/IMG_0021.jpg) (http://s49.photobucket.com/user/dcarey69/media/OM-03R/IMG_0021.jpg.html)
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That turned out quite nice dcarey. nice and shiney. I believe it improved the overall looks.
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"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."
dcarey: every time I see that, it breaks me up. Thanks.
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not sure what 3M Finesse-It II product to use. can anyone seek to this?
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Hi Brendon,
Welcome to the board, sir! :)
I'm not the OP, but I had done this polish-the-satin-to-gloss procedure on two guitars. It's easy, use a microfiber towel (one for application, one for removal and buff), and go slow as the finish is thin. FWIW, I've used Meguiar's products as well as 3M with excellent results. Go to your local auto parts store and look at the polish/wax aisle: you'll find that the polish products are graded according to how abrasive they are. You want a fine polish, like a fine swirl remover. Don't get anything that cuts too deep, like a scratch remover, and don't get an all-in-one product as you don't want wax. A fine polish, your microfiber cloth, and patience will get you there. :)
Edward
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I thought all 414s were glossy to start with? Mine is and it is a 2014. I know 314s are not glossy.
Anyway I would never try this on my 414 but I have an old Seagull that might be good to try...
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Oh man, thanks Edward.
My 414 is a 2007. Front is gloss but I want the back and sides to match. I love the gloss look, and I've heard it's really nice on the Ovangol back and sides that my 414 is.
Thanks for the advice. Before using the polish, did you use fine steel wool before starting. From what I understand, the matte look is a layer that Taylor puts on. So as that is removed, a "glossy" look is buffed out. I've kind of noticed as I started on the back of the guitar. Anyways, someone in here had posted they did that first for great results and cuts down on the polishing time. What do you think? Time is really not an issue. I'm in no rush and I want this to look amazing when it's done.
Brendon
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Nooooo, I would personally not use any steel wool! In my opinion, that adds risk to burning through the finish. Taylor's finish is thin ...this is a good thing, mind you, but also means you want to remove as little as possible; only enough to yield a gloss. I'd personally rather spend more effort with polish as it is slower, and thus far more forgiving if you get zealous with it. Like a haircut, one can cut more, but one can't put back what is removed ;)
BTW, that gloss you achieve is not a deep, full gloss like that on the top (or other models), so don't polish too far hoping to get factory-like results; there just isn't enough finish there to do this. But you will still achieve a legit a gloss nevertheless, which I personally prefer over the factory satin, both for aesthetics, as well as to eliminate that "swish" sound of the satin against your clothing.
I later sold this 410 ...it was a 30th-Anniv.Ltd. There was a nice, subtle flame to the ovangkol, but after the polish, man did that flame jump forward! I'll look for pics :)
Edward
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Ok sounds good. Going to give it a go. Instructions are on the bottle I assume, but how do you add this polish to a guitar? You mentioned 2 clothes, one for polishing and one for wiping. How do I know how much rubbing I need to do and when to wipe it off. And probably more importantly...how do I get it to be consistent and even throughout? Thanks.
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Take one cloth, saturate a portion of the cloth, and rub a small part of the guitar in small circles. Start somewhere less conspicuous, say, the guitar side that meets your leg. Let the polish do the work, so apply light-medium hand pressure on the cloth ...again, let the polish do the "cutting" into the finish so no need to press hard; it's more the motion of the cloth and polish that will be doing the work. Do this part of the guit and you'll start to get a feel for how much/little polish to apply, when to reapply on the cloth, how often you wipe off, or do I do more polishing and wipe off less often ...you'll start to see what works best for you.
OK, so you have this one area that makes you feel like you did pretty well. Don't try to make it "perfect" yet ...move on to the rest of the guitar. You're "mostly done" when the whole guitar's finish is largely glossy, but may have uneven areas, or areas that seem unevenly glossed here or there. Once your entire guitar is "largely" glossy and close to right, this is where you step back and do another round of polish but now take larger, wider swaths of rubbing as you are now attempting to "blend" those little pieces of the guitar you had glossed into one large, uniform area of gloss. Remember, light pressure and let the polish and cloth flow over the large surface so as to make the overall gloss uniform over that entire surface (say the back, or the side that faces you, or the top ...you get the idea :) ).
I feel like this is one of those things that's harder to describe but easier to do as you'll find and "feel" your best method as you go. Take breaks and --odd as it may seem to say-- enjoy the process. :)
Edward