Polishing a 414CE so it's now glossy rather than matte (and other stuff)

[Brendon]

not sure what 3M Finesse-It II product to use. can anyone seek to this?

[Edward]

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

[microsnout]

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...

[Brendon]

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

[Edward]

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

[Brendon]

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.

[Edward]

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