new member

[gwilk]

hi guys. this is my first visit , hope im posting to the right area! 1st of all, its great to find a Guild site! i have already found much info on this site. a little personal history: ive been a front porch picker for near 30 years, but never played any where else. 4-5 years ago , started playing at church, and this has progressed to the point that my wife and handle the music at our church now.we figure what little talent we may have came from the Lord, so we are trying to give some of it back.
currently playing a jf30-12, this is the 4th 12 string i have owned over the years and by far the best. plenty of volume, and rings like a bell!
which leads me to a question. big bertha , the 12 string is a big guitar! being average size, my forearm rests on the edge of the guitar , and i have noticed pretty bad finish problem there. just flat rubbing it off, it looks like. any one have a problem with the finish?
i also have need some help with finding some mfg info. maybe some one could help. serial # is aj 321680 but i cant seem to find this # on the guild dating site any ideas?
any way, thanx for listening , and glad to be here! gswilk

 

[adorshki]

HI, Welcome Aboard! I have a buddy who owns one of those, and it can't be older than '87, and I think they only made 'em for like 5 years, but Hans will probably be able to pin it down for you. Unfortunatley that finish prob sounds like the result of years of the acids in your sweat breaking down the nitrocellulose lacquer. I don't know if there's an actual fix for this short of getting a spot refinish which is the cheap way to go but may result in cosmetic issues. I had a similar problem with my D25 and when I cut down on playing time to only about 30 hours a year in short 45 min to one hour increments, it seemed to give the lacquer a chance to harden back up a little, but it was never "worn through" and it's still a little hazy even after polishing. In fact I first noticed it after a polishing job, it actually was very slightly sticky 'cause the laquer had softened up but I hadn't realized it. So also didn't polish it for a long time, and that seemed to help too.

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

Welcome to the Forum, gwilk.

As far as something to help with the edge of your guitar goes, there are a few answers.
First, always wear long sleeves when playing.

Second, keep the top of your guitar polished.
This will put a buffer between you and the finish on the guitar.

Last, try an arm rest like these.
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/ ... c=3AGGWXX2
Some people like them and others, not so much.

 

[gwilk]

thanx for the replies guys. yeah , i realized ,too late, that i should wear sleeves so i cut a long sleeve off and keep it in my case. and i'll try more wax too. thanx for the welcome!

 

[adorshki]

thanx for the replies guys. yeah , i realized ,too late, that i should wear sleeves so i cut a long sleeve off and keep it in my case. and i'll try more wax too. thanx for the welcome!

This can get real complicated, but do a little searching here on polishes and finishes. The big prob is stuff that contains silicones (And almost everything does) can contaminate the wood through cracks or worn-through spots, making any future re-finish work virtually impossible. Item 2: Virtually all the waxes contain silicones and/or solvents which are probably not too good for nitro lacquer over the long run. There was a thread debating these issues recently which got so overheated it was deleted. Here's some stuff I learned: While the wax CAN put up a protective barrier, it sounds like your finish is already compromised and I would heartily reccommend giving the laquer literally 6 months of "drying out" before covering it with anything, because the wax may also have the reverse effect of sealing in unwanted contaminants. I'm just advocating erring on the side of caution, but you're the one who's really got to judge how bad the finish really is. Also I'm not an expert and will bow to any luthier's greater knowledge.

 

[chazmo]

Welcome aboard, gwilk! Gotta' love the big, jumbo 12ers!! Hey, take a look inside the guitar toward the neck block. Guild started date-stamping them at some point, and your JF might have a date on it.

Yeah, guitar polish should cover it up pretty well, but don't worry about it too much as there's not a whole lot to do about it at this point. Indeed the trick to preventing that is to wipe the guitar down after playing and clean it occasionally.

 

[killdeer43]

Along with all those helpful comments, I'll just say welcome, gwilk.
Stay tuned and stay in tune....you'll like it here. :wink:

Joe

 

[GardMan]

Welcome to LTG! D

 

[evenkeel]

Welcome to LTG land. Probably won't help much but the finish issue you're talking about is fairly common. My D35 suffers from the same malady. Big ol' spot where my arm rests. Just as others have noted wearing long sleeves helps as does a polish (non silicone based).

 

[jgmaute]

Welcome to LTG. You've found one of the nicest places on the net. Kick your shoes off, relax your mind! I also sing (and write songs) for church. If you'd like a link to some of my "church" songs just send me a pm and I'll send it your way. joan

 

[fronobulax]

Welcome. Long sleeves and play standing up :wink: There are a lot of strong opinions about polishing, polishes and refinishes. If you see yourself as a steward of a guitar that will be passed on to someone else to enjoy then you should follow the most conservative advice.

 

[dreadnut]

Welcome! I don't know if you've ever done this, but I learned from experience that you don't want to have any mosquito repellent on your hands or arms when you play, it'll eat into the finish!

Ditto to what Joan says, I've got a bunch of gospel music all chorded out too, let me know if you're looking for something in particular. Also a bunch of Gospel Bluegrass music.

 

[Brad Little]

Welcome to the group. As to the finish issue, I would first use some distilled water and a soft lint free cloth. It's possible that it is more of a dirt problem than an actual removal of the finish. I also recommend guitar sleeves, much like you've done with an old shirt sleeve:
http://oasishumidifiers.com/sleeves.html
They don't work any better but might look a little more professional.
Welcome,
Brad

 

[learnintoplay62]

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome. Just think of it as mojo and keep on keepin on

 

[Ross]

As to the finish issue, I would first use some distilled water and a soft lint free cloth. It's possible that it is more of a dirt problem than an actual removal of the finish.

I'm with Brad. I use a damp or moist cloth with a small amount of mild soap (no scents, no additives) to remove built-up gunk. I don't use polishes.

 

[kitniyatran]

Well come.

 

[gwilk]

thanks to all of you for the info and especially for the warm welcome. thanks joan, for the link. i am on the lookout for a 6 string now, so i know i will talking to you all again!! thanks again gary wilk

 

[southernGuild]

last but not least.WELCOME GARY!

 

[JerryR]

Hi Gwilk - we're not very formal about what you post where - the headings are just a guide really - folks often post their sound clips in 'miscellaneous' rather than in 'member's music' in the LTG members section (probably want a wider audience) and whatever - we really don't care Just remember to veer from the topic in hand as often as possible and be rude to CJD player at every opportunity :mrgreen:

 

[markus]

Welcome!
Of course there are extra points given for spontaneous abstruse veers with being rude to CJD player (or Jerry :mrgreen: )!
Be sure to join our course on "Toronto architecture"!

And regarding your question: I kept some old long sleeved business shirts for that reason. They also help to protect from belt buckle marks ...

Markus