What’s the best way to clean a nitro finish with checking?
Hi Alex, welcome!
Several folks here recommend Virtuoso (not to be confused with
Fabuloso):
https://virtuosopolish.com/
One wants to avoid polishes/cleaners with silicons, which most contain these days. If they penetrate under the lacquer the least potential problem is discoloration of the wood along the checking, and the worst is that the instrument becomes extremely problematic to refinish, if ever desired.
Our mod
@chazmo also cited a source a while back that found silicons can penetrate the wood and deteriorate glue bonds on fretboards, for example. (Correct me if I misremembered, Chaz?) Bridges might be another potential candidate?
Of course, it may not be possible to tell if that kind of polish has ever been used on it, especially since silicons have become so prevalent. So let's just assume one wants to be as kind to the finish as possible and do no harm if none has already been done, or even if it has.
The Virtuoso products are at least silicon free, and the cleaner has very gentle abrasive properties. I'll never forget a luthier once told me the best "fine cutting" (scratch removal) abrasive was of all things,
cigarette ash. The finest particles possible. Not sure how many you'd have to smoke to get enough ash to work with, though.
Pretty sure the Virtuoso stuff (I have no affiliation/interest) won't leave your axe smelling like it spent its life in a blues bar, though.
Butane (lighter fluid) is also suggested as it won't dissolve NCL. Can't recall seeing a can of lighter fluid for years though, and would check label for possibly undesirable "ingredients" anyway.
Acetone is a specific solvent for NCL, so it's a "no-no", and strong alcohols are to be avoided as well.
Nice to see you're interested in shining her up the right way! Hope that helps!
PS nice guitar! Been curious to try of those recently.
Ahhh, justrememberedonemorething (hereinafter to be acronym'd "JROMT"):
No Microfibre. Repeat,
"No Microfibre." Pure cotton t-shirts only, for cleaning purposes.
The synthetic fibers in micro fiber cleaning cloths and mixed cotton/poly T's are harder than NCL and will leave "microscopic" (or even larger) scratches. (The headstock of my D25 bears witness to this).
Pure cotton is NCL's cellulose fiber base material itself, and and won't harm NCL.
Otherwise you just might
have to resort to cigarette ashes. Maybe even cigars?