Hello Mike:

Thank you for the comprehensive reply! I appreciate all of your DIY suggestions
and cautions. I won't do anything beyond the basic cleaning until I can find out
what was used for the original finish. I should take it to a luthier to get an
opinion on whether the flaking and wearing are a problem or just normal. I live
just south of Nashville, so I'm guessing there is a luthier or two in the area.
:)

(I think I meant to use the word lacquer instead of varnish in my original post.
I have a wooden canoe which I built and I have to varnish it every year. The
marine spar varnish I prefer is getting very difficult to find, so that's on my
mind. No worries though: that varnish is not going near the guitar!)

Thanks again for all the details.

Joseph


--- In tenorguitarregistry@yahoogroups.com, Mike Soares <soaresyguitars@...>
wrote:
>
>
>
> Hi from, Mike. First rule is just clean it and wax it. That is it. Use a
butchers wax or an old fashioned shoe polish. The past stuff in a can. As to
cleaning it. This will very depending on what the finish is?? It could be
>
> Shellac, Varnish, Or Lacquer?? Not all cleaners are safe for all finishes. A
wax remover is OK. For most. Then a buffing compound to remove grit. The stuff
that is used for an auto finish is good. As it is gentile.
>
> Hand buff it out. No power buffing. Then a good 3 or 4 Coats of wax. Never use
an oil based cleaner. Like Turpentine And Mineral Spirits. They do work. But the
oil will get into the wood and soften it. Removing years of aging. And it will
kill the tone. So no oil. If it is a nice guitar and the finish is really bad.
Having a pro refinish the whole thing is a good way to go. If not an you want to
do a do it your self touchup. Ok. Alcohol will destroy a shellac finish. But you
can sprits it on spots that are crackled to re melt the damage on to the guitar.
Same goes for Lacquer. Lacquer thinner will kill lacquer. But can be lightly
used to melt the finish down. I would use an air brush. A little at a time. Mist
it lightly. Repeat till you get it how you like it. Lightly sand and re cover it
with a thin layer of the finish thinned out. A couple of coats of shellac or
lacquer with the air brush. Then buff and wax. You can also just clean it well.
Then use a spray can of the proper finish to recover. Then buff it all out.
Varnish is another story. No way that I know to re melt it in??
>
> So it needs to be cleaned. Lightly sanded and re covered. Minwax makes a great
gel varnish that comes id a plastic bottle. You put a little on a rag and rub it
on. It is a very thin coat. Let each coat dry and keep building it up till you
get it how you like it. This stuff can be used on most any finish that has been
cleaned.
>
> Great for bringing old beet up finishes back to life. Also will hide most of
the scratches. Comes in Nat. and colors. Hope this helps. Mike.
>
>
>
>
> Hi from, Mike Soares.
> 11 Whittier Ave.
> Yonkers, New York.
> 10704.
> Soares'y Guitars.
> Web site.
> http://soaresyguitars.com
>
>
>
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>
> To: tenorguitarregistry@yahoogroups.com
> From: jcw56@...
> Date: Fri, 3 Jul 2009 21:16:18 +0000
> Subject: [Tenor Guitar Registry] Flaking finish and neck wear
>
>
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>
>
>
> Hello!
>
> I'm wondering what -- if anything -- I can do about the flaking and
worn-through-the-finish spots on my 1935 (or so) Slingerland Songster. This is
not just the normal crazing of cracked varnish; the wood is exposed in some
small places.
>
> First, the lower body where arms have draped and strummed, some of the finish
is gone but is not actively peeling away. Perhaps it has been like this for
years already. I would like to know if there is some way to arrest further
flaking and preserve the integrity of the wood.
>
> Photo linked here: Slingerland Body
> http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/5616297/sn/1468194554/name/SlingerTenorBody1.jpg
>
> Second, wear on the neck, particularly at the first first fret and a little
down from there, has also exposed the wood. I know this is because of its having
been a well-played guitar. Probably nothing to do for this other than wiping
after playing.
>
> Photo linked here: Slingerland Neck
> http://d.yimg.com/kq/groups/5616297/sn/1055594862/name/SlingerTenorNeck1.jpg
>
> Any recommendations of how to best care for these areas will be appreciated!
Then again, maybe I should keep it in perspective: when I reach 70+ years, I
suppose there will be a certain amount of flaking and excessive wear showing on
me, too.
>
> Thanks!
>