Polishing your guitar will not only make it look better, but will protect the wood as well. Here’s some tips:
1. When Changing Strings, May As Well Polish Too
When changing your strings and spending the time to work on your guitar, take the extra ten minutes to polish it as well.
2. Use A Guitar-Made Polish
It’s best to use a polish that’s made for guitars such as Daddario’s Planet Waves Guitar Polish. These polishes usually come in a plastic spray bottle and the contents last a very long time on the shelf.
3. Use A Clean, Lint-Free Rag
When polishing your guitar, never spray the polish directly onto your instrument. This causes unwanted drips, especially onto electronics and into f-holes and round sound holes. Instead, spray the polish onto a clean, lint-free rag but just dampen one area of the rag – do not saturate it! Immediately apply the dampened rag to the wood of your guitar (one area at a time) and wipe in a circular motion until the polish is absorbed and evaporated. Start with the front (including the areas under the strings), then proceed to the body sides, then do the back of the body. When the body is done, you should then polish the headstock (especially under the strings) and the complete length of the back of the neck, but do not polish the fretboard as the fretboard is constantly getting natural oils from your fingers during playing.
