Frequently Asked Questions
Click to see videos, photos and the polish in action
Scroll down for answers to these questions, or email us
below if your question isn't listed:
- Does this stuff really work?
- Is there a money-back guarantee?
- What should I order & what is the best product available?
- I've tried some other scratch products like Brand-X, and big-name guitar polishes--isn't your stuff the same?
- So how does it work & how can I fix scratches on my guitar?
- Is it safe to use on my precious instrument, any harsh chemicals?
- What's the best product, a single container or a Player's Kit? How much product do I need?
- Will my guitar's finish be altered or look worse after using this product?
- How can I tell if my guitar has a high-gloss finish? Why can't I polish a matte or satin finish?
- Is it easy to use, and do I need anything special?
- Will your polish remove every scratch and problem?
- Can I use a towel or old t-shirt like I've been using to polish my guitar, or a guitar cloth?
- What kind of damage will this product fix/not fix? Will it help me play like Joe?
- I damaged my finish with a competitor's product! Can yours help?
- Can I use your products as well as a competitor's product together?
- I've got a guitar that is almost 40 years old, can I expect it to look like new again?
- I have a collectors instrument worth thousands of dollars, should I use your product?
- Any guitars I can't use this on? What about some of the new "worn" or "faded" finishes by Gibson and Fender?
- Do you ship worldwide?
- How fast will my order arrive? Do you offer free shipping?
- What does it mean that you 'aren't affiliated with any guitar manufacturers'? Does this mean I shouldn't use the product?
- What about the polishes the big guitar companies make?
- Silicone or silicone-free...I've heard various things about polishes with silicone. Does your product contain silicone and is it okay?
- Is this okay to use on nitro (nitrocellulose lacquer) finishes?
- Why haven't I heard about this product before?
- Does this stuff really work? The answer is YES! Check our Reviews page above for actual customer comments and real-time web blogs. Or just Google us and see many customer reviews on the web. This product works to remove surface scratches on your high gloss (gloss) guitar finish. It also removes other surface blemishes and brings your finish back to life. Your satisfaction is guaranteed or your money back (details below). Safe to use, too. Player's Kits are recommended & the best product we offer.
- Is there a money-back guarantee? Yes, refunds or exchanges are no problem if you wish to return the product. Just return the product to us within 30 days for a full refund of the item purchase price (less S/H fees). Email us for return instructions. Note--we almost never get returns because the product does work, but your satisfaction is guaranteed anyway! Shipping & handling is non-refundable. (Non-USA: More details see "shipping" link on bottom of Order page)
- What should I order & what is the best product available? We highly recommend any of our Player's Kits. It's the best product available whether you own just one guitar or many guitars. See below for more info.
- I've tried some other scratch products like Brand-X, and big-name guitar polishes--isn't your stuff the same? No. Our ingredients and processes are different. According to our tests and customer feedback, better results are seen, and customers report our product out-performs the others in a big way. See what our customers are blogging about those other products on the web, and on our Review tab by clicking here. This is an entirely new concept in polishing guitars using the latest technology and ingredients. Our product goes much further and will give you results guaranteed, or your money back!
- So how does it work & how can I fix scratches on my guitar? You will receive full instructions and tips with your order. The process is easy, done without any tools and is easy enough for a child to understand. The polish functions on high gloss finishes by working & resurfacing those trouble areas at the microscopic level--so small that all you see is improvement. The scratches are smoothed out and become less visible with each polishing motion applied. In the past any polish that attempted this would scratch your finish because it had to be strong enough to work out the scratch. And getting good-sized scratches out usually required sanding & buffing. Not anymore! Thanks to the latest nano-technology and break-through ingredients, this space-age polish will amaze you by removing scratches and blemishes before your eyes. Think of it as drawing a line in the sand with your finger, and then the seashore coming in and smoothing it out. The sand remains virtually unchanged, but the surface becomes smooth again. That's basically what happens with this polish but on a very small microscopic level until that scratch is smoothed and fades away.
- Is it safe to use on my precious instrument, any harsh chemicals? Absolutely safe & no harsh chemicals or fumes; our polishes are very environmentally "green" friendly & silicone-free. If you use this on a high gloss finish and follow the directions, it is safe even on a $5000 high-end acoustic dreadnought. Works on acoustic, electric, classical guitars and basses. Not for use on other than high gloss or glossy finishes. Please tell us at checkout what brand, model, and color of instrument you have. Our polishes, kits, and detail sprays are silicone-free.
- What's the best product, a single container or a Player's Kit? How much product do I need? The Player's Kit is the best product available. We highly recommend it whether you have one guitar or many guitars. The single polish work quite well for light-duty stuff, but the kit is a dual blend set and will go further with scratch and blemish removal. If you are unsure how severe your scratches are & want the deepest possible treatment, we recommend the Player's Kit. If you order the single container - the regular size will last most people about one year with one or two guitars providing many applications. One container can polish over 10-20 guitars complete, front & back. For spot treating small areas, you can get 30 or more applications out of just one regular size order! Some scratches & blemishes will only require 1-2 applications. Other moderate ones may require more applications as they gradually lift with each treatment. You don't use much product when polishing so there is almost no waste, and results are permanent unless you make new scratches. Our Player's Kits come with microfiber towel(s). Great for those with more than one guitar, and a great choice for darker & black guitars. See our Products page for more info on what to order.
- Will my guitar's finish be altered or look worse after using this product? It will actually look better, many people report a "like new again" appearance. Be sure to visit our Reviews page! Please read the directions carefully. This product will not harm your guitar and in fact will improve the appearance. It is not a filler, a cover up, or a temporary fix and nothing is left behind and is meant for high gloss finishes. It works at the microscopic level to smooth and remove surface blemishes and scratches, leaving your finish looking better than before. In many cases people are able to get their guitars back to near-brand new condition. Just like brushing your teeth is beneficial, use of this polish actually helps your guitar's finish.
- How can I tell if my guitar has a high-gloss finish? Why can't I polish a matte or satin finish? Finishes that are glossy or high gloss show very sharp, crisp reflections and have a nice shine--see the View tab for examples of a high gloss finish in the Jackson guitar photos, and the videos. Matte, satin, or semi-gloss finishes do not show crisp reflections and no polishing products should be used on these finishes because they are often too thin and fragile (Our spray detailer is okay on these finishes for cleaning). Please be sure of your finish type before usage. We estimate about 95% of guitars on the market today are high-gloss finishes and are compatible with our polish types. Expect great results!
- Is it easy to use, and do I need anything special? The product is easy to use. The entire process is done by hand. Just firmly rub it on and wipe it off. No special knowledge or tools required. Some guitars and scratches will require aggressive rubbing and repeated applications. Full instructions are included. You should use a micro-fiber cloth. We sell them separately and in our Player's Kit, or any true micro-fiber cloth will work. Our micro-fibers are oversized and extra thick for best results.
- Will your polish remove every scratch and problem? It depends on the condition of your instrument. Currently we are experiencing about a 97% success rate, so 97 of 100 people that use the product get good visible results. Basically if your finish looks better after you used the product, then it worked. Many report total 100% results getting out the scratches for which they ordered the product. Yet not all scratches come out every time. Some scratches are deeper than they appear and may not improve much. Newer guitars with minimal scratches usually clean up nicely. If your guitar is badly scratched all over, it may not look like new again. However we get emails all the time from customers who say their 30-year old guitar looks like new again! That's a great feeling for us as well as the customer. We have seen many nasty scratches, some we thought would never come out, utterly disappear with repeated applications. Brand new instruments that picked up scratches we thought would have to be sold as discounted models, are usually completely cleaned up to scratch-free condition! Some customers have reported that our polish entirely removed "buckle rash" and some have even reported it made finish checking on older guitars less noticeable. We do not claim the polish removes belt buckle damage or checking, but some customers report results in this area.
- Can I use a towel or old t-shirt like I've been using to polish my guitar, or a guitar cloth? It's better if you do not. Cotton will scratch some guitar finishes. Even so-called guitar detail cloths will scratch. People order from us on a regular basis because they put scratches in their new guitar with a guitar polishing cloth they got at the local guitar shop. This is more of a problem on darker finishes. The best choice is a micro-fiber cloth. See Order Page for more details. These are the softest cloths available and will not scratch. Because of the micro "pockets" in our oversized cloths that actually store tiny parcels of polish during application, you will actually get better results using them than anything else. BACK TO TOP
- What kind of damage will this product fix/not fix? Surface scratches & blemishes, pick marks, swirl marks, sticker residue, ink or marker stains, & other chemical damage all will improve or come out entirely. Deep scratches may not improve. This product WILL NOT correct or repair cracks, chips, dings (dents), or any worn out or faded finishes. Scratches that are very deep or through the finish will not improve much or at all. The good news is that most scratches reside on the surface. More good news--pretty much any guitar or bass will see improvement, many are completely restored to scratch-free condition. Many deeper scratches "soften" in appearance & don't look as bad. Some customers have even reported success in removing buckle-rash and finish checking on their older guitars, although we do not officially claim the polish does this. We regularly take bad scratches out of $3000 hand-made Ramirez guitars in our shop, it's amazing. One other thing--this polish will not help you play like Jimmy, Eric, Eddie, Stevie Ray, or Joe...
- I damaged my finish with a competitor's product! Can yours help? We get this question often! Usually, the answer is 'yes' our product will usually undo or completely correct finish damage done by other harsh products or abrasive polishes, depending on the severity of your situation. For this reason you should not use automotive products on your guitar! Email us with any questions. Follow the detailed directions we provide and you will never, ever damage your finish with GuitarScratchRemover polishes. It's safe, guaranteed! Your guitar will never look better!
- Can I use your products as well as a competitor's product together? You can use other products along with ours but do not mix them together in application. Also, if you have used other scratch remover products on your guitar, it is possible they have damaged, hardened or chemically changed your finish making more polishing less effective. This is rare but can happen depending on the competitor and guitar. If you experience this with a competitor's product please get in touch for different options. Since we can not vouch for the safety of competitors products, we recommend you do not use our products in combination with other guitar polishes. Rest assured that Guitar Scratch Remover products will not damage your finish, guaranteed.
- I've got a guitar that is almost 40 years old, can I expect it to look like new again? Probably not brand new but expect improvement. There are some amazing customer success stories on the Review Tab. Some customers have reported this polish made their forty-year-old Martin D-18 look like new, but of course we can't promise that will always happen. As guitar finishes age, the wood can shrink, dry out and sometimes an aging guitar finish "checks", cracks or turns yellow. This product may not do anything about that but it will clarify the surface & remove scratches. Just as a new car will look better than an old one after a wash & detail, new guitars look better to begin with than older ones so the finished product often looks better. And, we get emails ALL THE TIME from people that got amazing results on their old Martins & Gibsons! (see the Review tab above) Basically expect an improvement; how much depends on the condition of that old guitar of yours.
- I have a collectors instrument worth thousands of dollars, should I use your product? Any collector's instrument or vintage guitar may possibly be worth more in its original condition than having the original finish treated or improved. For that reason we suggest leaving it as is or getting the advice of a professional appraiser. (A 1957 Chevy can be worth more with weathered original paint than a re-painted one.)
- Any guitars I can't use this on? What about some of the new "worn" or "faded" finishes by Gibson and Fender? What about some of the new "worn" or "faded" finishes by Gibson or Fender? Certain Rickenbacker models are not compatible with any polishes. Follow manufacturer instructions. A few guitar manufacturers have begun making new instruments to look like old guitars of yesteryear without a high gloss finish. Some Gibson Les Paul "worn" finishes or Fender's Worn 50s Telecaster are examples. Some of these instruments even have wear marks & missing finish straight from the factory to appear used. Because most of theses guitars are made to look worn or have no glossy finish, it is not recommended to use any polishes on the worn or faded models. You can however use the product on any other high gloss guitars by Fender & Gibson. If your "faded" finish has a high gloss finish, you can use the product no problem. Our detail cleaning sprays CAN be used on any guitar, or any hard surface.
- Do you ship worldwide? USA, Americas, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Japan, Asia, and many other locations with a few exceptions. We normally ship US Airmail. See below for transit time.
- How fast will my order arrive? Do you offer free shipping? We are located in the USA and shipping normally takes about 3 - 5 business days for US customers. Non-USA customer orders normally ship Airmail, and will arrive in your country in about 7 - 10 days. Add some time to that for your country to process the parcel through customs. (See checkout Order page for free shipping options)
- What does it mean that you aren't 'affiliated with any guitar manufacturers'? It just means we are not employed by or related to them. If we make a product to use on your guitar, we are legally obligated to point out that we are not related to or affiliated with that particular manufacturer. This doesn't mean you can't use the product, because you can! (e.g. - If we made great car covers for a BMW convertible, we would be required to mention that we aren't related to BMW motorcars.) So while its safe to use these polishes on your Martin, Taylor, Gibson, Fender, etc...we are not affiliated with these companies or related to them. We simply make great polish that works wonders and is safe to use on these instruments!
- What about the polishes the big guitar polish companies make? They aren't bad general purpose polishes, but they are not made to remove scratches. Some contain silicone which is generally to be avoided in the guitar community. Most of these polishes just clean the surface & remove dust. Even swirl removers don't remove much else. The big guitar companies aren't primarily concerned about removing scratches from your instrument. Our polish focuses on scratch & problem removal, and keeping your guitar looking new as long as possible. We use the best ingredients and design team in the world. The ingredients and formulation of our polishes are also very expensive, a process the big companies aren't looking to take on, when they can make cheaper polish with inferior ingredients, and sell to the public at a higher profit.
- Silicone or silicone-free...I've heard silicone should be avoided. Does your guitar polish contain silicone? No - our polishing products are silicone-free! This includes all polishes and Player's Kits. Most guitar polishes as well as furniture polish contain silicone. It adds a bit of shine and luster and can help protect against fingerprints and perspiration acid build-up. Silicone is not necessarily bad for your guitar finish. However it does make re-painting or refinishing of the guitar more work for the shop as it takes more time to remove all the remnants. You may have read on the internet never to use a silicone product on your guitar. Many people have been told silicone is harmful to the guitar--it actually is not, it simply is harder to remove all traces of it if the guitar is to be repainted. If you have ever polished your guitar before with a store product, chances are you already have silicone on your guitar. If you are planning on having your guitar sanded down & repainted one day, you will save the shop some prep time if you use silicone-free products. As a leader in the polish industry, we make our polishes 100% silicone-free.
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Is this okay for "nitro" nitrocellulose lacquer finishes?
Yes. Some
high end guitars like
USA Les Paul & Fender Stratocasters use a nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Our products are completely safe to use on these high gloss finishes. If you have a thin-skin nitro finish, we do ask that you tell us in the order checkout comments. - Why haven't I heard about this product before? A few years ago we were relatively unknown. Now thanks to thousands of customers, if you do any kind of Google internet search about removing guitar scratches, you will find us at the top of the results. Also this might be the first time you've searched for a guitar scratch remover. There are many good reviews about us on the internet, guitar blogs, & this site about great results people are getting. These products were not available 5 to 10 years ago because they were not technologically possible - this may sound like an advertising exaggeration but it's a fact. Although we are quickly gaining popularity and are not a brand new company, we haven't been around as long as some of the old-time polish companies you have heard of. These companies are mostly still using the same old formulas. We can tell you our polish is safe and much more advanced. The ingredients we use are high-tech and more expensive than our competitors. We believe it is the best there is for polishing guitars and removing scratches, especially our Player's Kits. We ship worldwide and have a dealer network in the US, Europe, and Pacific Rim. Compared to the other so called scratch & swirl removers out there or finish restorers, nothing comes close to our products. Try them and see. Check out the Review Tab or below to read what our customers are saying and blogging on the internet every day!
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