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I got myself a Gretsch electromatic rat rod in white. great guitar. Love it.

The only thing thats a bee in my bonnet is the finish. It's SO matte and has no reflective properties at all. I know it's supposed to be like that, but it's just too different from what i am used to.

I think i am going to try my hand at some polishing compound to bring out at least *some* shine.

I have Silvo metal polish and Meguiar's "ultimate compound" car polish.... I think both of these are okay for what i have in mind, but i'm just checking here first before i give it a go.

What would people recommend? Also has anyone done something similar? I have seen a thread on another board by someone who glossed up their matte gretsch tim armstrong and it came out amazing.

Any advise is appreciated.

I've used wax balsam I got from IKEA to add a bit of lustre to bodies I've painted with both chalk and blackboard paint. That would put a bit of shine on it after a polish, but I'd be sparing on a matte white body, as applying it too thick will make for a yellowish tint.

MKR wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 09, 2024 6:57 am

Also has anyone done something similar?

I was quite happy with the result, but maybe not for everyone.

that turned out great on yours. i'll look into that product.

Warning: Sure, you can buff out a matte finish, but the reason manufacturers use matte is usually because it will hide a lot of surface imperfections. You don't need to get the guitar's surface perfectly level and smooth before hosing it with a coat of matte poly, and don't have to worry about orange peel in the coat. When you start buffing, you'll start to see where the factory skimped on that aspect of the finish work.