First Post! Hope to have many more. Ok, So say you have a Gibson Les Paul that is near mint. The finish has been shrinking, and now after 40 years you have cracking all around the headstock inlay edges, edges of the headstock veneer some binding areas, and neck joint. I'm afraid to wipe these areas with a microfiber towel for fear of snagging an edge an tearing up a flake of lacquer. What do you do? You want to keep playing these guitars, but will flowing these areas out with Lacquer Repairs destroy the value if any?
True enough. Finish repair isn't for the meek, and if you're doing it on a valuable guitar, get a pro.
I've done finish repair before, I have just always wondered what professionals and collectors alike have thought about what I would consider finish maintenance. The only reason I haven't done anything to my oldest guitar, is due to it's age, and it's never had any true maintenance like this due to me playing the crap out of it, and not wanting it to be down... It's one thing to refinish a guitar that should be left alone. But keeping a finish from downright falling apart, I would think that would be acceptable.
If done correctly you can spray some retarder on the affected areas. The finish checking will still be there but it should smooth out the edges of the cracks. If done correctly even a trained eye will not know, and it won't effect the value.
Very good advice, spraying straight retarder can not only amalgamate a finish, it's not detectable once dry - one of the finishers oldest tricks.
