Finish question... vintage buff out

[gushtone]

Hey all,
Does anyone know how to remove the sheen from a vintage acoustic guitar that has been recently buffed out without f'ing up he finish? I have a gorgeuos 1980 Guild D-25 in sunburst. You can tell from the amount of wear that it probably had a totally righteous relic vibe. Unfortunately the most recent owner buffed it out to a high gloss. It's still got a vibe but it's so freakin' shiny I can't stand it.
Thoughts? I def don't want to put the finish at risk, but I'd love to knock it down a bit. I assume it's nitro as it does not look or feel like Poly, but I don't know for sure.
Any thoughts/ideas would be much appreciated.
Peace...

[paintguy]

Very fine micromesh would be my guess...

[David Collins]

Play it for a few years. Preferably in smoky bars.

[Structo]

0000 steel wool

[douglasamps]

You can buy WET paper with grits up into the 2000 range and beyond. or....Let your kids have it for an hour after eating ice cream and cake.....but don't wipe it down.:jo

[Bob V]

Anything you do to reverse-rub out the finish could have disastrous results. Usually when you want a gloss finish you level a finish with finer and finer grits to remove the scratch marks from the previous grit, then use polishing compounds to remove the swirl marks. If you try to go backwards, it's going to be apparent that it was rubbed out because you'll get swirls or lines that are not going to look like a vintage dulled finish.

In a piano store, ask to see a black laquered piano that has been "rubbed out" and they'll show you a piece with very clearly apparent scratch lines from rubbing with steel wool or synthetic abrasive pads. Almost like brushed aluminum or satin finished gold jewelry - it's not the same as a finish that's naturally matte. I'm also told that, perhaps counterintuitively, these rubbed out matte finishes show fingerprints and wear more quickly since any mark will interrupt the pattern.

[gushtone]

Thanks all. Guess I'll go with the smokey bars, ice cream and kids, in that order.
Peace...

[douglasamps]

It can only get Better with age!! Cheers..:munch:RoCkIn