Nitro finish - how to make it shine?

[ryan80]

I have a honey blond Highway one strat and a daphne blue strat body that will soon be a partscaster. Both have a nitro finish and I am wondering how I should polish them up. I have been playing the honey blond for about a year, and some areas are definitely shinier than others, but I would prefer it is even. The daphne blue has not been played yet and is still pretty flat looking.

Let me be clear, I don't want to relic at all. I want to make them shine. It is just a fender polish cloth and some elbow grease, or what? Thanks in advance.

 

[Southern ILL]

Meguirers Scratch-X

 

[R13D]

3M Finesse-It II.

 

[Boris Bubbanov]

Both excellent recommendations. Some of these Highway One bodies are more nubbly than others. You may have to go over some (I did on 1 of 4) with 2000 wet or dry paper (I used mineral spirits), then polishing compound, then Meguiar's polish and finally over to the chemical process with the Scratch X. I think I'd try a section in Scratch X first, but it is expensive.

 

[JDouglee]

I just use the stock Gibson restorative cream, works great. Not even much elbow grease
is needed.

 

[Blue4Now]

I just had nice results with a few rounds of Virtuoso polish. Not mirror smooth but a nice improvement and a bit vintage looking

 

[gkoelling]

I used Scratch-X on a Hwy 1 Tele body and it did shine up decently. It isn't as glossy as a true gloss finish but it's nicer than what I started with.

I could go back and try Boris' suggestions but it's not that important to me.

Good luck with your project.

EDIT: I used a rag and elbow grease, then tried an electric buffer. The elbow grease worked just as well.