Nitrocellulose friendly materials This has probably already been beat to death on this forum..........

[David Wilhoit]

I have a , nitrocellulose finished, Gibson CJ165 EC and the case from Gibson is ill fitting.  I am told by TKL that it is a 'one size fits all' case and it is just too deep for my guitar.  Other than having another case custom made I have very little choices so I use a towel from WalMart which is made from cotton and polyester to lay on top of the guitar and neck to keep it from banging around inside the case when I'm going somewhere.

 

The questions:

1.  Is a cheap towel ok to lay on the nitrocellulose finish for the long term

2.  Is a common microfiber cleaning towel ok to use for everyday rub downs.

 

Thanks guys,  I know this is a subject that you hear everyday, I just don't want to damage my guitar.

 

David in TN

[Greg Mirken]

I think the only way to be 100% safe is to use pure cotton, and a fairly neutral color. Any synthetic fiber might have plasticizers which can migrate out of the plastic and into your guitar's finish. Strong dyes can discolor lacquer as well, as was noted about some purple microfiber cloths some time ago.