Any tips on removing permanent marker from a guitar - Who wa

[Jimi D]

...or whoever...

a bunch of guys signed the back of my Universe before I bought it. The autographs are largely worn off at this point, but I'd like to remove them completely... I tried a bit of Goo Gone but it didn't work (I didn't really expect it to)...

Any and all suggestions gratefully accepted!

[Rich]

I haven't tried it, but if it's indellible marker, alchohol (from the drug store not the liquer store!!) is supposed to work well at removing it.

[jemsite]

You could try rubbing alcohol to see if it will remove the marker. If a laundry marker was used, the problem will be IF the ink penetrated or yellowed the clearcoat upon removing the signatures. A paint marker can typically be rubbed off with elbow grease.

Compounding polish might do the trick as well, depending on what was used. If it's permanent marker, you might have to *get it buffed out. If that fails (or you want a DIY project) you can wet-sand it down gently with 600-800 grade paper, then buff/polish the clearcoat. One problem is keeping the finish uniform... you don't want a rough patch (where you sanded off the sigs) or a polished clear spot (where you removed the sigs and then polished). If you polish, do the entire guitar back (and possibly the front) while you're at it.

Hopefully others will provide alternate ideas... glen

[Kevan]

Ink is "allergic" to alcohol. *Use isopropyl for best results. *Dip a cotton swab (Q-tip) in the alcohol and dab that nasty ink off.

DO NOT put the alcohol directly on the body then wipe it off. *Put it on the swab or on the paper towel, THEN *carefully* rub the inked area. *

Alcohol dries very quickly and shouldn't harm a professional finish.
Like all the bottles say, "Test on an inconspicous area first". Hint: *inside trem spring cavity.

[jeff l]

I remember reading in the 'Guitar horror stories' thread that you can scribble over the permanent marker with a dry erase marker and then take the whole thing off with the dry eraser.

[Jimi D]

Well, I tried the rubbing alcohol and that was a bust - didn't phase the residual ink at all. These signatures are very worn - almost indecipherable - and they've been there a while. I don't know if I want to go the extra yard and try polishing them out - I'll have to think about it. If I were to do that, then I might as well polish the rest of the body, then clean all the hardware, remove and clean up the neck, and buff the frets while I'm at it... *

nah! think I'll just play the thing for now

[ripl3y]

You can get a "Graffitti" removing spray, we use it at work on the toilets
I sure as hell don't know the name or brand and being a UK'er it'll be different.
It doesn't remove the paint from the walls, but from a guitar I don't know.
I'm sure there is an equivalent in the U.S. so maybe that's worth looking into.

Steve

[RG Medic]

I think I'm the new guy here but I'll throw in my $0.02. *I've had a lot of luck with Jack Daniels Whisky, believe it or not, with getting permanent marker off of acrylic sheet plastic as well as an RG body. *It's probably not as effective as other chemicals, but it did the trick.

-S

[tomizm]

I would wager to guess 2 things, and these are just guesses.
You could try another application of permanent marker, that would possibly re-liquify the old marker and at worst, you've got no more marks than you began with....

Or you could try scraping the guitar on asphalt.
I give a guarantee with that one!

[bob oakman]

There was a time when my day job was cleaning furniture. I never tried it on a guitar, but hairspray removed ink and marker from fabric rather nicely. Then you just need a milder chemical to remove the hairspray.

It does, however, sound to me like the marker has made it’s way into the clear coat or at least caused it to discolor.

[rickboot]

Jeff is right. A dry erase whiteboard marker WILL remove permanent marker. I doubt it will adversely affect the finish. If the ink has really seeped into the finish, then it may be difficult to remove completely.

Rick

[WiseMinds]

WD-40 Lubricant will remove most inks and most "stickem" left behind by stickers. *You should apply to a cloth until the tip of the cloth is saturated. Do not spray it on your guitar as it gets everywhere. Also, apply only in a well ventilated area or you may see more than marker streaks on your guitar. *I might also recommend that after you use WD-40, you'll want to get yourself some GHS Guitar Gloss to remove the residuals. *(DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS ON A CHECKED OR NITRO FINISH) *Most finishes today are polyester based, which WD-40 will not hurt. *Always test in a small area first!!

[tsmith]

NAPTHA *( aka zippo lighter fluid ) the best damn thing in the world toclean a guitar with, just ask Dan Erlewine, he has written a few books on guitar repairs and such. i use it, it's great.
Peace
T