review
Fender Ultimate Wipe
I never thought I would be doing a “polishing cloth” review. After all, they are all alike, right? Not anymore. Sure there are still plenty of yellow cloth polishing rags out there, but now you have a new choice.
MicroFibers
A new breed of polishing cloths has emerged in last few years. These cloths are made of microfibers thinner than human hairs. Some of these fibers are circular, some are rectangular, and in Fender’s case, triangular.
What’s The Difference?
The shape of the fibers in conjunction with their microscopic size allows the cloth to act like a squeegee that wipes dirt and residue off your guitar’s surface instead of just smearing around like traditional cloths often do.
The Car Connection
The Ultimate Wipe is called a “Detailing Cloth”, a term borrowed from the automotive industry, for a good reason: Maguiar’s, a leading brand in the automotive detailing market, manufactures the cloths for Fender. The cloths are a generous 16" by 16" in size, almost a little too big for some smaller guitar case accessory compartments. They are white with black stitching around the edges.
In Use
I figured the whole microfiber thing was probably more marketing hype than anything else — until I used one. I have a newer guitar that always seemed smudged up. Even the pickguard was constantly smeared. I had used regular guitar polishing cloths on it with little success. They seemed to just smear the smudges around, and I simply couldn’t get the pickguard residue free. So I figured I would give the Ultimate Wipe cloth a try.
Wow! It just sucked up all the smudges and residue with a single wipe. In fact I could feel the cloth gripping the gunk as I wiped. I am a believer. This thing really works — far better than a regular cloth. Sure they cost a bit more, but they are washable, they work fast, they don’t scratch the finish, and they don’t leave yellow fuzz all over your guitar.
Final Thoughts
Toss all those old yellow polishing cloths in the trash and get yourself an Ultimate Wipe. They work great. They work fast. You need one. Trust me, you won’t miss “Old Yeller.”
Reader Comments
Better Guitar encourages your input. Agree with this review? Think I'm crazy? If you own or have used an Ultimate Wipe, email me your comments and I'll post them below. The more opinions we have available, the better our buying decisions will be.
stats
- • Tri-core ultra-fine fibers
- • Washable
- • Doesn't leave swirl marks
- • Manufactured by Maguiar’s
Positives
- Cleans and shines without smearing; large size; washable.
Negatives
- None.
Rating
- Performance: 10
- Sound Quality: n/a
- Construction: 10
- Overall: 10
Ratings Key
- 0 = Worthless
- 10 = Excellent
Approximate Street Price
- $7.99
Available At Guitar Center
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Fender Ultimate Wipe Detailing Cloth by Meguiar's Standard
Company
- Fender