guitar finishing

Waxing the body.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• guitar
• finishing

[avatarcollides2day]

so you didnt buff out?

you can do it by hand?

[laripsspiral]

@avatarcollides2day

No, not really, as I wasn't really going for shiny surface. I guess you can do it by hand too.

[rokstr3]

hey does it matter what kind of finish you use. Polyester, Polyurethane, Acrylic, Nitrocellulose, are my options. Does it make a difference of sound in a solid body electric guitar(dean ml). I would think not as the type of wood, strings, pickups, and amplifier really make the sound. Thanks

[laripsspiral]

I have to admit my expertise is very limited when it comes to finishing, so I cannot really answer you.

[eetfvk]

but what products did you use to get the look? :O

[laripsspiral]

The colour is from staining (google it, very easy to use "paint"), nothing special there, just regular "staining powder" dissolved into water. Finished it with Osmo colour wax used for furniture and few layers of carnauba wax (Dunlop sells it). Very easy way to finish a guitar and doesn't require lots of tools, space etc.

[yllsacky]

nitro is best but its super fradgile

[caulinrocker1]

why is it hollow

[alnicoprov]

@rokstr3 Type of finish doesn't matter much to the sound, the thickness of finish does, both acoustic & solid body. The thinner finish is applied the more resonant a guitar will be. Try to put thick sticker on an acoustic body, u'll hear the guitar sounds dull & less resonance. It's the same with a guitar that has thick finish on. Yes electric guitars need pickups to amplify its sound but it amplifies what it already has. Two different guitars with the same pickup will sing different!

[Shark71warrior]

@rokstr3

From everything I've read, I can tell you this.

The two kinds of finish people generally decide between are polyurethane and nitrocellulose.

The general consensus is that they both sound good, but some believe that nitro sounds better. However, that isn't due to the makeup of the finish, but rather, how thin the finishes are. Nitrocellulose finishes are much thinner than polyurethane finishes. So whatever you get, keep it thin!

[alexis221woodworks]

Vey Nice!!!!  Check out some of my guitar builds....Thanks

[oipunkguy]

@rokstr3 nitro give you the best tone, but is easy to mess up if you dont know how to care for the finish,  poly is okay, al long as you keep the finish thin. it's also the most durable. polyester finishes just suck, dont use them. acrylic lacquer is a little more stable then nitro, but it's almost the same.

[greensp4rk]

@OddTimeMan well i guess it's whatever floats your boat. i'm definitely a gibson guy, and i like my guitar finishes spotless to be honest. If poly suits you better, well use it then. I would rather use nitro though.

[OddTimeMan]

@greensp4rk There are MANY high-end expensive guitars & basses that have poly finishes. Why? Because it protects the wood better. Even some Fenders now come with a poly undercoat, & then a nitro top coat. This way, you get the best of both worlds; The wood is protected by the poly, and the finish cracks & chips for that relic'd look.

[OddTimeMan]

@greensp4rk You could not be more wrong. Yes, wood expands & contracts with temp changes, but that's NOT breathing. EVERYTHING expands & contracts with temp changes. Poly is way more flexible than nitro, that's why nitro cracks! Yes, look at old Gibsons & Fenders, the finish is cracked & chipped away all over which means the wood is unprotected & exposed to the elements. Nitro is more brittle...Poly doesn't crack all over like nitro does. Look at old Gibsons & Fenders!