Acetone + Poly = Damage?

[NewWave]

I have conducted an experiment with my unknown Tokai guitar. When I bought it, I was told that it is an LS-135 which have lacquer finish. But, when I bring the guitar to a pro, they say it's a urethane finish. Because of feeling cheated, I wipe some acetone to the finish and it damages the finish to only wood left on the surface that I wiped. I can't post pictures because I lose my Phone usb cable but I will post it as soon as I find it.

[CTN]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

Acetone is a solvent for both lacquer and polyurethane.

What were you trying to do exactly? remove the finish entirely to refinish it?

[NewWave]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

I want to know whether it's an LS98 or LS135. because they both have the same spec except the finish and the TOM and bridge.

[ItsaBass]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

Try turpentine/mineral spirits instead. Acetone and lacquer thinner can eat through some types of plasticy finishes. Paint thinner is more mild. However, it will eat lacquer quite easily.

I trust you are trying this in the control cavity or somewhere else that is hidden...

[NewWave]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

Right, thx with the info. I never know lacquer thinner eats up poly finish.

[ItsaBass]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

Right, thx with the info. I never know lacquer thinner eats up poly finish.

There are different types of plastic that have been used for finishes over the years. And there are also different strengths of common solvents, because they can come in different concentrations, and they can also lose their punch over time. For example, one time I was cleaning some very old duct tape residue off of my '76 Fender bass (with its notorious poly finish, of course). I tried several different solvents, starting weak, and working my way up in strength. I finally determined that lacquer thinner worked the best. I got most of the work done, but I ran out of thinner. So, I went to the store, and bought another gallon of the same product, same brand, same bottle and everything. I went home, made a few wipes with a rag soaked with the fresh thinner, and the clear coat came right off like nothing. The old stuff had weakened so much that it worked perfectly for cleaning the poly without damaging the finish.

However, on some newer plastic finishes, I've used acetone, lacquer thinner, etc. to clean stuff off, and there was no harm whatsoever.

Same with stripper. I just stripped a '79 Fender body using chemicals, and the paint came off as if it was lacquer, in about two minutes. However, I am chemically stripping a '94 Godin, and its plastic finish, while much, much thinner, is also much, much more resilient to the stripper. Obviously a different type of plastic finish.

The moral of the story is to always test...and RE-TEST if you get a new bottle of something.

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

The word lacquer is usually synonymous with nitrocellulose lacquer...

Yet there is such a thing as poly and acrylic lacquers (not all lacquer is nitro)... and nitrocellulose lacquer is rarely used in Asian guitars.

I can't think of one Asian guitar made in the last 30 years that has a nitrocellulose finish.

Most high end companies use catalyzed lacquers that contain nitrocellulose solids but are quite different from plain old nitrocellulose lacquer... the low end companies use polyester lacquer for their thick durable finishes.

Are you trying to clean it? What's with the nail polish remover?

The chemical you can wipe on to tell if it's poly or nitro is butyl cellosolve... acetone like previously mentioned is a carrier in most lacquers and will MELT plastic binding, so be careful when you use that stuff.

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

Heck yeah! Acetone should never be near ANY guitar or finish. It will destroy any finish it comes in contact with. And, don't try to clean your fretboard with nail polish/acetone either.

[constant mesh]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

What exactly did you wanna prove by doing that?

Acetone, toluene and xylene usually sold as paint thinners/cleaners are harsh stuff for a finish but good for thinning lacquers and cleaning your spray gun. It will eat through any finish known to industry except cured epoxies.
Acetone will lift and smudge a finish in two to three swipes. But a single light swipe might only fog it a little bit. It's violent

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

........does it sound good and play good???
If so....just play the damn thing!

[JOLLY]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

Acetone is really, really, really, really, really, really, really good at cleaning a poly finish.

[NewWave]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

It's poly and I'm ripped off. Yeah it is usable I can get good sounds out of it but It's hard to play when my mind is constantly annoyed by not knowing what the hell I'm playing. So anyway, maybe next week or so, I'm going to a luthier near me and repaint it.. And I'm thinking to repaint it with nitro + gloss on the top and maybe oil/satin and other non glossy material on the back and neck so I can feel the wood more (surface,friction,etc.) when I play. Can I do this? will it be hazardous in the long run (humidity, etc.)?

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

Can't help thinking your focus is in the wrong place there dude. Just play the thing.

[verbotenco]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

Acetone is a nail polish remover so it obviously damages guitar finishes.

[JollyRoger523]

Re: Acetone + Poly = Damage?

I want to know whether it's an LS98 or LS135. because they both have the same spec except the finish and the TOM and bridge.

I'm not familiar with either model of that guitar. However, if you say the bridge is different then why did you need to test the finish when the bridge should have been able to tell you which model you have? Secondly, how did you get "ripped off"? As others have said, acetone will damage both types of finishes so I don't see how your test proves that you were "ripped off". Hopefully you didn't test the finish where it is easily visible.

Lastly, the finish doesn't really matter. If the guitar sounds good and plays good then you have a keeper. Just play the thing.