Guitar finishes and tone/looks

[Quencho092]

all i really know about finishes is that my strat has a poly finish, and that cheaper strats have lacquer finishes and they wear quicker. Upon reading beandip's post on relicing, i found out that my poly finish will never wear! What do you guys know about finishes, and which do you prefer, why.

 

[nuntius]

Re: Guitar finishes and tone/looks

Eh?

Never paid any attention to it really.

If the guitar sounds alright and plays ok i suppose im not bothered

 

[Fresh_Start]

Re: Guitar finishes and tone/looks

FWIW cheaper strats, etc. do not have nitrocellulose lacquer finishes. Usually low end guitars have thick polyurethane finishes on them.

The traditionalists insist that nitro sounds better/right. Taylor uses a very thin polyester finish IIRC. PRS also uses a newer type of finish. I think that Gibson is the only major guitar manufacturer still using nitro, but it may have more to do with environmental regulations and OSHA problems than improved processes.

IMHO a thinner finish should let more of the natural wood tone out - which is only a good thing if you have good wood. My daughter's Squier is made out of agathis and encased in at least 1/8" of clear plastic (poly). It actually sounds darn good for the price.

Chip

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: Guitar finishes and tone/looks

Poly finishs DO WEAR .There much more durable than a Nitro finish.
But they are not indtructable. And the do yellow with time just like
Nitro. Maybe not as fast But my 84' Olymipic white strat is now has a
nice bannana pudding like tint to it. As far as witch sounds better??
That's a debate that will rage on for years. I perfer Nitro cuz' I feel
it's easier to work with (for me) And it seems to add a lilttle class
to the insturment. What style paint is more tonefull?? That's all
subjective ?? ( IN THEORY) Take a small bell and ring it. Then
put a condom on that bell and ring it?? Sound much different now
don't it!! That's just theory. I don't know how that works.??

 

[MikeS]

Re: Guitar finishes and tone/looks

Low end guitars (Squiers, lower RG series Ibanez, etc) have a polyester finish IIRC. It's basically like Chip said, a 1/8" layer of plastic over the wood. Very durable stuff. If took me a couple days with 80 grit on a palm sander to take all the finish off my Ibanez.

I can't tell a tonal difference between different finishes. I think the biggest difference would be in the amount of finish applied rather the the type of finish.

I'm going with a polyurethane clear coat on my Ibanez. The first time I tried to laquer the headstock the finish seemed too soft. Even after several weeks I could make indentations in the finish. Plus, I really like the way that polyurethane yellows.

 

[dogcityrocker]

Re: Guitar finishes and tone/looks

Fender produces the Highway 1 series guitars with a "satin" finish, similar to nitro, but not quite. I have the hwy1 tele and I can hear a difference between this and a poly American series tele (both with vintage noiseless p/u's installed). Also a big wieght difference too.
I like the way the "cheaper" finished feel and I love the fact that after 9 months, the finish is wearing thought in all the right places. If you want a guitar that looks "new" a long time, go with poly.