Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clean...

[Red_Label]

Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clean...

So I've been playing my "new" LP Standard a lot lately. I believe that I've dated it to the 2001 era. I notice that it seems to collect my hand oils and perspiration and doesn't wipe-off easily. to get it clean, I have to use a wet rag after every playing session. I'm not used to this at all with poly necks, or satin or oiled necks. They all just take a quick wipe with a clean rag. If I try that on the Nitro neck, it just seems to smear stuff around.

I REALLY want to stick with this guitar and make it my "one and only" (to a point, I'll always have needs for other guitars). It's a TONE machine and I want to wear it and "relic" it by my own playing. So the Nitro definitely seems like the way to go. But I'm wondering if this smearing is normal and if it ever wears past that point. In contrast to the oiled neck on the Music Man Y2D that I recently bought stays clean and is a pleasure to wipe off with a dry cloth. And I haven't had any issues keep thick poly-coated necks clean.

Just wondering what I should expect in the future and what others experiences have been with Nitro guitars. There's no doubt in my mind that this thing will wear more (I want that) and that it'll be more musical as a result of not being encased in a thick coat of poly.

 

[formula73]

Re: Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clea

Re: Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clea

I've had this problem before, as well, and guys (supposedly) in the know on the MLPF said that it was related to the amount of plasticizers Gibson uses in their nitro these days to prevent checking and cracks-it takes years and years to fully harden, if ever.

Of course, that doesn't explain why it was also a problem on an 80 Dean I used to have. On that guitar, I used turtle wax to just put a slick layer on top of it. On an Explorer I had, I lightly hit the back of the neck with 0000 steel wool and that worked for quite some time. It'd eventually get shiny and sticky again and I'd clean it and rough it back up. I never wore through the finish but I know eventually, it would have.

Disclaimer: I don't know what the wax will do to the nitro in the long run. I ended up offloading them both while downsizing the harem.

 

[jmoore5000]

Re: Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clea

Re: Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clea

AFAIK nitro never fully 100% cures. My guitar teacher made the bold move to completely strip the paint off the neck of his LP custom and then had it shellacked. I have sweaty hands and run into the same problem but i find that if i wash my hands and/or wipe it down with some polish before playing it makes it a lot easier to play.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clea

Re: Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clea

When I built myself a LP-based guitar, I spent a lot of time researching various finishes, and the 'new nitro's have a lot more polymers than the old nitro's' (mostly to minimise cracking and checking, i guess) sentiments were common. I've never sprayed the old nitro's, and using a new nitro was a first-time experience. So i have no hard evidence of anything in either direction.

However, i can have an opinion. I'd be very surprised if the finish i sprayed onto my LP build is much like a 1950/60s nitro finish would have been when it was new, and maybe again at a couple of years old. My feelings are that once again, marketing is duping people, using technicalities to trap the unwary. No doubt there are all the correct ingredients in the correct ratios to make the solution 'nitro', but that newer additives to 'improve some aspects of the finish's qualities and longevity' actually negate some of the reasons we want nitro in the first place.

Unless someone out there is still making genuine 1950s-formula nitrocellulose now, i think it's a waste of time and money, it's just another profit-expanding stunt. Unless you want to pay extra money simply for bragging rights, forget about modern nitro. It's just another flavour in the poly family now.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clea

Re: Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clea

There is nothing wrong with using a damp rag to wipe the neck; just follow it with a dry rag. I clean all over my guitars that way after a gig--been doing it for years.

Try this: get some of the Virtuoso Guitar Cleaner and apply a coat, wipe it in good, and let it sit for 20 minutes before removing. Follow it with a second coat. Then apply a coat or two of the Virtuoso Guitar Polish, again letting it sit for 20 minutes. Use soft cloths.

There seems to be something in the Virtuoso that hardens the finish. I've done this to all of my Les Pauls and 335s and it seems to remove all stickiness--and it stays that way.

Good luck!

Bill

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clea

Re: Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clea

There is nothing wrong with using a damp rag to wipe the neck; just follow it with a dry rag. I clean all over my guitars that way after a gig--been doing it for years.

Try this: get some of the Virtuoso Guitar Cleaner and apply a coat, wipe it in good, and let it sit for 20 minutes before removing. Follow it with a second coat. Then apply a coat or two of the Virtuoso Guitar Polish, again letting it sit for 20 minutes. Use soft cloths.

There seems to be something in the Virtuoso that hardens the finish. I've done this to all of my Les Pauls and 335s and it seems to remove all stickiness--and it stays that way.

Good luck!

Bill

Interesting! Will give it try. Thanks!

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clea

Re: Poly vs Nitro... the Nitro neck seems to get "dirty" easier and is harder to clea

When I built myself a LP-based guitar, I spent a lot of time researching various finishes, and the 'new nitro's have a lot more polymers than the old nitro's' (mostly to minimise cracking and checking, i guess) sentiments were common. I've never sprayed the old nitro's, and using a new nitro was a first-time experience. So i have no hard evidence of anything in either direction.

However, i can have an opinion. I'd be very surprised if the finish i sprayed onto my LP build is much like a 1950/60s nitro finish would have been when it was new, and maybe again at a couple of years old. My feelings are that once again, marketing is duping people, using technicalities to trap the unwary. No doubt there are all the correct ingredients in the correct ratios to make the solution 'nitro', but that newer additives to 'improve some aspects of the finish's qualities and longevity' actually negate some of the reasons we want nitro in the first place.

Unless someone out there is still making genuine 1950s-formula nitrocellulose now, i think it's a waste of time and money, it's just another profit-expanding stunt. Unless you want to pay extra money simply for bragging rights, forget about modern nitro. It's just another flavour in the poly family now.

Sherwin Williams seems to be pretty "pure," from what I've found.