Nitro Finish, what to do?

[Del Nilppeznaf]

I have about 4 or 5 stands . and have had two or three more throughout the years. Never ever had a problem. Nor do I know anyone who has .

Tis very odd this phenomenon.

 

Agree

 

i have a hunch it's all to do with the nitro..and curing process..i think sometimes it is not a very stable compound..and every finish could be different..something to do with chemistry..?

[blindboygrunt]

Agree

 

i have a hunch it's all to do with the nitro..and curing process..i think sometimes it is not a very stable compound..and every finish could be different..something to do with chemistry..?

 

Maybe the guitars that were affected were of a certain age ?

[Sitedrifter]

Agree

 

i have a hunch it's all to do with the nitro..and curing process..i think sometimes it is not a very stable compound..and every finish could be different..something to do with chemistry..?

 

I read it actually dries (evaporative process) and does not cure and that would be the main reason there could be problems. The nitro could start to dissolve due to the reaction with the material it touches. I think the material on the stands is the cause since it seems nitro(lacquer)can always be dissolved unlike a cured product such as the poly coating Taylor uses.

 

While many (including my 5*) never had issues I will use some sort of safe barrier between the guitar and the stand. Better safe then sorry.

[vacamartin]

I buy sheets of self-adhesive felt and wrap them around my guitar stand and hangars. I have done this for 20 years and never had a guitar marred in any way.

 

 

 

 

+1................great advice! My Hercules stands are very protective, also!

[haystack]

I learned the hard way. My first "high end" guitar is a gibson j45 custom. I hung that baby up, so proud, on my wall with my "made by harbor freight" display mount. (I made a piece of 4 x 4 look like and old railroad tie with a chisel and stain. Really cool effect.) My ignorance was at least honest. I had no idea a finish would react to crappy rubber in such a way. My neck now has 2 bald spots. It's ok though. I call it a beauty mark. I called my guitar guy and he says "yeah, nitro is very sensitive" . I thought "cmon man, how is one supposed to learn that" . Who would even think to research that after 18 years of owning tons of acoustics. Either way. Lesson learned. Harbor Freight is cheap but is mean to guitars. :) I don't display my gibson though. It stays in its case. And bonus, I live in Florida where humidifying comes natural........ (i realized after posting how old this post is. I hope a 3 year old bump is ok)

[jdd707]

I have about 4 or 5 stands . and have had two or three more throughout the years. Never ever had a problem. Nor do I know anyone who has .

Tis very odd this phenomenon.

 

 

 

It is odd. My experience is the same as BBG. Have 5 nitro finished gits on five stands 24/7 for some years now. A couple of stands are real cheapos. Never had a problem. Go figure.

[drathbun]

I wonder if the inconsistency comes from the guitar side, NOT the Hercules stand side. Mark stated his Gibson was a "new LG-2 AE". Perhaps the finish has not completely cured by the time he put it on the Hercules? I've had my Gibsons on Hercules stands for YEARS with no damage. However, each of my Gibsons (2008 Songwriter, 2010 J200, 2012 SJ200 Golden Age) was several months (or years) old by the time I had purchased them (even though two of them were new).

[Jesse_Dylan]

I've got a big 3-guitar Hercules stand and maybe 5 "On-Stage Guitar Stand" single stands. I've had guitars in both for probably years now combined, because whenever weather allows, they are out of their cases and on the stands. I've had no discoloration whatsoever, and I use no protection.

 

For what it's worth, my Hummingbird and J-200 were both about as new as can be, a few months at the oldest. I've had the Bird for more than a year now and the SJ-200 a few months. My J-15 was a year or more old, though, and my WM-00 is from 2001. Both have spent more time on stands than off (I think my Hummingbird has probably spent at least half a year on stands).

 

Satin finish seems fine as well (my Martin M-36 has satin on the neck/back/sides), and even varnish (Guild D-20, but it's still pretty darn new).

[E-minor7]

So far no probs here whatsoever. I don't overnurse the guitars and they circulate randomly from stand to stand and wall-hooks. Then again they never get time to fall asleep there. I like to play around between most of the guitars - only few stay in their cases. Still I'm aware - look after mal-traces such as small bubbles, lifting lacquer, mat spots etc. Strange and sensitive topic.

My Martin D-35 lived the life of beater - or should we say normal guit - for 25 years as my loyal squire, , , and never reacted strange, , , until I washed it in whiskey. .

 

, , , , and the SJ-200 a few months.

Did you tell us about that one. Did we see pictures and was a thread full of sharp observations launched. If yes, I believe I missed it.

[58 Relic]

1380798234[/url]' post='1432803']

Your guitar will be fine on your Hercules stand.

A lot of these stories are generated by people who know nothing.

A piece of cloth wrapped around the part that touches the guitar will give total peace of mind if there's any element of doubt.

 

When I bought my J45 last year the dealer gave me a new Hercules guitar stand as part of the deal so the finish of the guitar would be safe . I year down the line and my guitar hangs on the stand during most evenings before going to bed in its case . I would be more concerned about types of cloth and polish used for cleaning as not all guitar polishes are safe for nitro finishes . I case in point I happened to get a small spot of string cleaner on the side of the neck of my guitar and I now have a very small dull spot where contact was made . Now I don't use any string cleaner and I am also very careful in the summer months with sun creams etc . Going back to the stand question for total peace of mind the above idea is a good one

[Fullmental Alpinist]

I've seen nitro get damaged from water spots--it's as unpredictable as it is good sounding.

 

Haystack, you get massive brownie points for reviving a thread with a Parlourman post (#12). Go to the Trading Post and pick out whatever you want.

[Mafy31]

My guitars stay on display throughout my home and I use Hercules hangers/stands everywhere.

 

I will make some sort of cloth protector for the neck when I store it on the stand

 

That's if you're confident with humidity in your room otherwise it may be better to keep in a case with humidifyer (like d'addario 2-ways) when not playing for a few hours or days...

[Jesse_Dylan]

Did you tell us about that one. Did we see pictures and was a thread full of sharp observations launched. If yes, I believe I missed it.

I did not, and in fact, I never did an official one on my WM-00 either (though I did do the panicked "did I get a good deal??" thread on that one). I have got some nice outdoor sunlight photos and had been wondering if I should do a New Guitar Month post (got them both in May!) or maybe skip the poor WM-00 and go right to the SJ-200.

 

Maybe I will do both. They are really both fantastic. The SJ-200 is kind of out of this world, though. I don't know if I believe in "good ones" and "dogs," but I think if one did, this would be a good one, perhaps an exceptional one. (Of course, most folks think their guitars are special, kind of like kids.)

[Jesse_Dylan]

I've seen nitro get damaged from water spots--it's as unpredictable as it is good sounding.

 

Haystack, you get massive brownie points for reviving a thread with a Parlourman post (#12). Go to the Trading Post and pick out whatever you want.

How embarrassing!!! I didn't even notice this was an old thread and ended up trying to answer the OP.

[E-minor7]

Did you tell us about that one. Did we see pictures and was a thread full of sharp observations launched. If yes, I believe I missed it.

 

I did not, and in fact, I never did an official one on my WM-00 either (though I did do the panicked "did I get a good deal??" thread on that one). I have got some nice outdoor sunlight photos and had been wondering if I should do a New Guitar Month post (got them both in May!) or maybe skip the poor WM-00 and go right to the SJ-200.

 

Maybe I will do both. They are really both fantastic. The SJ-200 is kind of out of this world, though. I don't know if I believe in "good ones" and "dogs," but I think if one did, this would be a good one, perhaps an exceptional one. (Of course, most folks think their guitars are special, kind of like kids.)

Yes, why not do both. The audience is there.

How embarrassing!!! I didn't even notice this was an old thread and ended up trying to answer the OP.

Well, the theme in beyond time and important to bring up now and again.

 

Apropos old threads, here's a another WM-00.

 

http://forum.gibson....85207-my-wm-00/

[the other side]

I learned the hard way. My first "high end" guitar is a gibson j45 custom. I hung that baby up, so proud, on my wall with my "made by harbor freight" display mount. (I made a piece of 4 x 4 look like and old railroad tie with a chisel and stain. Really cool effect.) My ignorance was at least honest. I had no idea a finish would react to crappy rubber in such a way. My neck now has 2 bald spots. It's ok though. I call it a beauty mark. I called my guitar guy and he says "yeah, nitro is very sensitive" . I thought "cmon man, how is one supposed to learn that" . Who would even think to research that after 18 years of owning tons of acoustics. Either way. Lesson learned. Harbor Freight is cheap but is mean to guitars. :) I don't display my gibson though. It stays in its case. And bonus, I live in Florida where humidifying comes natural........ (i realized after posting how old this post is. I hope a 3 year old bump is ok)

I think old threads are very benificial to all as a refresher , and other knowledge gained over the years. I also think it is valuable to the newer folks in the forum.

[mz-s]

I've got a big 3-guitar Hercules stand and maybe 5 "On-Stage Guitar Stand" single stands. I've had guitars in both for probably years now combined, because whenever weather allows, they are out of their cases and on the stands. I've had no discoloration whatsoever, and I use no protection.

 

For what it's worth, my Hummingbird and J-200 were both about as new as can be, a few months at the oldest. I've had the Bird for more than a year now and the SJ-200 a few months. My J-15 was a year or more old, though, and my WM-00 is from 2001. Both have spent more time on stands than off (I think my Hummingbird has probably spent at least half a year on stands).

 

Satin finish seems fine as well (my Martin M-36 has satin on the neck/back/sides), and even varnish (Guild D-20, but it's still pretty darn new).

 

Glad to hear you've had no problems with the foam rubber on the on stage stands. I have one, and I've been too scared to put my new J-15 on it for fear of melting the nitro.

[Jesse_Dylan]

 

Apropos old threads, here's a another WM-00.

 

http://forum.gibson....85207-my-wm-00/

That's a good one! I had read it several times back when I was feverishly contemplating my WM-00 purchase. No regrets there. It's actually even better than that thread makes it sound. Best, or one of the best, fingerpickers I've ever played, not just blues for days but also articulation and to my mind anything one could want; and, a very woody, fat-sounding strummer.

 

Glad to hear you've had no problems with the foam rubber on the on stage stands. I have one, and I've been too scared to put my new J-15 on it for fear of melting the nitro.

My J-15 has spent a lot of time on one, and all is well!

[jt]

To avoid this issue, all of my modern guitars sport a varnish finish.

[mz-s]

To avoid this issue, all of my modern guitars sport a varnish finish.

 

Probably not a bad idea - I'm sure there are many reasons why Taylor uses poly, but the propensity for nitro to react with common items and materials is a big reason I bet. Nitro is beautiful, it smells amazing, and wears beautifully but it's not without its flaws.

[jt]

Probably not a bad idea - I'm sure there are many reasons why Taylor uses poly, but the propensity for nitro to react with common items and materials is a big reason I bet. Nitro is beautiful, it smells amazing, and wears beautifully but it's not without its flaws.

Well, I'm not a fan of poly finishes. I do like nitro. But, a hand stained, varnish finish is, imvho, the pinnacle. My Kim Walker SJ:

 

[the other side]

I separate my guitar from the foam stand with a 100% cloth or a Dunlop microfiber. One on the cradle and one on the neck rest.

[haystack]

I've seen nitro get damaged from water spots--it's as unpredictable as it is good sounding.

 

Haystack, you get massive brownie points for reviving a thread with a Parlourman post (#12). Go to the Trading Post and pick out whatever you want.

 

I assume he is either legendary or perhaps e-infamous

 

How embarrassing!!! I didn't even notice this was an old thread and ended up trying to answer the OP.

I stumbled upon this via Google search. Then found out I have an account somehow.

[Jesse_Dylan]

Guild USA is so far doing varnish finishes on all their instruments. I really like it on my Guild D-20. They also use it on the M-20 and D-40 (whether sunburst or not). I think it's referred to as a satin varnish. I haven't seen it in person, but I would have a hard time in photos/videos telling that the sunburst D-40 is not some type of gloss. Or maybe it is a gloss varnish??