X Pel plastic protection

[milod]

All kidding aside, it seems if I were with the finish protection company I'd try to get a broken piece of a nitro-finished wood and mess with it and other finishes/glues, etc.

 

I'm sure some chemist knows what might be affected, but...

 

m

[iddude]

I've never heard of X Pel or any other product that would help protect the back of a guitar. I would be careful that this type of product that is supposed to protect your instrument; may do more damage than protection.

 

Kinda reminds me of a friend of mine many years ago that had a really nice banjo that he took really good care of. He was always concerned about such things as scratches on the back of the resonator from buckles; etc. Anyway, he was at a gig when a friend of his who was also a banjo player, asked to play his banjo for a couple of tunes. My friend must have been caught in the moment, because he forgot to consider the fact that the guy had a huge honking belt buckle! By the time this guy got done playing some "heavy" bluegrass involving a lot of moving on the stage, the buckle riffed up and down enough to make some gnarly scuffs in the finish on the back of his banjo. I think this guy was one who had the mentality that, "an instrument is to be played" and that the scuffs added "mojo". When the guy got done playing, he handed the banjo back to my friend saying something like, "Thanks, here you go!" My friend was none too pleased, but he didn't have to worry about scratches on his banjo anymore.

[NeoConMan]

Buddy of mine in Texas has the same story with his 1981 LP Custom.

Got it new when he graduated high school.

 

His older brother was playing regular country gigs, and landed several shows at Gilley's.

 

(See the movie Urban Cowboy)

 

Brother asked to borrow it, guitar disappeared for several years while Big Bro was touring here and there.

 

When the gigs stopped due to marriage and kids, my buddy had gotten back into playing.

We were starting to jam together, and he kept joking someday he was gonna get his LP back from his brother.

 

When he finally did, it looked like a meteor crater on the back side.

A thin sheet of plastic would have changed nothing when rubbed on a dinner-plate belt buckle for hours....

 

 

Oh well, guitar has "mojo" now, eh?

 

 

 

Same thing with the "bra" paint protector on cars - it destroys the paint below.

[TommyK]

...Same thing with the "bra" paint protector on cars - it destroys the paint below.

 

Why NeoConMan' date=' what ever do you mean? Those work perfectly well.. as long as sand and dirt don't get under them.. and they don't flap in the breeze.. and rain water doesn't collect underneath.. , i.e. you leave the car parked in the garage. They may look uglier than sin, but they work(?)

[SRVAustin]

NEO CON MAN

 

The comment "Same thing with the "bra" paint protector on cars - it destroys the paint below." Shows you dont understand the automotive market. We are in this biz because of the need for paint protection film. The EPA mandated a reduction in volatile organic compunds which meant manufacturers switched from a lead based paint to a water base. The change made cars prone to paint chipping. As for "destroying the paint below" that claim is totally false. We have been endorsed by OEM's like BMW, Porsche and Rolls Royce to name a few. If you think guitar owners are insane about their guitars then you should see a car enthusiast who just purchased a new $400,000 Porsche GT... and how they freak over any scratch on their new car purchase.

 

If your car with paint protection can take a rock approx 1 inch in diameter at speeds up to 120 mph and it wont chip the paint or bust a headlight then I am quite sure the film can hold up to a hard night of belt buckle scratchin. What I am concerned about is the finish of guitars and how it would be affected. If someone out there has a busted up old guitar it would be worth trying to find out.

 

E

[milod]

SRVAustin...

 

Okay, Don't take this as criticism, just questions.

 

Frankly I think we may have a need here to discuss several kinds of "guitars" and "guitar finishes."

 

On a car, you're putting a film onto a "paint" that is over a piece of relatively impervious fiberglass or metal.

 

On a guitar, you're putting a film onto a finish that then goes onto a chunk of wood on a solidbody or onto a very thin piece of wood on an acoustic, semi or hollowbody.

 

Assuming no difficulty in theory with the finish vis a vis your product in terms of chemistry, I can see it working on solidbody guitars.

 

But...

 

On an acoustic or other "hollow" body guitar, you have a relatively thin piece of wood. My concern would be moisture coming from the inside of the wood to mess up the finish from under the product.

 

On the other hand... in the olden days I had a "plastic" pickguard sold for playing Flamenco guitar that I put onto a regular classical guitar and as long as it remained there, there were problems with the finish. Again, I don't know the finish used on that instrument and I certainly made no attempt to remove the thing.

 

???

[NeoConMan]

SRVAustin,

(Love the name...)

 

:-

 

Your film, or others on the market?

Sure, I get it.

I understand the need for it, or the desire, especially on high-end autos.

 

And to show you that maybe I do understand the automotive market better than you might think.....

 

What year did General Motors begin installing clear plastic protectors on the lower leading edge of the

rear fenders of all their pickups - late seventies if I recall. That continued to be applied at the factory on

that truck until the end of that model run in 1987 for the pickups, and 1991 for the Suburban/Blazer.

 

There were chrome or aluminum protectors available in the aftermarket, people began installing them too.

Sometimes only for looks, but often after the truck bed had been repainted and there was no clear plastic.

 

The result of those metal thingies?

Same as those insidious fabric bras installed on every "sports" car like mini-vans, Thunderbird, Camry, K-Car.

 

I refer you to what TommyK posted just above you...

"I understand why they are applied.

Those work perfectly well.. as long as sand and dirt don't get under them..

and they don't flap in the breeze.. and rain water doesn't collect underneath.. ,

i.e. you leave the car parked in the garage."

 

First the paint was worn, removed, then replaced by rust - and holes in the sheet metal.

 

The care and feeding instructions on those fabric protectors warned of this.

Recommended removing it and cleaning it.

Nobody ever did.

 

I saw first hand - dozens of times - the damage done when people took that bra off their new car for the

first time, and saw the paint damage beneath from abrasion. Nevermind two-tone paint from no sun.

I'm going all the way back to the late seventies when these fabric bras were first appearing on Corvettes.

 

What did those guys do?

Well, since the paint is shot now, might as well put it back on....

 

Anti-abrasion films like your company sells is far and above, superior in every way.

I don't know if you fly, or get around airplanes much, but many of the single engine puddle-jumpers I drive

have ablative coatings, or sheets of clear plastic on them for the very reasons you mentioned.

The FAA deemed some areas more vulnerable to pitting than they liked, so they approved the plastic.

 

It has a place, it is indeed very useful.

I will tell you that I know a thing or two about its uses in the practical world.

I understand the application on the backs of guitars.

I am well-aware of the possible down side of applying it to very expensive or collector guitars.

If removed, what evidence is left behind for eternity?

 

 

The only place I will gladly cede ground in the discussion is when we enter the realm of well-heeled vanity.

I've met plenty of people with incredibly expensive cars, boats and airplanes.

Most are not very involved in the nuts & bolts maintenance or prevention aspects of it.

They write checks.

If something goes wrong, they raise hell, and write more checks.

 

Not my world, nor am I selling them anything from my lowly gun business.

I'll let you deal with those guys.

 

 

 

I urge you to find some sources in your area, people with nitrocellulose-finished guitars - usually a Gibson.

Please do the research needed to determine if your stuff works without collateral damage.

 

I don't know if your capabilities are geared toward permanent installation of said protection.

Then it has to last for decades, eh?

 

I would be even more interested in a short-term installation that clings to the guitar but comes off clean.

My personal take on this, and where my money would go, is for a safe sex/condom approach.

I don't want anything stuck on my Gibsons, but if I pull one out and take it to a few gigs, it would be nice

to be able to protect it on the back, and maybe on the front with a durable pickguard - then pull it off later.

 

Others may disagree with me.

You may find a market that makes no sense at all, but makes money.

Either way, as a fellow capitalist, I urge you forward and wish you luck.

 

Dave

[zigzag]

I caught this thread via Google Alerts as I work for XPEL. A couple of years ago we had kicked around the idea of using our film to protect various guitars from normal wear and tear. I live in Austin and I know how important instruments are to their owners. We cannot gaurantee how the film will work out but we are willing to provide some free samples to whomever is interested.

 

We know that this is a great product to protect your car and/or smartphone with but we would like to have real feedback if this would be good for your guitars. If you are interested in a FREE sample please reach out to me with an address and we will be glad to ship it to you.

 

All The Best' date='

 

E

 

:- [/quote']

 

I work with nitrocellulose resins/lacquers often. If you'd like to send me a sample, I'd be happy to test it. I'll PM you with details.

[EVOL!]

Sounds like a rationale for wife-beating...

 

:-)

 

 

That was below the belt!

 

Thank you' date=' thank you. I'll be here all week.[/i']

 

In all seriousness, I don't collect guitars. All of my guitars are for playing out. They take a beating and show it with character. If I had some of the beauties you do I probably wouldn't even rehearse with them. We're apples and oranges.

[NeoConMan]

Almost every one of those beauties has gone to a gig - maybe two.

Some of the Fenders have done several - like 10.

 

:-)

 

It's a hobby for me, so yeah, oranges...

 

If I did regular gigs, most of those guitars would never leave the house.