damian Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Huh !!!!!!!!! I just dinged an expensive Les Paul !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If it was polyed, it may not have dinged......But, hey, nitro works for me just fine........ I dunno.......I have many satin, polyed, faded, and nitroed guitars........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Huh !!!!!!!!! I just dinged an expensive Les Paul !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If it was polyed, it may not have dinged......But, hey, nitro works for me just fine........ I dunno.......I have many satin, polyed, faded, and nitroed guitars........... Do the Satin ones clean up or do they stay fingerprinted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Nitro is a crap finish. In fact it's the crappiest. It fades and cracks just sitting in the corner. It chips and digs easy and does a crap job of protecting the guitar. It does not "breath" or any of the other marketing BS we want to believe. Despite our superstitions the finish on a solid body electric guitar does not effect it's tone at all. My favorite finish is Tru Oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Is Oil what they use on natural finishes like Walnut? I like the look of a natural Walnut guitar like the one Reb Beach uses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Oops, his are Koa... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Usually, Although the "faded" Gibson like my faded SG use a very thin layer of Nitro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Ive got a poly finish on my MK. I like it because its really hard wearing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Gibson's brand identity is based on the idea that their instruments are built the old fashioned way. I can't see them changing their finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Nitro... does not "breath" or any of the other marketing BS we want to believe. Nitrocellulose does not "breathe," but rather, it does not form a film. It has a very high melt point, film formation temperature, and glass transition temperature, all meaning that it is very hard- hard to the point of brittle. By not forming a film, it allows air and moisture to move through it easily. In theory, if it does not form a film, it should not significantly restrict vibration. It would be like putting marbles on a vibrating surface as opposed to covering it with a blanket. But as Searcy said, and IMHO, it does not significantly change a guitar's sound. About the only thing NC is good for is protecting the paint and coating the wood. NC also is very resistant to most solvents, but has some solubility in ester solvents (acetates found in finger nail polish and remover), some alcohols, and ketones. It also is somewhat resistant to aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons (like mineral oil, naphthas in lighter fluid, paraffins, and gasoline). It is interesting that milod had his Off experience; take note giggers who play outside! I'll have to look up its ingredients. Polyurethanes are softer, and because they cross-link, they form a more durable film that has much better overall resistance properties. I'm betting that the new finish that PRS has (that rocketman mentioned) is a vinyl type of resin which is chemically similar to acrylic. Both vinyls and acrylics are very versatile in that they can be formulated hard or soft, and both have similar solubilities to NC, however, they can also be formulated to cross-link like polyurethanes, only using a different mechanism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I will say I don't like satin finishes, they pick up fingerprints and smudges like mad. But I hear you can polish them to a shiny finish. Could be urban legend, though. I have a very cheap Squier Tele with a satin-finished neck - both front and rear. After a while it started to gloss-up at the rear and the finish is wearing off from the front of the board and rear of the neck in much the same manner as seen on those early Fender maple 'boards/necks. I don't like poly-coated maple boards and I don't like satin finishes; but this one's getting more to my liking the more it gets played. But it doesn't get played much. I'm sure that if I spent enough time with a very mild-acting cutting compound I could speed-up this natural transition towards gloss-finish type smoothness. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidl Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Oops, his are Koa... And he plays Suhr guitars. Not suhr what the finish is though. I have one and I tend to lean towards it being a poly of some sort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Sorry, I didn't read all the posts, I have an early, afternoon gig today. I don't think there is a difference between nitro and poly in the sound of an electric guitar. After all, the pickups are magnetic, not microphonic. So it becomes a matter of user preference. For me, my Epiphone Casino feels better in my hands than my ES-330. Plus the nitro finish of the 1970 ES is checked (like all old guitars). I don't know if the poly will hold up better, I'll let you know in 30 or so years. By black poly ESP/LTD is a bear to keep clean. It shows every speck of dust or fingerprint. I don't think I'll ever get another high-gloss black guitar. My Parker DF has a matte finish, which I am enjoying very much. I don't know if it's poly or lacquer or anything else, but it feels good, doesn't show fingerprints, and is easy to maintain. Perhaps it would be to Gibson's advantage to offer guitars in both finishes. I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Let Google be your friend... Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. A polyurethane is any polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted November 22, 2011 Author Share Posted November 22, 2011 I never even gave a thought or care as to what type of lacquer was on my guitars until I joined the Epi forum in 2008 Same here, I didn't worry about such things until I joined the Gibson Forum and started interacting with all the snobs :D Sometimes I just think we have a tendency to second guess ourselves for no reason... Agreed. Well, for no valid reason. :) Sometimes I wish I could go back to the time when the 15W Samick 1x6 combo and the cheapest epiphone gave me Slashtone. Life was easier and I spent more time playing, I also was very very happy with the sound of that combo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Often, finishes referred to as polyurethane are actually polyester, although I don't know what the differences are. Chemically, polyester and polyurethane resins can be similar, and it is my understanding that polyester resin is also cross-linked using catalysts. Polyester resins are very versatile also and can be formulated a variety of ways. Bayer is a manufacturer of both resin types and they promote their urethanes as developing better resistance properties (resistance to solvents and impact) which makes them more durable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 It's all crap. Nobody ever returned a record because they didn't like the sounds of the <fill in the blank> finished guitars. And of course Paul Reed will come up with the New Messiah Of Guitar Paint. How else will he continue to sell yet another copy of other peoples' guitar ideas? rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carv3r Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 i love old nitro. it peels and chips and gets thinner over time.. add character, poly coats are cool too for that candy look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 It's all crap. Nobody ever returned a record because they didn't like the sounds of the <fill in the blank> finished guitars.rct +1. I couldn't possibly agree more. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnastynebr Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I returned Slowhand because the Strat sounded too beat up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Poly finished bodies and satin finished necks are the best! That's what I've got goin on my Tele and it's so awesome! How do you like the finish on the post 2008 American standard Fenders? I love it. The neck on my Tele is shiny on the fretboard and headstock but satin on the back. Like really smooth satin and then the body is just regular shinyness. I think nitro feels a little better but poly is definately way more durable. Like Duane I don't care much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenced Fred Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 That's what I've got goin on my Tele and it's so awesome! How do you like the finish on the post 2008 American standard Fenders? I love it. The neck on my Tele is shiny on the fretboard and headstock but satin on the back. Like really smooth satin and then the body is just regular shinyness. I think nitro feels a little better but poly is definately way more durable. Like Duane I don't care much. Yeah I just love satin necks, and I think poly bodies work fine, very protective Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S t e v e Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 At the risk of getting thrown out of here by our Twilight loving mod I'll say sometimes I wish Gibson made guitars with poly finish. With the guitars I have that have that finish, I can play with no worries but with nitro finished guitars I always worry something's gonna happen. Is it just me or do poly finished guitars look like they could withstand a lot more punishment? I treat my guitars right and care for them, try not to hit them with anything but you know things happen and with nitro finished guitars I always worry a little too much. Also, the shiny finish on a nitro-guitar doesn't last as much, or does it? And it never is as shiny as a poly finish. Discus in all honesty, i just play the bloody things... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirstMeasure Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 It's all crap. Nobody ever returned a record because they didn't like the sounds of the <fill in the blank> finished guitars. And of course Paul Reed will come up with the New Messiah Of Guitar Paint. How else will he continue to sell yet another copy of other peoples' guitar ideas? rct You realize some of us are Performers, not the typical listening audience. And while Sound is important, look is important, too. That's why it's called a Show and why it's on a Stage. Otherwise the band would just set up in the basement and run sound into the club.....hmm, interesting idea for a venue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 You realize some of us are Performers, not the typical listening audience. And while Sound is important, look is important, too. That's why it's called a Show and why it's on a Stage. Otherwise the band would just set up in the basement and run sound into the club.....hmm, interesting idea for a venue. Sure. But the paint, no matter what anyone tells you, has nothing to do with how your guitar sounds. That was the point of my post. No one has ever walked out of thousands of shows I've done or ever asked for their ticket money or cover back because of the finish on my guitars either. And while I've been fired for reasons most of you aren't old enough to hear without an adult present, I've never been fired because the paint on my guitars made them sound wrong. I love a pretty guitar much as the next guy. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I've never been fired because the paint on my guitars made them sound wrong. rct Not yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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