Members billybilly Posted October 21, 2015 Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 turns yellow, like it has tobacco stainsit's stickyit "checks" and/or develops hairline cracks it's soft and non protective compared to other finishes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted October 21, 2015 Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 turns yellow, like it has tobacco stains it's sticky it "checks" and/or develops hairline cracks it's soft and non protective compared to other finishes A relic in the making. The checking and cracks on my old guitar made it more appealing to the buyer The yellowing and staining are aging and the buyer loved it What I did get is more money What he got is mojo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted October 21, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 A relic in the making. The checking and cracks on my old guitar made it more appealing to the buyer The yellowing and staining are aging and the buyer loved it What I did get is more money What he got is mojo Do YOU like it? Not a sales thing, but personally...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted October 21, 2015 Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 Yeah, nothing about nitro is really about the look or feel, it's all about "the sound" of the thinner coat. Whether or not I've ever been able to discern that subtle difference is an entirely different question. I own one guitar that is the worst of both worlds, although it really sounds very good. It's a '52 Telecaster Reissue. It has a thin poly finish topped with a nitro finish. So you don't get the "thin breathability" of a nitro finiish, but you do get all the sticky/tacky feel of the nitro. I mean, WTF were they thinking? But still, it does sound great for a Tele with more depth than most Tele's I've played. It's the only guitar I ever bought where I left a hand towel in its case to be able to wipe down the "tacky" after each play. I mean, it's worse than any of my Gibsons with a pure nitro finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members steve_man Posted October 21, 2015 Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 turns yellow, like it has tobacco stains it's sticky it "checks" and/or develops hairline cracks it's soft and non protective compared to other finishes I totally agree... I much prefer poly... I'm sure there will be those that disagree, but I like to keep my guitars looking new for as long as possible... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 21, 2015 Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 turns yellow, like it has tobacco stains it's sticky it "checks" and/or develops hairline cracks it's soft and non protective compared to other finishes You forgot to mention that is also the cause of surface static on the more recent Gibsons (some worse than others obviously). I own four guitars with nitro finishes (two US Hamers, a Gibson and a Washburn) and they all sound really really good. And yes I've had other quality set-neck, humbuggy guitars that didn't sound as warm to me. It's a trade-off to be sure. Seems to be more of a factor on set-necks going for that warm thick tone than it is on bolts with single coil chime though, for whatever reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted October 21, 2015 Moderators Share Posted October 21, 2015 Ok, ideally all guitars, of at least a natural finish would be French polished, and there are some finishes that with the aid of dyes could be dyed and then French polished. Nitro was a great evolution from French polish as it allowed paint and finish makers to dissolve colours into a solvent that flashed off, could be applied in very thin coats, which has been a requirement for musical instruments since day one, and which gives a very aesthetically pleasing finish. The checking and yellowing are the result of a natural product ageing, and the checking is a result of the guitar not being kept in it's ideal conditions. For instance, a guy nearby who i do some work for has a 61 ES-330 which has not one sign of checking, yes the binding is lightly yellowed, as is my 68 LPC, but it's rather pleasing to my eye. The Japanese in the late 70s and early 80s with quite stringent laws on volatile organic compounds opted to use polyurethane, and thinned it to a consistency that allowed them to lay on nice thin coats, and for me this is possibly a great halfway house. However both of the latter is preferable in any form to the excuse for a finish known as polyester, straightforward unashamed plastic. It's use is to mask off what is underneath, to fill shabby gaps left by poor workmanship and leave a finish that will outlast all human civilizations, and in the process deaden and dampen musical notes. Polyester should only be involved in the music world as a coating for sheet music stands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted October 21, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 I'm not sure I buy into this THIN thing either, my water based poly can go on incredibly thin and I'm sure there are various finishes that can be put on thin too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted October 21, 2015 Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 Do YOU like it? Not a sales thing, but personally...? Yes ,I call it charecter. Even my wiith my acousticI opted for an "aged " or tinted finish Original 1951 nitro beauty ,not perfect but honest. There are some very light cracks but they're hard to see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chordite Posted October 21, 2015 Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 They were automotive finishes readily available in interesting (rather than muted domestic) colors and, at that time, optimal for mass production, with their fast drying.When car paint moved on so did guitar paint. and both did for similar reasons. The only reason to use nitro now is for authentic restoration of old instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted October 21, 2015 Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 what kind of crappy nitro are you playing? All my nitro guitars are smoother feeling than my poly guitars. Nitro simply looks more natural as well. Poly guitars look like candied apples. I prefer the way nitro ages way more than the old beat up plastic bag look that poly finishes end up with. And the fact it never stops evaporating and IS flexible means it allows for way more resonance than the cocoon like impenetrable prison that is poly. And thin poly doesn't equal thin nitro.....not by a long shot. I'm totally willing to give up the ONLY advantage of poly......durability.....to get the benefits... I love my poly guitars, but if I could make them nitro I would in a heartbeat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members noisebloom Posted October 21, 2015 Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 Poly guitars look like plastic, because that's basically what it is. I dig nitro for a number of reasons. I like how every nitro guitar ages differently. They're unique, like snowflakes or fingerprints. No two age exactly the same. I like the feel of nitro, too, at least when it's done right. It has a texture I'm just addicted to. I want to feel that all day long. Poly feels so boring and sterile compared to nitro. I don't even get into whether nitro makes a guitar sound better or not. I've played poly guitars that sounded wonderful and nitro guitars that sounded shambolic. The paint just ain't the magic of a guitar's sound. It's a small part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted October 21, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 what kind of crappy nitro are you playing? Martins, Gibson's and American Guilds, all crappy guitars, lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I've got a good variety of poly and nitro guitars, and while I slightly prefer nitro, I think sometimes a lot more fuss is made about it than is really warranted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted October 21, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 I can respect the reasons here that people like nitro as they are the exact reasons I don't like it. Yet, as much as I feel timber does have a huge effect on tone, I don't feel a thin layer of nitro will sound any different from a thin layer of poly. But that's me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted October 21, 2015 Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 I'm another non-fan of nitro. I agree that the dipped in plastic Fender approach is worse. Whatever they did on my TA is pretty amazing. It's really thin and really strong. I seem to remember reading that they cure it with UV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted October 21, 2015 Members Share Posted October 21, 2015 OT: I get Deadlock Holiday stuck in my head when I read this thread title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gardo Posted October 22, 2015 Members Share Posted October 22, 2015 I can respect the reasons here that people like nitro as they are the exact reasons I don't like it. Yet' date=' as much as I feel timber does have a huge effect on tone, I don't feel a thin layer of nitro will sound any different from a thin layer of poly. But that's me.[/quote'] I find this kind of funny. The same guy who goes on and on about the subtle differences in tone wood sees no difference in finishes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members billybilly Posted October 22, 2015 Author Members Share Posted October 22, 2015 I know right? It's odd but let's put this in perspective... It's not any finish, like really thick poly ones, it's comparing a thin nitro to a thin poly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted October 22, 2015 Members Share Posted October 22, 2015 I won't rise to the bait. I'll just keep shooting, repairing and playing nitro finished guitars. When I get a poly guitar in the shop for work I tell the owner that I will do my best with the finish but don't expect it to look great. btw - it is possible to shoot a really thin poly finish - Taylor is making a big fuss about being able to do it on select models. I think they're bragging that its 3.5 mils on the 800 series. Obviously most people don't do that and on an electric I doubt that it makes any difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundcreation Posted October 22, 2015 Members Share Posted October 22, 2015 Martins, Gibson's and American Guilds, all crappy guitars, lol. well...as I said....none of mine feel "sticky" especially compared to poly. Perhaps we have different definitions of what qualifies as sticky. I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 22, 2015 Members Share Posted October 22, 2015 I have experienced the sticky neck thing on a Gibson LP played at GC. And yet I do not experience it on my 2000 Gibson LP or on my US Hamers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted October 22, 2015 Members Share Posted October 22, 2015 Maybe the sticky ones have reacted to a stand or hanger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted October 22, 2015 Members Share Posted October 22, 2015 I find this kind of funny. The same guy who goes on and on about the subtle differences in tone wood sees no difference in finishes Billy responded: I know right? It's odd but let's put this in perspective... It's not any finish, like really thick poly ones, it's comparing a thin nitro to a thin poly. I agree with Billy that the wood is the most important variable followed by what and how the finish is applied. My Fenders resonate very well with poly finishes. Does the finish impact the guitar's tone? Yes, I believe so, but not how you might think. I have two Fender Strats with Alder bodies, one is a 93 Mexican, the other an 89 American. The American has a thinner poly coat than the Mexican, and they are both dynamic sounding instruments with more bottom end than Strats I have with Ash and Poplar bodies. However, the Mexican has more bite, whereas the American is smoother sounding with more harmonic overtones. As I have replaced the trem block in the Mexi build, I believe this is the best explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted October 22, 2015 Members Share Posted October 22, 2015 No amount of finish thinning will make a dead body sound alive. I've also played Fenders that run like a bell despite the thick sealer. I agree it's the grade of the wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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