Dull vs glossy finish

[FastEddie]

I'm sure its been covered before, but do you notice a difference in tone/volume on a dull finish guitar vs a gloss?

 

IE: I have a Taylor 614 which I love the sound of and have no intentions on getting rid of it, but I am looking into getting a 414 fora "player" guitar. I went to see Tommy Emmanuel at a guitar clinic and had him sign the front of the 614 so I'd like to stow it away and play something else. And a 414ce justmight be the ticket. Any thoughts?

 

Thanks Eddie

[Freeman Keller]

If you think you would like to change the sound of a 414 you can polish the satin finish. I did my 314 and it sounds much better now. I rarely hear of people dulling their gloss finishes, however.

[BackPocket]

 

If you think you would like to change the sound of a 414 you can polish the satin finish. I did my 314 and it sounds much better now. I rarely hear of people dulling their gloss finishes, however.

 

 

gloss finish will improve the sounds to some people?

 

Also, does a gloss finish protect against humidity and temperature changes better than satin finish?

[fatback]

I was very much into satin finishes - I liked the rough and ready look - I've now got a glossy bling machine. Sounds fine to me

 

Phil

[FastEddie]

 

If you think you would like to change the sound of a 414 you can polish the satin finish. I did my 314 and it sounds much better now. I rarely hear of people dulling their gloss finishes, however.

 

 

So you say that a glossy sounds better? I would have thought the opposite. Less restriction, more flex and reverberation from the soundboard...No? Better natural sound?

 

I am being serious, I honestly dont know if there is a difference.

[Freeman Keller]

 

So you say that a glossy sounds better? I would have thought the opposite. Less restriction, more flex and reverberation from the soundboard...No? Better natural sound? I am being serious, I honestly dont know if there is a difference.

 

 

I'm sorry, I had my tongue firmly in my cheek. For most manufactures the only difference is that a gloss guitar has (expensive) additional hand labor in polishing - altho Martin now uses big (expensive) robot polishers. Usually it is the same formulation (UV cured for Taylor, Nitro for Martin) altho it is possible that something is added to make the finish satin. Gloss might have a few more coats - with nitro there tends to be more sanding done between coats.

 

Short story long, satin is a way to save money. Since all manufactures do it on their less expensive models (price point guitars) we come to expect it of 3xx/4xx Taylors, 15 series Martins, etc. Many of us prefer a gloss finish and it is a relatively simple matter to buff your satin guitar to at least a "semi gloss", and if you want to go hole hog with a lambs wool bonnet, you can get pretty glossy. In fact, like it or not, the back of the neck will gloss itself from playing - ironically the one place people seem to prefer satin (a little 0000 steel wool will take the shine off a gloss finish).

 

Does it sound different? Absolutely not, unless somehow one is thinner than another (that is usually the only way finish affects a guitar's sound - thinner is usually better). I happen to like shiny guitar and I always thought my 314 looked kind of cheap. So I polished it.

[12Gauge]

 

I happen to like shiny guitar and I always thought my 314 looked kind of cheap. So I polished it.

 

 

 

What exactly is the procedure for doing something like that?

[loinmute]

i just purchased a seagull s-6, it's got the "dull" cedar top, it sounds great, it is a tad muddy in the upper-middle frequencies, but it sounds great.

 

 

 

[Cripes]

I prefer gloss over matte or satin.

[Freeman Keller]

 

What exactly is the procedure for doing something like that?

 

 

http://p082.ezboard.com/ftheunofficialmartinguitarforumfrm19.showMessage?topicID=35.topic

[Queequeg]

http://p082.ezboard.com/ftheunofficialmartinguitarforumfrm19.showMessage?topicID=35.topic

 

I used this very technique on a CFM 000-15s.

Followed the instructions to the letter.

Had a bit of a hard time finding the Meguiar's Scratch-X, which comes in a black tube, and Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish but eventually the internet worked its magic for me.

I am very pleased with the results.

[Freeman Keller]

There are other products and methods - on my lacquer guitars I sand to 4000 wet and dry and polish with StewMac medium and fine compounds using a foam and lambs wool bonnet on a drill motor. Don't know why that wouldn't work on a commercial satin finish and it gives a very high gloss, where the Mequiar's will be kind of a semi-gloss.

 

Nothing sacred about Mequiars either (except to some of us car buffs) - any quality car products in the same abrasive grits should work fine.

[Harmonycat]

I own a few of each...they are both great finishes, and both sound great.

 

I like either finish.