Finishing a guitar.....

ohmygodtheykilledkenny · Post by **ohmygodtheykilledkenny** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 7:53 pm

Alright, now this may seem like an odd question, but I have to ask it.

I know that if you don't finish the neck of a guitar, you run the risk of warping it, particularily in this modern world, where wood is not always ideally dry when it is used.

However, other than from an aestetics standpoint, is it really all that necessary to finish a guitar body? I couldn't care less if the thing is fuck ugly, covered in sweat, beer, and grease stains, provided that it sounds good.

People are always talking about thinner finishes, and finishes that breath, so why would one bother finishing a guitar at all?

I'm only wondering because I'm trying to figure out the cheapest way to build another guitar, either an Esquire, or a Strat, with a CIJ 68' Strat Neck, without sacrificing tone.

Travis

fillmore nyc · Post by **fillmore nyc** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:12 pm

Hey Trav. In the big picture, it really doesnt matter if you finish the body or not, unless you sweat like a meth head on death row.

If you DO decide to put on a thin finish, a real easy, very thin finish is Minwax's Rubbing Poly. It applies with a rag, goes on super thin, and its not obnoxious in that urethane way at all. More like a thin varnish finish, but with poly's protection. It comes in gloss, semi-gloss, and flat, and can be had at any Home Depot. One to three coats will do it.
It'll protect the body from all sorts of goobs and blurbs, and wont impede the tone either.
IMO, if a glass like finish ISNT what you're looking for (cause even the gloss version wont give you that), Rubbing Poly works great.

ohmygodtheykilledkenny · Post by **ohmygodtheykilledkenny** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:19 pm

I'll have to look into the Rubbing Poly. I figure its a smooth way to shave cost off of another axe. First I'm checking out a guitar I tried at work....

Stonebridge, its an acoustic guitar, and IMO sounds amazing. It was such a "happy" sounding acoustic, and when I played it, it was like the entire guitar was vibrating, as it should.

Travis

Atomic Punk · Post by **Atomic Punk** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:54 pm

fillmore nyc wrote:If you DO decide to put on a thin finish, a real easy, very thin finish is Minwax's Rubbing Poly.

I built a guitar last Summer and I still havn't put a finish on it. I'm not planning to put anything on the neck, but I want to put something on the body because it's getting dented and scratched.

Thanks for the suggestion!

fillmore nyc · Post by **fillmore nyc** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:48 am

PS--Rubbing Poly makes an excellent finish on maple, especially on a maple neck, cause its so thin. If you tint the wood with a nice alcohol based stain, and then do 2 or 3 coats of RP, it feels and looks 'almost' like a nicely worn in lacquer finish.
Its like you almost cant screw up the finish with RP, cause its applied with a rag which absorbs any excess, so theres very little chances of getting a run in the finish, and also cause its so thin. The coats go on just like you're wiping the wood with a wet rag (which in a sense, you are).
If Im not using actual sprayed lacquer, its my favorite finish.

yngwie308 · Post by **yngwie308** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:04 am

Look at Rory Gallagher's Strat, it is the epitome of a non-finish!
yngwie308

fillmore nyc · Post by **fillmore nyc** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:40 am

yngwie308 wrote:Look at Rory Gallagher's Strat, it is the epitome of a non-finish!
yngwie308

Thats almost the epitome of non-wood!! It makes SRV's Strat look mint!!

NY Chief · Post by **NY Chief** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 10:38 am

Like this?

fillmore nyc · Post by **fillmore nyc** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:03 pm

That Strat is so finish stripped, it almost looks like it was always wood over the paint, and the wear spots are where the paint is starting to show thru!!

/

ohmygodtheykilledkenny · Post by **ohmygodtheykilledkenny** » Mon Apr 07, 2008 9:51 pm

fillmore nyc wrote:
yngwie308 wrote:Look at Rory Gallagher's Strat, it is the epitome of a non-finish!
yngwie308
Thats almost the epitome of non-wood!! It makes SRV's Strat look mint!!

I love both those guitars! They seem so sound pretty killer.

Travis

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 9:56 am

If you are gigging and want te guitar to hopfully follow you into old age, then I would put a finnish on it. Keep in mind that different woods finnish easier than other's. Stay AWAY from ash if your gonna finnish one, cause that stuff needs grain filler, as well as lots of coats, as it literally 'drinks' finnish. I would get an alder body, and spray it with 3 or 4 cans of semi gloss nitro.

ohmygodtheykilledkenny · Post by **ohmygodtheykilledkenny** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:33 pm

I found that old Japanese 68' cheap, now I don't need to worry about it.

Travis