Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Vince Stark on September 18, 2009 at 9:01am

I didn't mean to offend... Just trying to use some of my cabinetry and luthier skills to help out. I suppose the "poly" comment is just an opinion...

Wichita Sam said:

wow... nice to have a realexpert to tell us how to do it right....

Vince Stark said:

Polyurethane should NOT be used on ANYTHING you love and respect! Lemon oil is just mineral oil with a very little actual lemon oil in it. Lemon oil is used on fret boards to "moisturize" the wood, and also for open grained finish maintenance. I use it about twice a year on my instruments, and on every neck that comes to my shop.

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Permalink Reply by Skeesix on September 18, 2009 at 9:25am

I've used various things over the years, but my latest is shellac. Zinnser Sealcoat is a good brand. I'm now allergic to scents and chemicals so shellac is about the friendliest thing out there. It's even friendlier if you make your own with shellac flakes and pure grain alcohol such as Everclear.

It's also easy to repair, has a nice feel, can be made satin or polished up to a gloss. The big advantage over lacquer is it will never crack with age. I have a 1918 Gibson L-1 done with a French polish shellac finish and 90 years later it's still smooth and uncracked.

For fingerboards (rosewood or similar which are left unfinished), I use paste wax. Lemon oil or any oil will cause fisheye if you ever need to refinish your guitar. Fisheye are round spots where the finish will not adhere to the wood.

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Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on September 18, 2009 at 11:16am

Vince,

the "love and respect" crack suggests that I have an affair with my CBGs... I love my family and respect people who earn it... and haven't used poly on any of them ever. Even knowing that I am mildly obsessed with CBGs... they are things and frankly things that I don't expect to last decades, much less generations. In the main, I want quick/easy/servicable. I don't build museum pieces and like the idea of an "everyman" approah. I get that you don't like poly, but when I'm in the mood to build, I want something that I can get a decent finish on a humble CBG in one application.

CBG culture values a 2-way exchange. I pretty mellow until someone goes upper case on me....

the best,

Wichita Sam

Vince Stark said:

I didn't mean to offend... Just trying to use some of my cabinetry and luthier skills to help out. I suppose the "poly" comment is just an opinion...

Wichita Sam said:

wow... nice to have a realexpert to tell us how to do it right....

Vince Stark said:

Polyurethane should NOT be used on ANYTHING you love and respect! Lemon oil is just mineral oil with a very little actual lemon oil in it. Lemon oil is used on fret boards to "moisturize" the wood, and also for open grained finish maintenance. I use it about twice a year on my instruments, and on every neck that comes to my shop.

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