![]() The other advantage that the polys had, was that they were very durable and shiny. so you can see easily how the thick finishes associated with the early polys came about. with nearly a 70% solid build and 30% solvents. Polys on the other hand are almost the reserve of that. and approximately 70% solvents that's the toxic stuff that evaporates into the air around us. that's the stuff we see as the shiny finish when its all done. they simply started there with the new polys, never fully understanding that the new polys were all about higher solid builds and less solvent evaporation as compared to the Nitros.Īs a general rule, Nitro has a build of 30% solids. ![]() they were most often left to their own devises to figure out how to get the same level of quality finish as the old stuff they were used to.Īnd since they were used to spraying 8-12 coats of nitrocellulose. So when their bosses told them to change over to this new poly stuff. See the painters of that time were very familiar with Nitrocellulose and how it was normally applied. thick polyester finishes were the norm, which do sound somewhat "dead" and "lifeless" when compared to older nitro finishes.īut this is mainly due to the way these new finishes were applied. ![]() The simple fact is, Nitrocellulose is a good finish, and it's what was used back in the 50's and 60's.įrom the early 70's into the early 90's. BUT, make no mistake, ANY FINISH that sits on top of the wood, will alter the overall tone of the instrument. ![]() so it does less to get in the way of the natural vibrations of the wood, which imparts a more full tone than a thick polyester finish. What makes nitro a good finish is that it is very thin, even when sprayed in multiple coats. If you were to remove the Poly finish, then yes you should hear a "change". If you were to take that 80's polyester finished electric guitar and spray nitrocellulose lacquer on top of it, nothing will improve whatsoever. Lacquers dry to the touch relatively quickly, but then it can take weeks, or even months to dry completely, leading to the misconception that they "cure".ģ)"Nitro will improve the tone of your guitar." If you wish to test this, splash some lacquer thinner on your friend's mint 1957 Stratocaster. Nitrocellulose finishes are evaporative finishes, and CAN be redissolved in their original solvents. "Cured" finishes can ever be redissolved in their original solvents. Nitrocellulose lacquers do not "cure", Curing is a chemical induced reaction (caused by a "catalyst") with a set beginning, an open time and an end. so it was the leaves that breathed, NEVER the wood.Ģ)"Nitro takes weeks or even months to properly cure." it moved water up the root system through the trunk and into the leaves where the exchange of all gases actually occurred. the part of the tree we use to make guitars, was mainly the water storage and distribution system of the tree. In fact, the wood in your guitar's body stopped "breathing" within hours of the tree being cut down it's dead now. I'm not saying Nitrocellulose Lacquer finishes aren't good finishes, and aren't good for a guitar's tone, but they DON'T allow the wood to "breathe". Nitrocellulose lacquer paints were in fact developed by DuPont in the 1920's specifically NOT to breathe, but to be a sealant against the forces of nature for automotive applications. Saying Nitrocellulose allows wood to "breathe" because it's manufactured from similar raw material, is about like saying you should be able to breathe water because it's 80% oxygen by weight and you breathe oxygen. which is much more easily nitrated.īut that's not the worst part of this statement. Nitrocellulose is made from cellulose, which is also what all plant cells are made of.īUT, The manufacture of nitrocellulose rarely uses cellulose, or plant cell material, from trees, but rather cotton. let me start with the worst ones.ġ)"Nitro is made from wood so it allows the wood to breathe and resonate naturally, improving the tone." Many are simply inaccurate, others are outright false. There are several myths flying around about nitrocellulose lacquer guitar finishes.
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