Keira WitherKay wrote
BTW A QUESTION WITHIN THIS POST .... WHAT ARE CLASSICAL /FLAMENCO GUITARS COATED WITH TO GET THE GLOSS FINISH ?????? ALAN HELP????
strange i know all about the wood and know about french polish and never bothered to know what the lacquor is they use on instruments? AND ARE THERE ANY PREFERENCES
French polishing done with shellac is the preferred finish for high end nylons - It's thin so it doesn't affect the tone and brings out the beauty of the wood better than most finishes. It's labour and skill intensive to apply. One of the most delicate finishes, susceptible to alcohol and water, but also one of the easiest to repair.
Better mass produced guitars will use nitrocellulose lacquer, which is easier to apply, a bit more durable and water resistant and still sounds very good and fairly easy to repair.
Mid level and down use polyurethane or polyester, which are the most durable, apply the quickest and easiest and cure the fastest. Very hard and durable, but difficult to repair. Not too bad sounding
if applied properly, but generally applied very thickly in place of proper wood preparation, which has given them a bad name.
