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1. Do different finishes affect the sound of a guitar? .
Well you will find many opinions on this....but I think in a blind listening study with all else equal that there is a minimal difference if any, especially on electric guitars. Cases in point, Taylor uses a UV cured polyester and they sound pretty good. Ibanez and many others have been using poly type finishes for decades, some of them incredibly thick yet again they sound good. There is much more superstition and marketing hype here than anything.
2. I don't really want super shiny, "I could use it as a mirror" type finish. I'm more looking for "this was built in the 50's but has been meticulously maintained without a scratch on it" type look. I guess like how a violin isn't flashy. But I'm not using a stain, just clear with perhaps some amber tint.
This is a tough look to recreate, basically an aged finish that the custom shops charge big $$$ for. You wold need to apply a full gloss finish. Leveled and buffed like normal and all and then de-gloss and add patina. Not buffing all the way out first will just leave it looking unfinished. There are de-glossing agents available or you could hand rub with compounds to achieve the final look
I know I can learn the "how" as far as applying the finish, (I'm all ears on advice on that as well) I'm just not sure how to achieve the desired look. Like how to determine what sheen to use, what brand, nitro or pre/post cat......does the shine come mostly from buffing......
Sheen of the coating is achieved by adding flattening paste to the finish, either by the mfg. or in your shop. This is an option as well for what you seek but in my opinion will always have a satin finish look. This is due to how the light reacts inside the finish. Flattening paste also softens the coating and as such are generally not leveled and buffed. Most full gloss finishes will be super shiny right away, they will have surface texture from application and drying and not be very attractive. Level sanding removes this texture and makes the surface smooth. Buffing restores the shine.
As to type, brand , pre or post cat? that's a whole can of worms.....so many choices. Nitrocellulose lacquers, Acrylic lacquers, Epoxy urethanes, Conversion coatings......a lot of this will be determined by what is actually available to you legally in your area. A lot of what I just mentioned will most likely not unless you are an industrial user such as myself. Catalyzed lacquers have the advantage of quick cure times and some offer the repairability of conventional lacquers. They do not typically age like conventional lacquers and usually lack that sought after amber tone. The difference between pre and post will come down to your comfort with accurate chemistry. Pre cat is easy, the chemistry is all done. Drawback is short shelf life, generally about 90 days. Post cat requires purcahse of separate components and ACCURATE mixing by you. They will often only have a pot life of a few hours once mixed.
Finishing wood is a whole other discipline to learn. This barely scratches the surface. There is so much more to learn like prep, sealing, filling. Most film failures occur in the early prep stages, before the can is even opened.
_________________ Brian You never know what you are capable of until you actually try. https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/
These users thanked the author B. Howard for the post: dzsmith (Sat Nov 23, 2013 9:36 am) |
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