guitar finish

BigDEE · Unread post by **BigDEE** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 11:40 pm

finished or unfinished? and what is the difference in the sound

jsgksu · Unread post by **jsgksu** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 11:50 pm

Personal preference, I prefer finished, I think it looks much nicer with gloss all over it, and there is no diff in sound (at least I cant see why there would be)

Ranting Thespian · Unread post by **Ranting Thespian** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 2:46 am

depends on the guitar and how much finish. John and George took their finish off of their Epiphone Casinos, because it gave them better tones.

ShawnRT · Unread post by **ShawnRT** » Mon Apr 19, 2004 3:12 pm

Most 'guitar woods' require some sort of a sealer/finish in order to protect them from moisture and warpage...rosewood and ebony fretboards being one exception. They make unfinished maple necks, but they get really dirty really quick and a lot of companies don't want to warranty them because climate changes can cause them to warp.

Some people believe that a thin nitro finish enables the guitar to resonate better, as opposed to a poly finish which is like encasing the guitar in a shell of plastic. Gibson uses nitro, PRS uses Poly. The EPA makes it much harder for a company to use nitro anymore, but some, like Gibson, keep using it (some would say because that's the way it was done in 1959 and that's the way it should continue). Nitro is thinner and softer it wears gently and you get that 'relic' look. Poly chips like plastic. It's stronger, but many think it ages less gracefully.

I can't really recommend anyone building a totally unfinished guitar, the odds of some piece moving differently than the others with changes in humidity could leave you with an unplayable instrument.

Then you have differences between satin and gloss finishes. Satin is still finished, just not as many coats or as much polishing depending on the manufacturer. My Taylor has satin coated back and sides and I think it looks great. My Martin HD28 has a gloss body and a satin neck. A satin finish on a neck reduces the amount of stickiness you feel when playing them new.

It's all preference and opinion. The only thing to avoid is something completely unfinished. It would be like ordering a steak that's still chewing cud.

PS: John and George had the sunburst coloring and finish stripped off of their Epiphone Casinos, but did have them resealed. So in effect they still were 'finished' instruments.

Hope this helps.

dmb_tatertot · Unread post by **dmb_tatertot** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 1:06 am

i had a martin DR when i first started (unfinished spruce top)... my new 514ce obviously has a gloss top and i think it looks 100 times better. My personal choice though.

cheers

ShawnRT · Unread post by **ShawnRT** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 9:52 am

A satin finish is still a 'finish' on a guitar.

Here are the specs for the DR:

FINISH BACK & SIDES: Satin/ Dark Filler
FINISH TOP: Satin/ Clear
FINISH NECK: Satin/ Dark Mahogany Stain/ Dark Filler

Satin/Gloss/Nitro/Poly are all guitar finishes. I dont think I have ever even seen an unfinished acoustic guitar body. Maybe you guys are just talking about Gloss vs Satin or Gloss vs. Sealer

hcole · Unread post by **hcole** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 9:58 am

BigDEE wrote:finished or unfinished? and what is the difference in the sound

I have never seen an unfinished guitar for sale anywhere. Not saying they don't exist but I haven't heard of any manufacturers making guitars without finish. If by unfinished you mean the satin finish (dull looking) then I don't really notice any difference in sound between it and a gloss finish.

The Martin DR isn't unfinished it's the satin finish.

Ry_ · Unread post by **Ry_** » Tue Apr 20, 2004 10:24 pm

I personally have a guitar that is very close to completely unfinished. I kinda liked the raw look of the guitar, although just recently I found a small chip in my soundhole.

Although I really like the unfinished look and the really nice tone on my guitar, I'm pretty sure my next guitar is gonna be finished just for durability!

hcole · Unread post by **hcole** » Wed Apr 21, 2004 7:37 pm

Ry, what kind of guitar do you have?

Ry_ · Unread post by **Ry_** » Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:16 pm

It's a Norman (Canadian brand) something something = P

Ry_ · Unread post by **Ry_** » Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:29 pm

Sorry, let me be a little more specific... It's a Godin Norman B-20. It's not completely unfisinshed but has a very thin laquer finish.

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