Official Luthiers Forum!

This is my first post. I don't know anything about building guitars (just to give my background). However, I am going to build a Fender telecaster clone using new after market parts and I am trying to decide what finish to use on it by doing some research, etc.

I know that a lot the high-end guitar companies (both acoustic and electric) have gone with polyester as a modern alternative to nitro.

Why does Fender use polyurethane on its more expensive American made eletric guitars and yet it uses polyester on its less expensive Mexican made guitars? For example, the Eric Clapton model (American made) is finished in polyurethane, whereas the Jimmy Vaughan model (Mexican made) is finished in polyester.

If polyester is superior to polyurethane, what explains Fender's choice? I am asking this question to help me choose a finish (i.e., if Fender chose polyurethane over polyester for their most expensive guitars, maybe there is a good reason for doing so and I should do the same).

By the way, I know that Fender uses nitro for the Custom Shop models (I own two of them) and some of the other guitars, so there is no need to comment on that finish. I know all about it.

Thanks.

Welcome to the OLF!

It's entirely possible that Fender uses what they use where they use it because that is what they set out to use when they tooled up in that particular location. Factories can invest millions of dollars in the finishing technology that they employ making changing the technology wasteful and expensive.

Taylor, very well respected for being an innovator in the industry, uses polyester.

Thanks. I guess that is one possible answer.

By the way, congrats on your new house and shop.