Official Luthiers Forum!

Scratch that. "Best" is too subjective around these parts.... How about this – What is the most user friendly finish (that looks good too), if I can’t spray? I have a compressor, but I’d rather not get into spraying a finish. Are my only two options French Polish and Tru-Oil? I have only heard about a couple people using Tru-Oil to finish the body of the guitar. I know Kathy Matsushita used True-Oil, and I think was happy with the results. Anyone have any pictures of this? What are your thoughts? If doing FP body and Tru-Oil neck, what do builders use on the headstock? Any other options I don’t know about that people have been happy with? Thanks all!

BTW - When did we get all these freaking smilies jumping around???? They draw attention to my computer screen here at (whisper) work...

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

in progression of work required

rubbed tru-oil
rubbed spirit varnish
rubbed Rockhard
brushed shellac
brushed lacquer waterborne
brushed nitro
French polish with shellac

I am sure I missed something

If FP body and true oil neck I FP the peghead veneer

Personally if you want a quality finish and don't mind putting in the elbow grease French polish the thing. Besides it will teach you a lot about hand rubbed finishes that will serve you well down the line. Sonicly you best choice IMO

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Since Colin isn't here to mention it, I'll post it. Kevin Aram, of some acclaim in Classical Guitar Construction, uses exclusively Tru-Oil or it's equivalent for all of his finishes, and, according to his opinion, thinks it is the most acoustically transparent finish available. His guitars start in the $7,500 - 8,000 range. Here is a link to his website. Aram Guitars He does not elaborate on the finish, other than to say it is an oil finish, but Colin has one of his guitars, and knows about his philosophy. That said, Colin prefers to French Polish his guitars.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I read in another post that Liberon (pre mixed) for FP is good. How much is needed?

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

Don't laugh - they own Zinnser which you can use to French polish.........

Excellent pre-mixed shellac A typical guitar will use maybe 3oz-4 oz of mixed shellac if your proficient maybe 4-6 for a first timer. A half gallon will last (as my grandson says when on a car trip) for-ev-ver.

Liberon is a real clear extra blond mix if you would like a more vintage appearance Zinsser Seal Coat is another great premixed-mixed shellac suitable for French polish it is a light amber but still very clear tint.

suitable go a trip to the mohave

Waddy's already answered for me, but let me say that the best finish, including Nitro, is French polish. But as he says, don't write off Tru-oil and the other rubbed oil finishes. As well as my Aram being an oil finish, my recently finished Torres 'homage', La lena, used a hand rubbed oil varnish, very similar to tru-oil. I used this because as Waddy said Kevin Aram, one of the top classical builders believes it's the best finish, but also because this is the type of finish that Torres used on his guitars. I put the oil finishes on using a FP muneca.

My advice would be to get some Zinser seal coat or Liberon Special Pale and some Tru-oil and ty them out on some large scrap pieces.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I'm on #1 here, so I don't have a ton of experience but I'll chime in, as I'm in the process of finishing right now. I'm doing FP on the body, and tru-oil on the neck. I found FP to be a great finish. After a little practice and finding the right materials(anyone know where to find good 100% wool socks nowadays?) my guitar is looking beautiful. The tru-oil is a delight to work with and looks great. I decided on that thanks to lots of posts praising it for it's fast feel, and it looks great too. One more coat then I'll let it cure and polish with micro mesh.

Oh, and I used tru-oil on the ebony headplate, and think it looks great.

Hope that helps.

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Rob

Wool socks at outdoor and camping gear places. You can, however, also get a lambskin pad, Including wool, for use in applying floor finishes. Shear the wool off and you are in business. They are available at the BORG. $7 or so. Make sure you get the real wool ones. They have fake wool ones too.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

How's the durability of Tru-Oil, especially on necks? What do you use as pore filler under it?

Feels great and seems to last a long time. I finished one neck with it and filled the pores lightly sanding the mahogany with 320grit sandpaper lubricated with Tru-Oil. Worked great right out of the bottle. You won't get a high gloss with Tru-Oil though.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

I use polyurethan on all my guitars. I brush it on using a foam brush with a paper towel clipped on the brush, allowing a thin layer of poly, thus minimizing drips and rundowns. Final coat is done with 'wipe-on poly'. Then go directly to the buffer to remove the circular marks left from the wipe-on poly.

That gives me a perfect finish, to my eyes at least.

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Alain Moisan
Former full time builder of Acoustics, Classicals and Flamencos.
(Now building just for fun!)

Be careful to get dye free as may dyes are soluble in alcohol. It is easer these days to buy cleaned but otherwise unprocessed wool tuffs.

Thanks for the input - It sounds like FP is the choice I am hearing most... I will let you know how it turns out!

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

I did manage to find close to all wool socks a Cabela's locally. Most of the other wool socks were pretty high % of synthetics. I found cotton gauze to be rather hard to find also. Most of it is synthetic too. Tried cotton ball type material, but couldn't get it to perform like I thought it should. Switched to wool, and problems went away.

Michael, any ideas on suppliers for those wool tufts?

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Rob

There are several on the net that sell washed raw wool which is what I am speaking of. I orders some a couple years ago that ai am not half way through. For the life of me, here at work I can not think of their name but google raw wool and you will fined several venders.

So, Michael, wool is your preferred muneca stuffing?

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

By far. I believe (personal opinion mind you and preference of my French polish mentor my grandfather) Wool provides the best media for inner muneca. And well worn muslin for the outer muneca.

I know a lot like cotton balls and they are pretty good. Some like cheesecloth and it is ok. But loose woven or washed natural raw wool is the best IMO.

I used the felt block from LMI on my one and only FP guitar. You can cut it into about
any shape you want.

http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproducts.asp?CategoryName=Finishes&NameProdHeader=Shellac+%26+French+Polishing+Materials

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Horton, MI

Thanks, Michael. Well-worn muslin, eh? That sounds like one of those things that's easier said than found...

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

used muslin bed sheets, most high end motels use them and are will ing to give away old ones.

I will tell you why I don't like t-shirt material. It is a 3 dimensional weave and will shead microscopic fibers when it gets over used and leaves a micro-ridge patterning. Now this is easly removed via spiriting off but muslin works much better IMO

Thanks again, Michael. I'll check out some hotels.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

I've had problems with all sorts of cotton shedding lint, so I just get linen for FP pads. It's a little hard to find sometimes, so stock up when you see it. Linen-rayon blend works well too.

I brush Behlen's 'Rockhard' varnish, but thinned out, in the way that violin makers use an oil varnish. It goes on very thin and level, and doesn't require much effort to polish out. 'Novus' plastic polish is the best fror that: the Meguier's is a little too agressive. No other finish has the depth and 'light' of a good oil varnish, not even FP.