New Toy... question about finish.

Ally · From: Edinburgh, UK

Hi.

I just bought a new toy... simply couldn't resist. It's a parlour sized hand built mahogany lap guitar. Absoultely beautiful. Very plain and simple, and very sweet sounding. However, the reson I could afford it is that it's not been finished. The luthier who made it is returning to the states soon, and he didn't have time to put the finish on. hence I picked up a stunning, unusual hand-made guitar for £200, instead of the usual £1100.

I'm going to attempt to french polish it... is this a really tricky undertaking? Also, a question regarding set-up... it currently has a bone bridge, but the luthier said he was going to try an ebony bridge ... or even a Weissenbirn-style piece of fret wire. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Ally

Mike D · From: Phx, Az

Great score Ally. Hop on over to www.mimf.com on the links pages you can find several sites with FP info. It's not too hard but does take preperation and patience. Here's a tip, do NOT use shellac in a can. Start with de-waxed flakes.
I assume you're talking about the saddle being replaced. Ebony I wouldn't advise but early Weiss' used a steel bar.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Hey Ally--just to be contrary I will say that in my opinion French Polishing IS a big deal. I started a project and didn't see it through because the process ended up being more than I had bargained for. Maybe chalk it up to a lack of determination on my part.
I could recommend a wonderfully easy finish--Polymerized Tung oil. This is also sometimes called China Oil. It is rag-applied and rubbed in. You can do as many coats as you want and really build up a luster. You will NOT get a mirror gloss. But if you choose the highest gloss option (it is sort of the equivalent of tung oil mixed with polyurethane) you can build a rich glow.
Also, if you are going for a high gloss you will need to fill the grain of the mahogany with grain filler. Mucho surface prep before hitting the shellac.

[This message was edited by Jon Light on 04 December 2000 at 01:55 PM.]

Mike D · From: Phx, Az

Jon how contrary of you

Another oil option is Tru-oil.. it's a polymer oil designed for gunstocks (so it may be highly illegal in the UK ) it builds nice and reportedly doesn't affect tone much, again, not a real high gloss.

With shellac the filling on porous woods is typically done with pumice during the FPing. it can be done with paste fillers before hand though.

Ally · From: Edinburgh, UK

Thank you all for your help.

After some research I've decided to French Polish the top, back sides. Started on the top already, and it's working better than expected. It really makes the mahogany shine through. But a couple of (very) minor imperfections are really magnified

I've decided to go for Tung Oil on the neck, as I like the feel of that, and at some point I may set it up for fingerpicking. (The guitar is built for lap, but has a round neck just in case). but that suggestion for gun oil sounds cool. Should be available here ... high quality shotguns are available.

Thanks

AC

I

Mike D · From: Phx, Az

Yes if you can get it (the availability crack was supposed to be joke Razz

) the Tru-oil should be better than pure tung, which offers no real protection at all.
Sounds like a great guitar.

John Kavanagh · From: Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada * R.I.P.

One experience with gun oil: a guy I used to play with took delivery of a new custom-built electric guitar on the afternoon of a gig, and was so exited he took it as his only guitar. He had played the guitar in its almost-finished state a few days previously, so he was confident that it would be fine on the night.

Well. The luthier had decided to use some sort of oil intended for finishing gun stocks for the final finish, and it had this incredible high-friction feel, almost like dry wax... We later found out that this oil was intended to behave like that, so that the stock of the gun would not slip even slightly while you were aiming. Probably a good thing in a gun, but definitely not on the back of a guitar neck. It really was almost impossible to play, though it certainly looked sharp.

Fortunately I had some steel wool in my gig bag (you never know what you might need), and four of us took turns vigourously rubbing the finish off the back of the neck, or our guitar player would have had to play all night out of one fret position.

It wouldn't have been quite such a mess on a lap guitar, of course, and maybe not all gun oils have this property.

(I have an excellent bass made by the same maker, but I asked that he leave the back of the neck unfinished, and I did it myself, with steel wool, lemon oil, and a lot of elbow grease.)

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Do you know how many elbows it takes to get a pint of grease?! No thanks!

I've never used the Tru-oil but I have a several page brochure of one luthier's finishing procedure and he states a preferince for tru-oil over tung oil. I would take that as an indication that it is luthier tested, luthier approved. Actually, having seen Mike D's work I'll take that as luthier approval in a sec.
But I sure can imagine the mess on your friend's guitar. I lacquer finished a neck and ended up stripping it and going with a satiny oil finish. It just won't do to feel like you are trying to glide down a bowling lane in sneakers, if you know what I mean. (I tried that once and fell straight over on my nose.)

Ally · From: Edinburgh, UK

Half-way through the french polish (that's been two two-hour sessions a day). After the second spiriting this morning, it's really started to look great.

Much easier than I expected so far... just hard work. It should be easy to get a very high gloss on it, but I'm kind of tempted to keep it satin-matt. I'll keep you posted.

Mike D · From: Phx, Az

Jon you make me blush

Thanks

I've never uesd the tru-oil on a guitar myself, but so many have I thought I would pass it along as a better alternative to Tung. But I have used it on several gun stocks and never found it to be sticky, I have found some gloss laquer necks to be that way though. I think everyone reacts to finishes differently some poeple seem to be able to "burn" through laquer and make it sticky and others find it plenty slick. Probably works the same for oil finishes.

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