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Post new topic Question for modern guitar coating material
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Author Topic:  Question for modern guitar coating material
Hiro Keitora


From:
New York, New York
Post  Posted 7 Sep 2008 4:08 am    
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I don't know this is the right place to ask, but I certainly feel the most comfortable place to ask;

Does anyone know exactly what coating material(finish) is used on brand new, say, Gibson Les Paul?

I'm looking for alternative coating on steel guitar body besides Nitro Lacquer.

<H>
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Stephen Gambrell

 

From:
Over there
Post  Posted 7 Sep 2008 6:10 am    
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Polyurethane.
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Randy Reeves


From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
Post  Posted 7 Sep 2008 6:16 am    
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I don't know about a Gibson coating, but polyester is becoming a common coating. I believe Fender has a few models with polyester.
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Hiro Keitora


From:
New York, New York
Post  Posted 7 Sep 2008 6:27 am    
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Isn't Polyester hard to handle for a small shop?
I think we need Peroxide as a catalyst, and it requires special eqipment to spray?

There are "self cross-linking" waterborne Polyurethane available, but I don't know which brand is the best...

<H>
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Steve Feldman


From:
Central MA USA
Post  Posted 7 Sep 2008 7:00 am    
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Hiro Keitora wrote:
Isn't Polyester hard to handle for a small shop?
I think we need Peroxide as a catalyst, and it requires special eqipment to spray?

There are "self cross-linking" waterborne Polyurethane available, but I don't know which brand is the best...

<H>

I think the polyurethane finish used on guitars is the one used in the automotive industry, not the furniture intustry. I think it's made by DuPont (Imron). Maybe you could dig something up on that.
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Hiro Keitora


From:
New York, New York
Post  Posted 7 Sep 2008 7:09 am    
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Yeah, I've been wondering about that---

I was in San Fransisco in April, and while I was there, I saw Auto body shops with sign of Du Pont.
And I was wondering "They must use totally different products from Du Pont than what everyone uses in East Coast due to tighter regulation in California..."

(Fender certainly used Du Pont color for their custom color back in the days)

<H>
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Terry McArthur


From:
North Hills, California, USA
Post  Posted 8 Sep 2008 6:33 pm    
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I had been thinking about switching to a polyester or urethane. I've been using Lawrence-McFadden nitrocellulose lacquer. Talked to the tech's at Lawrence-McFadden about going to one of the 2 part coatings but they turned me around back to the nitro. To much hassle and expense for a small shop. I'm still considering it. Have also looked into the "Blue Light" activated coatings. I talked to one builder at NAMM that was using that system and was well pleased. It's the same principal that the dentists use to harden their glues.

Terry
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Randy Reeves


From:
LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA
Post  Posted 9 Sep 2008 5:24 am    
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I did niot care for the polyester finish on that Tele Custom I had. one night I set it down; leaning against my amp. I must have put it down too hard, as a big thick piece of finish broke loose. a hanging chip or flake.
the finish was quite thick. I have heard this happens/ ow.
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Hiro Keitora


From:
New York, New York
Post  Posted 9 Sep 2008 5:46 am    
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Taylor guitar uses those "UV" coating, and I can see it works very well for them in production. Less than 30 sec. the coating is "cured" and ready to buff and ship it out.

But as a small shop who makes guitar one at the time, I don't know the set up of UV system is worth while...For one thing, it may be tricky to "evenly" apply UV to every surface...

I'm wondering if there's any 2 components Waterborne system out there...

Nitro Cellulose is easy to handle, but it's fire hazardous and it smells...
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