Matte white guitar finish cracks

Thin modern polyurethane finishes do not hinder tone nearly as much as the older polyester finishes and are much, much more resistant to chipping and scratching than nitrocellulose, and in fact, when used on a guitar with a high quality neck and bridge, high quality pickups, etc. Checking looks like very fine finish cracks running in all directions. Overspray also has a tendency to dissolve celluloid binding and cause dark cracks in the binding. Knowing how to evaluate the seriousness of a crack will allow you to determine whether to call a repair person immediately or whether it might be ok to leave it alone for a. It has a nasty tendency to crack, craze, or check if exposed to sudden low temperatures. The humidity here is fairly high at about 60% so it isnt too dry. Poly finishes completely harden and solvents cannot break them down, poly finishing is very resistant to cracks, dulling and scratching while also being durable. Removing scratches from guitar finishes lacquer repair. Finish cracks on a new martin guitar the unofficial. Dealing with a guitar finish repair using gluboost products.

Is it possible to fill with lacquer or would crazy glue work better. Below, take a look at a closeup of finish checking on a fender custom shop. I had done a number of transcandy finishes through the years, but white, give me a break. Shake can 1 vigirously, turn upsidedown, aim straw at guitar, spray, watch finish crack. If you want the new shine finish to last a long time, as long as you have your guitar, then a poly finish is what you want. Using a polish on a matte finish will bring the sheen up a minimal amount, but if youre after a high gloss, youll have to wetsand, buff. Taylor top crack and finish repair finger lakes guitar repair. A lacquer finish is more brittle and prone to cracks than varnish or polyurethane, but the good news is that the cracks are repairable.

Most finish dings arent too concerning, but inspect the ding closely to make sure the impact didnt crack the wood. My matte finish guitars have shiny places under my right arm. Most of us have seen instruments with these unsightly finish cracks. How to repair acoustic guitar finish guitar repair bench. Repairing cracked lacquer varnish on doors home guides. On the downside nitro is not the most durable type of finish, it can wear away and is softer, materials such as guitar stand rubbers can sometimes react with the resin much in the same way as a solvent does. A satin finish material can never be made glossy no matter how much you polish it. It is truly an art form in many respects and one must aptly judge the thickness of the finish they are dealing with in order to avoid sanding or buffing thru the finish. Stewmac visited mamie minch and chloe swantner at brooklyn lutherie. I poured a nickelsized drop of lacquer onto the bottom of a plastic dairy carton, and let it sit for an hour to thicken. While it is difficult to tell anything from the posted pics, there is really no such thing as a finish crack on a poly finished guitar like an epi. But lets get started in case the customer shows up early carrying a weapon. After enough time, the finish on a guitar will begin to fade. Theres a thin crack under the guitar not far from the jack input.

I am certain there is no structural damage and no crack. Mamie shared this great tip for making scratches disappear, while renowned guitar photographer john peden shot. Fixing crack in the lacquer the steel guitar forum. An instruments finish can consist of a color coat and clear top coat or simply a clear coat.

One drawback is that its not as flexible as poly, so when temperature and humidity cause the wood to expand and contract, the nitro finish will crack know as checking or crazing. In this episode ben answers a viewers question on how to repair a dent or possible crack in a guitars. Low humidity causes wood cracks, not finish cracks. How to repair cracks in your acoustic guitar guitar alliance. Now some say you can dull it back down with 0000 steel wool, but imo your just removing protective finish. Nitrocellulose lacquer naturally ages over time, giving the guitar a yellowish, antique quality, often with accompanying spider cracks, also known as crazing. Ive heard some people recommend a semilacquer finish and apply it conservatively a little bit at a time for several applications. Matte, satin, semigloss guitars what happens when they. Home forums the diy channel finely finished car polish to add gloss to mat nitro finish discussion in finely finished started by texmck54, apr 10, 2015. It says your style is flamboyant or that its laidback. Get your electric guitar looking like new in just four steps inspired by the car. How to repair cracks in your acoustic guitar if you own an acoustic guitar long enough, chances are good that youll have to deal with the repair of a crack in the wood. Onthefiddle, dont read this next part, but if you do, be assured i dont do this to violins.

When martin finishes guitars with lacquer, the neck is sprayed before being attached to the guitar, and finish is only applied to the 12th or 14th fret, depending on where the neck joins the body. Many players desire this roadworn look, and finishes such as waterbased lacquers and polyurethane finishes do not age like. The real challenge to repairing most tight cracks is primarily with the finish. Im going to share some secrets on how to keep your guitars finish spotfree. With age this clear top coat begins to turn yellow. Theres something alluring about the finish of a vintage guitar, but we can get close. The sooner a crack is glued the better the chances of an invisible repair. Using the right product to repair these issues is very important to a good end result. That is because poly remains more flexible than the wood, and will not crack unless there is a crack. Finishing diy kits wudtone custom guitar innovation hardware. That is because poly remains more flexible than the wood, and will not crack unless there is a crack in the wood beneath it. Repair chips and cracks in finish fender stratocaster. But i agree with the other posters here in that i like the matte finishes.

Dont forget that acetone nail polish remover is your best remedy for getting your fingers unstuck with crazyglue. A guitars look is a major part of the statement that guitarists make to the world about themselves. Repair chips and cracks in finish discussion in techtalk started by jasonyeah, mar 18, 20. The difference between nitro and poly guitar finishes. I had to break tradition and go acrylic lacquer, which is old school auto paint, i recomend ppgditzler. But nitro is also prone to checking and cracking over time fig. Would this be okay with my guitars light satin finish. Discussion in guitars in general started by jman, jun 21, 2015.

View common finish issues such as yellowing nitrocellulose lacquer, white cloudy finish, pealing and delaminating paint, checking and crazing. Satin finishes arent thinner versions of gloss finishes. Car polish to add gloss to mat nitro finish telecaster. High humidity can cause finish cracks, but cold temperature or a rapid temperature change are the usual causes. Extreme and sudden temperature changes can also cause finish checking. That means a white guitar may eventually turn yellow and, since blue and yellow make green, older blue instruments can eventually turn green. I am looking at used guitar to buy that has a crack split in the poly finish. Moisture in direct contact with the guitar could cause damage, as can the rubber or vinyl parts of a. Luthier and instructor, robert obrien, shows how to fix hairline cracks in a brazilian rosewood guitar back and then repair the finish. Repairing hairline crack in poly finish telecaster. Flaking, brittle lacquer finish that is easily removed by simple contact can sometimes be stopped by amalgamating remelting the finish.

But if you can its not a finish crack and needs to be properly repaired. Can i repair this or should i just leave the battle scar alone. These cracks in the finish are most often caused by rapid changes in temperature, when the wood warms or cools at a different rate than the finish applied to. The simple repair were about to do is called a dropfill. It can be resurfaced and buffed over real nicely too.

Should i get a gloss or a matte finish classical guitar. This really does come down to a matter of personal preference. I also want to make sure the cracks are stabilized and wont spread. Musicnomads premium instrument care products are used world wide by musicians, repair techs, luthiers and instrument makers. Id use gel crazy glue and fill the cracks with drops until it is level, then sand just the repair with 600 grit wet. The terms matte, satin, and semigloss finishes are often used interchangeably to describe a nonshiny surface, but you should check with the guitar manufacturer to determine what kind of finish the guitar has and if it can be cleaned or polished with traditional products. This is not considered a problem when it appears on old instruments. It also has a matte finish neck and that guitar has mojo written all over it. Everything in nitro will have a yellow tint, that to me, was not acceptable.

They are thinner and usually allow the woods to breath and resonate better. Finish crack in polyurethane how to repair the gear. I am thinking that the crazy glue would fill and repair the split and could be sanded and buffed out. If the damage is extreme, we may suggest a neck or body replacement. The longest crack should not be in an area of high stress from the strings. The thin, watery superglue will fill cracks in lacquer pretty well. Pretty much every collectible acoustic and electric guitar made up until the. I do know how to work on my guitars, and when im stumped i. Side note, dont stick tongue to can when the can gets cold. What the op is seeing is finish cracks due to the binding shrinking. Iff its only a finish crack you can seriously lean into it and itll hold, and you will be unable to slip a pin into it. For this reason, the lacquer used to fill a chip or crack can continue shrinking weeks after a nearly invisible repair. The best advice is the manufacturers advice for your nonglossy guitar. Ditto on the thin superglue, ive used it to fix some pretty big dents in guitars.

How to refinish a guitar with nitrocellulose lacquer. Fender uses a variety of finish types on its instruments, from the original. Modern polybased guitar finishes are hard plastic, and when theyre damaged, pieces fall off. Im assuming a wedding ring, cheap capo, or leaning it up against something instead of putting it back in the. Lacquer does have a few undesirable properties, though. A guitar s look is a major part of the statement that guitarists make to the world about themselves. Once the lacquer is removed you are likely to find white binding assuming it was white when new. Using the transparent grain filler will enable you to achieve a flat surface look. The lacquer itself is put thru allot of stress as this takes place and the finish may develop checkingcrazing is a result of this movement. I would mask the finish right up the the crack, id use a magnifying glass, thats how close to the crack, with automobile striping. The trick is building it up in layers to slightly higher than the surrounding finish, and carefully polishing it out with extremely fine polish. Dan erlewine demos three of his favorite finish repair tips. The only body i like better matte over gloss is the epiphone john lennon casino. Electric guitars stratocaster telecaster guitar amplifiers basses.

Repairing hairline crack in poly finish discussion in finely finished started by andrewnelles, sep. These have been the accepted ways to finish guitars since the 1950s and. Checking cracking a nitro guitar finish nitrocellulose relic tutorial. Checking cracking a nitro guitar finish nitrocellulose. How to clean a satinmatte acoustic guitar finish youtube. I noticed after five months old the finish is developing cracks one just over 2 long between the pickups at the top edge of them. In an effort to avoid a repeat, and keep the new adhesive from pulling up wood fibers if removed again, this bare area of wood beneath the guitar is usually sealed with finish.

Of course all those seven string and baritone numetal guitars in black are very appropriate in a matte finish. It can be polished and maintained by a variety of finish care products and guitar polishes. Nitro finishes, however, crack and yellow with age, and they can check guitar speak for fine hairline cracks with age or sudden exposure to low temperatures. If you glue your eyelids shut, id go easy on the acetone and maybe seek pro help. A short tutorial showing how to get that cracking checking effect on a nitrocellulose guitar finish. Watch the trade secrets video, a shrinking pickguard cracks the guitar top. The heat can cause glue to come loose and cause way too many issues besides melting the finish. Gibson les paul custom paint cracks discussion in guitars in general started by mrsleepy, sep 23, 2010.

If your electric guitar has a worndown or otherwise damaged finish, you can refinish it with a nitrocellulose lacquer, giving your axe a nice new look. Notice the tape on the razor prevents it from scraping the spot flat against the rest of the guitar finish. Matt heafy talks what the dead men say, streaming and his extensive guitar. And i dont mean that in the look, but dont touch way, since many of my guitars have dings and small cracks. Matte black hot rod finishes are being used on some show cars today and the finish is just as smooth as a buffed gloss, only the appearance is dead flat because of the composition of the finish. Its a 24 year old guitar, and the only dings and finish checking are on the back of the neck. Our gold level service centers and uv finish equipped service centers can repair cracks and, in many cases, make them disappear completely. Luthier question, how to repair cracked poly finish. The degree of gloss is due to how fine the abrasives used to polish the guitar are and whether the finish has flatting agents. You might find this gives your instrument unique character, but if not, refinishing is well within your ability. Anytime you polish a matte finish the shine will increase. A clearcoat with a flattener in it, literally a fine powder suspended in the finish, will refract light and provide that matte finish. White transparent finish how telecaster guitar forum. Mamie shared this great tip for making scratches disappear, while renowned guitar photographer john peden shot closeup photos.