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RobF -> RE: Cedro or Spruce？ (Oct. 30 2024 23:15:49)
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I've always been under the impression that nitro never quite stops gassing out and, consequently, the finish continues to grow thinner over the years. I've never thought poly finishes behave the same way, but I can only draw upon my experiences and anecdotally have found that poly is a much more stable finish than nitro, as far as gassing out, etc. goes. It's a plastic. I also have never thought that either poly or nitro is absorbed into the wood over time, at least in any significant amount. Which doesn't mean that's not the case, I've just not seen evidence of that, probably because I've never looked for it. If it does thin, I suspect it is more due to oxidation than absorption. Or at least that's always been my opinion. But I honestly don't know, save to say some of the things mentioned in this thread kind of surprised me. Are there any articles or the like that discuss the absorption or gassing out characteristics of poly finishes? I'm not trying to be contrary, I'm genuinely curious.
I also think it's important to note that "poly" is a broad term, in as much as the poly found on guitars made in the 60s and 70s can be quite a different finish than that found on modern instruments. It's constantly evolving. Even nitro has evolved. I remember ten-year-old guitars finished using the old DuPont Duco and nitro clears from the early 60s looking pretty rough by time they made it into my hands in the mid 70s and, even though people today seem to want super authentic old style nitro finishes, when push comes to shove they often complain if a new guitar with old style nitro starts to degrade in the same way or shows the same delicacy (checking and the like) as the old ones.
*edit* I guess that which gasses out can also gas in, so that would support the idea of absorption. Like I said, I'm more interested in learning and updating my knowledge than anything else, so any info on this will be appreciated.
*edit 2* I just grabbed a 45 year old Ramirez (poly) I had kicking around and a ~50 year old Gibson J-55 (nitro) and the Ramirez looks pretty darned good. I wouldn't call the finish on the neck thin, by any stretch, and the finish on the body looks more like it was applied thinner than the neck. The Gibson is another story altogether. The finish is extremely checked and very thin feeling all round. It's also almost matté, at this point, while the Ramirez still has a fair amount of shine. The finish on the neck on the Ramirez almost looks as new. The top shows the signs of being well played, but still looks great. All in all, I would say the finish on the Ramirez is very durable, indeed.
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