Ending the nitro vs poly debate once and for all

[YoGeorge]

I've got some of each and there are other factors that make more of a difference than finish.

One thing that I've found is that when I play my typical outdoor jam band gig in the summer, heavy DEET insect repellent will dissolve nitro, or at least soften it. So I play the MIM poly tele for the most part there. It's also better when it starts suddenly raining on us :)

George

[gwjensen]

Ok, some weird comments, but here we go.

I always felt that nitro finishes had more to do with aesthetics than performance. Also, manufactures are getting better with thiner poly finishes, further blurring or eliminating any perceived tonal differences between the two. I always believed that it has more to do with the thickness of the finish than with the type of finish. Having said that, aesthetics are important and poly will never age and mellow like nitro.

Its kind of like watches; mechanical watches (nitro) have a certain aesthetic appeal that quartz (poly) will never have, even though their more accurate and require less maintenance. You'll never convince the nitro/mechanical crowd that poly/quartz is better, but if your criteria is strictly performance, aesthetic considerations aside, then I think poly wins. Its cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and sounds the same, especially live.

For the record, I'm a mechanical watch, nitro type guy, but I also know that quartz/poly perform better overall, IF the poly is applied thinly and all other components of the quartz watch/guitar are top notch, battery/finish aside.

Bottom line, the guitar's finish is the LEAST important component in a guitar's tone, but it definitely has everything to do with FEEL, which is why I stress a thin finish, regardless of the materials, and a satin poly neck feels just fine. Or better yet, an oil finish for the neck.

Weird analogy, I know, but I think it fits...

[backporch guy]

I have a nitro guitar and a poly guitar, neither sounds better than the other. If I'm refinishing a guitar, I prefer nitro because it's easier to fix my screwups.

[Scantron08]

So can you do this for fingerboards, too -- what about rosewood v. maple?

[Tim Armstrong]

Y'all are crazy!

Latex is where it's at!!!

Tim

[BLAM]

What you cover your instrument in is your business of course.

[gwjensen]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

Y'all are crazy!

Latex is where it's at!!!

Tim

Absolutely, and it's water based, so not bad for the environment. Seriously, why not? Has anyone tried it? It would wear fast, but maybe thats good.

[Tele Belly]

I like to change the poly to a nitro finish. Cheap and easy to do. I like the vintage look and the nitro will fade in years giving it that true worn faded mojo. Does the poly effect the tone? Not any that my ears can hear.

[Badabing]

Originally Posted by twangster2

When you have your amp at gig level, can you tell if your guitar is nitro or poly?

Can anyone in the crowd your playing to hear if your guitar is nitro or poly?

If the answer to any of those is no.

Debate over, keep giging and making the crowd and bar happy.

If the answer is yes.

Debate over, keep giging and making the crowd and bar happy.

What about the recording studio

[Guitarking05217]

Originally Posted by dada

The crowd feels the nitro resonate against their belly in a more breathing organic way filled with overtones that resemble a Stradivari played by Isaac Stern on a warm summer evening with a nice bottle of wine and the scent of a beautiful woman wafting through their open minds inviting and inciting them....

Yes! Awesome.

[Jack FFR1846]

I'm thinking of buying a Fender Nitro painted guitar. Wait. I should be more specific....I'm thinking of buying a Fender guitar that has a top coat over an undercoat of poly like they've been doing on all their nitro guitars since what? 1968?

[boneyguy]

Milk paint. Period.

And it goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that I mean free range, organic milk that has been collected by bees and fairies and flown to an undisclosed location where it is blessed in a month long series of rituals by a Tibetan monk. Then and only then will I even consider putting it on my guitar and that's after exhaustive consultations with my guitar through a qualified medium who specializings in channeling guitar spirits. If the guitar's happy then I'm happy.

Sometimes though I'll just use poly.

[frankg11]

The only way the debate will be over is if you can scientifically test two exact replica guitars. Same grain pattern, same density, same......
One with poly one with Niro and have a robot machine pluck the string exactly the same and have a scope on then to compare the waveform .

You get the pic. Never going to happen...

So the debate will live on forever.

I just like the look of nitro on my guitars. Person preference.

Thank you for this interruption.

[boris bubbanov]

And you know it makes me wonder

What's going on under the ground.

[TeleKato]

Okay, let me give you the definitive answer on why nitro is better than poly.

If you're having a bout of angina (that's chest pain to you, Bubba), you can slip a nitro body under your tongue and relieve the pain. A poly body does nothing.

There. Resolved.

[kirkw101]

Gandpa always said " If you don't like Pinckney go to Hell"

[mijstrat72]

Originally Posted by frankg11

The only way the debate will be over is if you can scientifically test two exact replica guitars. Same grain pattern, same density, same......
One with poly one with Niro and have a robot machine pluck the string exactly the same and have a scope on then to compare the waveform .

You get the pic. Never going to happen...

So the debate will live on forever.

I just like the look of nitro on my guitars. Person preference.

Thank you for this interruption.

Why am I thinking "Mythbusters" after reading this?

[nickd]

fender should paint 5 teles nitro, 5 poly and get some country whizz to play them all blindfolded and pick the nitro ones and the poly ones. There'd be no difference unless there was already a perceived difference.

[t-ray]

Originally Posted by gwjensen

Ok, some weird comments, but here we go.

I always felt that nitro finishes had more to do with aesthetics than performance. Also, manufactures are getting better with thiner poly finishes, further blurring or eliminating any perceived tonal differences between the two. I always believed that it has more to do with the thickness of the finish than with the type of finish. Having said that, aesthetics are important and poly will never age and mellow like nitro.

Its kind of like watches; mechanical watches (nitro) have a certain aesthetic appeal that quartz (poly) will never have, even though their more accurate and require less maintenance. You'll never convince the nitro/mechanical crowd that poly/quartz is better, but if your criteria is strictly performance, aesthetic considerations aside, then I think poly wins. Its cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and sounds the same, especially live.

For the record, I'm a mechanical watch, nitro type guy, but I also know that quartz/poly perform better overall, IF the poly is applied thinly and all other components of the quartz watch/guitar are top notch, battery/finish aside.

Bottom line, the guitar's finish is the LEAST important component in a guitar's tone, but it definitely has everything to do with FEEL, which is why I stress a thin finish, regardless of the materials, and a satin poly neck feels just fine. Or better yet, an oil finish for the neck.

Weird analogy, I know, but I think it fits...

Seriously:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c31...om-airplanefan

[Toto'sDad]

If you dip a broom in nitro, take another broom and dip it in poly, then paint 5 guitars with the paint, whch of them will be paisley Telecasters? C'mon, it's not the hard!