Latest plague in rock music : guitar finish

[DrASATele]

I'm surprised this lasted 4 pages without getting the wrap.
Clearly a topic for acoustic builders where the finish does kind of impact things.
Finish / tone / wood breathing
next it will be unfinished fret boards
and tones woods for electrics!

 

[ScareDe2]

Apparently he didn't even sand it, he polished it

I used an "abrasive" compound with a polishing pad and a porter cable polisher. It's the same as removing a layer of wax on a car. I can now practice more nuances with the guitar now that the deep tone of the wood found its way out of the finish jail.

 

[tanplastic]

I'm surprised this lasted 4 pages without getting the wrap.
Clearly a topic for acoustic builders where the finish does kind of impact things.
Finish / tone / wood breathing
next it will be unfinished fret boards
and tones woods for electrics!

The back and sides, and possibly the top, will be plywood on these cheap guitars.
I can't imagine the finish affecting multiple layers of wood and glue much if at all.

 

[maxvintage]

The obvious conclusion, then, is all guitars should be completely unfinished, since even a few microns of finish has an apparently negative effect. I should start a guitar company with the claim "Finish: the tone killer. " "Let your guitar breath free, the way nature intended," or some such nonsense. I could charge more for the opportunity to buy a guitar without tone robbing chemicals applied.

People believe weird stuff

My favorite acoustic, the most lively and resonant and balanced guitar I've ever played, is a Gitane Selmer-style made in china. It has plywood backs and sides--Selmer/Macaferri guitars had plywood backs and sides by designs--and a thick poly finish. It sounds great. I don't like the look of the finish, but it seems to have no effect at all on the sound.

I guess I should sand a few microns off, and await the tonal miracle

 

[tanplastic]

I can now practice more nuances with the guitar now that the deep tone of the wood found its way out of the finish jail.

What a relief!
Can you explain in florid language the Phoenix-like rebirth of your shinier instrument?
Don't forget words like "bloom", "resonance" and "timbre".

 

[ScareDe2]

I could not care less about derision when it's documented that finish affects tone. Many artists - probably too many to mention - agree. And my own personal experience from last days also confirms. Only thing now standing between you and fame is your doubts.

 

[maxvintage]

I could not care less about derision when it's documented that finish affects tone. Many artists - probably too many to mention - agree. And my own personal experience from last days also confirms. Only thing now standing between you and fame is your doubts.

Dude just strip all the finish off! Since it "documented" that finish affects tone why have any finish at all? We've been tricked, all these years, by people applying tone-robbing finish to their guitars.

We look forward to your first album

 

[That Cal Webway]

My guitars, No Finnish!


Norway ever!!!

 

[MTPoteet]

Good news, no "rock" music has ever been made on an acoustic guitar. There are a handful of rock-'n'-roll performances that included acoustic guitar, but luckily 0 "rock" ones.

So whatever kinds of music this "plague" is affecting, I can assure you that rock isn't one of them.

As a separate issue, remember that you're not required to buy any guitar that sounds bad.

And as a corollary to that non-requirement, remember that you're free to do whatever you want to things you own. Sand the finish off, paint designs on them, glue mirrors to them, cut off a chunk of wood for upper-fret access since you're a lefty and the guitar isn't, set fire to it on stage, smash it into your amps/the drum kit, literally anything. There's a lot of precedent.

I always thought Led Zeppelin's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You " was a rock song. Shows what I know.
Also The Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" was recorded with all acoustic guitars.
Maybe they sanded the finish off?

 

[stratisfied]

Well, I'm glad the finish debate is finally settled.