Guitar finishes

JonathanHoltslag

Ive been building the last couple of years and finish all my guitars with shellac (french polish) and im lokking for a different approach for the back and sides. I noticed the shellac doesnt do well with sweat and i would like to know if the luthiers here could tell me their favourite finishes, preferably non sprayed as i dont currently have a spray booth.

Gouch

Spray-can nitrocellulose lacquer is pretty forgiving, especially if you only use clear. I’ve shot at least a dozen guitars with it, inside a cheap tall camping tent (to keep any dust/bugs off), the tent is in the garage with the garage door half-open.

Buco

I'm not a builder but I refinished my guitar and used Tru-Oil. Through the process I found that it's actually a favorite finish for many luthiers, very forgiving, can apply just about anywhere and can give matte to glossy finish depending on how many coats you want. I ended with six but have seen very nice looking glossy finishes with 20 coats.

pdg

Just be sure to wipe off the excess Tru-Oil each time. You don't want it to soak into the wood.

Buco

Yes, as soon as you wipe it on, you follow with a clean and dry cloth to wipe it off.