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Read what Corvus said...
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
As to what it actually is - I'm not sure it matters. It looks (and feels) good - and the guitars are not required to match 'vintage' specs, as they aren't reissues.
Sorry, I was being a bit pet-peeve-ish . The whole "poly" thing annoys me because there are at least two distinct finishes with names starting with "poly"- polyester and polyurethane - and they aren't the same… other than in the minds of guitarists.
The correct answer is: it depends on the age and sometimes the part of the guitar!
Yes, the current finish is called V12 and is some sort of acrylic urethane as far as I can tell. Originally PRS used a polyester base coat with an acrylic urethane topcoat - but the models with maple necks had the necks done in nitro. There are some all-nitro models too.
I have to say I'm not a big fan of nitro - due to its tendency to react with stands, straps and anything else containing certain types of organic compounds that it comes into contact with.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I will say this: lacquer ages nicer than poly, just as nickel plate ages nicer than chrome plate. Obvious example would be some of those jaggedy 70's fender maple fretboards.
90% of electric guitar sound comes from the pickup, bridge and scale length.
I also very much doubt the influence of say, rosewood versus maple fingerboards on the tone of the guitar. Rosewood sounds darker - really?
I do agree that nitro ages and looks better, generally. More resonant? Dunno about that.
I have a Baja that is marvellously resonant and has a ton of plastic on it.
Marketing hype, I think.
That assumes moisture content is the only variable that could cause necks to move - you will find the internal tension of the wood, string tension and even temperature are much more important on a "dry" and stable piece of wood that is totally sealed by a finish
Moisture content comes back into it when the instrument changes between extreme environments or is stored incorrectly - and the type of finish will determine who susceptible the guitar is to these changes.
I would safely assume, all else being equal, that a "poly" neck would be more stable than a "nitro" neck, and both would be a lot more stable than an "oiled" neck .... but all things are never equal when talking about woo and guitar abuse, and i love an oiled neck. So I would say its only worth thinking about if you are having issues in this areas
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So we see pure Polyester, Polyurethane, pure nitro and nitro over a poly base etc etc
Do we have an out and out favourite....no
Do we love nitro more ...no - we often see it melted when put against stands or resting against a strap or the lining of a case and reacted and causing problems.
The final question .....does a nitro finished guitar have more sustain, does it allow for a better sound, does it breathe better etc etc
In my experience/opinion: No - sometimes it can sound amazing, other times not so hot
Sometimes you are blown away by some "cheap as chips" Squier or suchlike that just needed a decent fret dress or set-up.
In fact if you went into a big guitar shop blindfolded and played loads of different guitars that had all been fret dressed and set up by the same expert technician to allow them all a fair chance playability wise you may get a few shocks as to which guitars you bonded with.
Sometimes we can all be at risk of being "theoretical guitar experts" where what we believe is sometimes based on taking someone else's assertions as gospel, whereas if you just go out and play a bunch of guitars you may be surprised to find you like ones better that break all the "rules"
Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
Stockist of: Earvana & Graphtech nuts, Faber Tonepros & Gotoh hardware, Fatcat bridges. Highwood Saddles.
Pickups from BKP, Oil City & Monty's pickups.
Expert guitar repairs and upgrades - fretwork our speciality! www.felineguitars.com. Facebook too!
Yeah... totally agree. Sometimes we buy with our eyes (brand bias)... sometimes we buy with (perhaps misplaced) 'technical expertise' (geeky-theory bias).
That said, over the years, most of the guitars I've bonded with have had nitro finishes... but not all of them. On various shop visits, I've picked up a guitar that 'on paper' was unlikely to appeal to me.... but it's then come home with me.
In general, I guess I try to understand what features etc make me prefer one guitar over the next... but it's also important to remain open to stuff that doesn't necessarily fit in with my pet theories.
I had a chat with PRS once and he stated that his guitars sound better acoustically with no finish on them - but you can't sell guitars 'IKEA' style - But the pursuit of a quality thin finish has surrounded many builders for many years
Wood is 'porous', so without any base coat it would sink and probably de-laminate, so a base coat is required - yet a thick base coat can strangle the guitars natural 'vibrant character'
Violins and indeed many acoustic guitars now use ultra thin based finishes to maximise the guitars natural vibrant character
maybe we should not use the word breathe, but what it implies is correct - IMO
If you believe any of the above - have a word with yourself. Its all bollocks - and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Snake oil and horsefeathers come in many guises - and sadly the guitar industry is full of the worst kind of flowery, mystical, non-scientific bullshit. Dry it out you could fertilise Africa.
As long as the finish isn't so thick that it bends light around the guitar, I'm happy to just have some sort of protective covering on it that doesn't weigh a ton and doesn't stifle resonance.
Yes, wood is porous, but the tonal differences between filling those pours with one slightly thinner type of lacquer vs another have so far eluded me.
Also, I am dubious of what PRS says. That man is a master businessman, and I've never been convinced by any of his guitars. I find him extremely smug. He's like the Tony Blair of the guitar world.
YMMV, IMHO, etc.
For realsies.
I agree we can all have opinions as to who we like and dislike, but sorry in my view the comments about PRS v Tony Blair is below the belt - I don't expect everyone to like his guitars, but his guitar knowledge, on his own guitars and others is immense - Yes he is a good business man but he is also a very good builder/designer and a credible guitar player
- Many builders agree with the thin aspect - I suppose the only true test is to compare the same guitar - So start with a poly finish, then refin it with nitro and find out - Otherwise hard to compare directly as two pieces of wood will sound different anyway
I have sold many C/Shop Fenders and it is clearly noticeable how much more of a vibrant acoustic character you'll find on an aged finish, v a new shiny gloss finish (NOS) - clearly noticeable on an unplugged test in most instances - A NOS finish is thicker (albeit by a negligible amount)