Knaggs Guitars Owners - Finish Question

Raj_UK

Hi People

I understand that Knaggs Guitars come with a nitro finish.

I'm considering buying one but I've only had guitars that are finished in poly. Nitiro is a whole new thing for me but i do understand that not all Nitro is the same. 

Can any Knaggs owners please let me know their experiences in terms of the durability and maintenance of this finish?

Many thanks.

Whitecat

Pretty sure it's nitro-over-poly filler as most modern manufacturers tend to do nowadays.

It's very thin, and probably prone to weather checking over time, and nitro is very easy to repair if you ding it too.

Anyway, I find they don't feel much different than any other high-end nitro finish. They are done really well, they're not sticky (IME). There are loads of cleaners and polishes which are nitro-safe - Virtuoso is a commonly-recommended one. Some are NOT nitro-safe though, always check the fine print...

The only catch with them is you need to be a little bit careful about what the guitars come into contact with. Plastics/rubbers etc can react with the nitro, 'burning' it. So make sure you have stands/hangers etc that are suitable, and watch your cables and even your straps if you use cheapo ones...

Raj_UK

Thanks for that. Super helpful. Any other experiences out there? 

barnstorm

Beyond the burning issue there's nothing to worry about – I think the relic craze has created the impression that (well-applied) nitro is more fragile than is really the case.

If you're mostly a home player and the guitar won't be subjected to big fluctuations in temperature, you're unlikely to see any of the checking and wear that some people expect (and want) from a nitro finish for many years. All the nitro-finished vintage guitars that are missing great patches of paint got that way being played to death by people who gigged a ton, and who often had just the one guitar.

tabano

I have. T3 Kenya, and I wouldn’t say it is nitro by look or feel...I don’t know what it is though but the finish where my body contacts the guitar is already showing the wood which tells me it is not too thick at all, this instrument has been played every day for hours since I bought it in 2017..
on the other hand the neck seems to have a bit too much finish around the 12 fret,.
I don’t care though as the guitar sounds terrific..
having said all this I am not expert in finishes I may well be wrong..

Whitecat

tabano said:

I have. T3 Kenya, and I wouldn’t say it is nitro by look or feel...I don’t know what it is though but the finish where my body contacts the guitar is already showing the wood which tells me it is not too thick at all, this instrument has been played every day for hours since I bought it in 2017..
on the other hand the neck seems to have a bit too much finish around the 12 fret,.
I don’t care though as the guitar sounds terrific..
having said all this I am not expert in finishes I may well be wrong..

It is definitely nitro. Knaggs does not use anything else. 

deadgrateful

Knaggs use nitro over poly, similarly to Fenders American Original collection and PRS’s new CAB finish.

Their early guitars were not that well finished in my opinion, the nitro was thick and looked more like poly. The newer ones are great though and the satin finish is even nicer.

tabano

Whitecat said:

tabano said:

I have. T3 Kenya, and I wouldn’t say it is nitro by look or feel...I don’t know what it is though but the finish where my body contacts the guitar is already showing the wood which tells me it is not too thick at all, this instrument has been played every day for hours since I bought it in 2017..
on the other hand the neck seems to have a bit too much finish around the 12 fret,.
I don’t care though as the guitar sounds terrific..
having said all this I am not expert in finishes I may well be wrong..

It is definitely nitro. Knaggs does not use anything else. 

Ok cool, it feels a bit too “polished” or perfect which I believe it confuses me when compared to other brands,
but I must have been wrong then,
good to know thanks,

Sassafras

I wish people would stop using the word "poly" as a catch all term. There's a big difference between polyurethane and polyester.
There's no such thing as poly unless referring to a parrot.

deadgrateful

Sassafras said:

I wish people would stop using the word "poly" as a catch all term. There's a big difference between polyurethane and polyester.
There's no such thing as poly unless referring to a parrot.

Actually, polyester is still a type of polyurethane. When most people talk about polyurethane they are talking about polyether.

Polyester is a harder, more brittle urethane but usually with slightly less UV resistance and flexibility as a trade off.

But, yes you are right in that they are very different finishes and they should be referred to as such. Nitro is also a 'polymer' so it is a pointlessly general term.

Source: I work with many different polymers as part of my job

Raj_UK

Thanks for these folks. The guitar I have in mind has the satin nitro which sounds like good option 

skullfunkerry

barnstorm said:

Beyond the burning issue there's nothing to worry about – I think the relic craze has created the impression that (well-applied) nitro is more fragile than is really the case.

If you're mostly a home player and the guitar won't be subjected to big fluctuations in temperature, you're unlikely to see any of the checking and wear that some people expect (and want) from a nitro finish for many years. All the nitro-finished vintage guitars that are missing great patches of paint got that way being played to death by people who gigged a ton, and who often had just the one guitar.

I can confirm what @barnstorm is saying here - when I had my Performance refinished it was done in nitro... it has quite a few clearcoats on it and it feels just as smooth, non-sticky - and durable as my other guitars. I hang it so I haven't really had to worry about burning it on a rubber stand: other than that it doesn't get any special treatment