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I have a fully built yet fully raw, steel-strung acoustic that needs some finishing. A fresh-mixed, French Polish to be exact. I don't have the time nor interest in doing it myself right now.

Anyone out in my area interested in giving it a go? Perfection won't be expected; it's for a gigging musician who's only interest is the shellac's tonal characteristics and climate-repellence. A great opportunity for anyone looking for some extra cash and FP practice.

Let me know Gents,

KJ,

I am quite familiar doing French Polishing and its benefits and limitations.

You said:


I am afraid that he may not understand Shellac very well since it is actually a delicate finish and does not like moisture at all and will scratch quite easily so it really has to be taken care of. It is however one of the best finishes for acoustics you can put on but the main reason for that is it is very thin. Shellac is dissolved with alcohol so any drinks that are spilled on it will literally melt it so for a gigging musician that works hard it may not be the best finish.

If tone is what he is after and does not care if his guitar is highly polished then you may consider just spraying a couple of coats of lacquer on it and keep it natural looking. A number of musicians incluing John Lennon had their guitars stripped to bare wood and sealed with lacquer just to enhance the tonal properties and have it sealed off from dripping sweat/ Beer/ alcohol and the likes.



I would love to help you out however I am in Michigan but I am sure you can find someone in Texas to do the job.

Cheers,
Bob

Bob,
Check (agreed) on shellac, but it is still my favorite finish. I think the grain definition it provides is unmatched. I mix mine 2#cut with Everclear so it is non-toxic, and a little Cognac (just so I can tease a Parisian friend that I finish guitars with Cognac). Another upside to the finish is it is relatively easy to repair, just get out the pad and start going in circles. When going for a glassy finish using Amber or Garnet on a light wood like spruce, birch or cherry, I have to be careful to keep the polishing evenly or dark areas will appear, not as much of a problem with blond. Bob, to address the weaknesses you mentioned I recently FPed a resonator and then put a couple of coats of nitro over the top only, to give it a little more protection.

KJ - French Polishing can be a Zen exercise, I ponder the universe while I bring the finish to a 3D glow. I think if you tried it you might enjoy it. You can do something that seals the wood relatively quickly, and I can usually get to a high gloss coat in a day or two. The upside is you can try it and if you don't like the way it turns out, soak a rag in alcohol and wipe it off. You may want to continue to try to find someone to do it, but in the mean time give it a go and see if you get hooked on doing it. I really enjoy doing it.

GS