Official Luthiers Forum!

I am looking for someone to finish my next 2 guitars. Any suggestions? Has anyone used Clear Creek Guitar Finishers?

Thanks,

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EddieLee

I would be happy to finish them for you. Contact me for details.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Eddie buddy don't know about clear creek but we also have Tony Ferguson (cat urethane, Michigan), Joe White (cat poly and he gets my recommendation, Indiana), Addam Stark (west coast and nitro IIRC), and OLFer Brian Howard (don't know what Brian offers but we could ask him here).

Brian just posted - what do you spray Brian, thanks.

Don't most folks do their own spraying.........??
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I don't anymore. Did it enough times to prove to myself that I could in a pinch, but I feel that a better equipped shop can do a better finish. The amount of glossies I do really doesn't merit the investment. Plus, I'm restricted to waterborne, which I don't feel is the best sonically. So now I'll be contracting out...

Can't say what most folks do but I can tell you that if you go to a major gutiar show where all the better known makers are exhibiting you may find that around half of the offereings there may have outsourced finishes. When I consider some of the biggest names in the biz I also know that most of these folks outsource finishing too.

This topic of outsourced finishes, CNC necks, bridges, etc. is brought up a couple of times a year as long as I can remember here on the OLF. It's interesting to me.... on a number of levels. For example one member here is on record in the archives dissing folks who outsourced finishing and then when he realized that his own work was subpar... he started outsourcing finishing too.....

My first seven or so I finished with nitro but then when spraying was more difficult for me and not safe either for my dog either I started outsourcing. Of the two finishiers that I used they both did excellent work but I ended up liking poly a bit more. It's likely the toughest finish that I know of but when done by a master it can be very thin and acoustically transparent as well.

I outsourced too up until number 20 or so and then with our business in Ann Arbor our shop came with a full spray booth complete with explosion proof lighting and fans so since then I have been finishing my own again mostly to save on costs.

It's an individual decesion and hopely the day of someone sticking out their chest and attempting to tell others what they should do are over on the OLF, maybe not...

Anyway there are very good reasons to outsource as there are very good reasons to do one's own finishing and each of us have to decide what works best for us. I can tell you though that when you see some of the outsourced work that one may be competing with it can be humbling....

Regarding outsourcing you would be surprised I am sure if you actually knew the half of it. It's not only CNC necks and bridges, boards, etc. and out sourced finishes but some well known makers have even outsourced final set-up (setting the neck, bridge gluing, nut making, fretting, etc.) to industry pros because even though it costs them in their market the costs are covered and these makers decided long ago that they want the very best for their clients even if it means contracting specialists.

Hand made means as many different things to different folks as the term "Luthier..." means.... to forum members....

I'd like to send out my stuff for finishing, too. The trouble is that I'm in central California, and I don't know anybody who does that. All the luthiers around here that I've talked to have their own spray setups and don't take outside builds.

John, looks like you're in Sacramento? Addam Stark is a long-time industry pro working out of Santa Cruz.

That statement says a lot about you Hesh.

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

We're a bit north of you jlt but my teacher is doing for other folks all the time "moonstone guitars" look him up on line. All types of finishes.

I used a guy named Dale Bartholomew a few years back, he sprays nitrocellulose and I was very happy with the results. I think he is retired from Martin, lives near Nazareth, not sure if he is still around but his number was 610-759-5287, or 610-704-3565.

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Kurt Thomas

"There's a first time for everything even if you do it by mistake."

When I was in Taiwan, I did my own finishing simply because I don't know anyone who could do better than me, and shipping stuff to the states will really make it too expensive. There are guys who does finishing in Taiwan for sure, but they do cars and will most likely put a 1/8" layer of poly on the guitar.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Spraying solvent base in your neighbourhood might attract some new and interesting clientele Ed.

I'm sure I'd get some volunteers....

I'm in the Santa Cruz area, and Addam Stark is the guy for nitro finishing. He does nitro for Ervin Somogyi, Jason Kostal, and everyone here who wants a top grade nitro finish.

My shop does French polish finishing. We collaborate with Addam where a mixed finish is desired. We do Somogyi's French polish finishing. Leo Buendia, Julian Gaffney, Gustav Fredell, Jason Kostal, are among our satisfied customers.

I offer several different types of finishes. In addition to french polish I currently spray Nitrocellulose lacquer, 2 part epoxy urethane, and conversion varnish. I will also do an acrylic lacquer on request.

While all of these are perfectly fine finishes for guitars I personally feel that conversion varnish (which is a poly) is the finish of the future for fine instruments. It was designed with the sole intent of being a wood finish rather than a coating adapted from another application. It forms a very tough coating and being solvent based has none of the clarity issues common with waterborne poly so it has a warm lacquer like look. It also is very thin, most applications are in the range of 3 mils after buffing.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

I see StewMac is not advertising their waterborne finish (Target?) on their website or catalogue. Did they drop it?

Are folks like John Greven and Gerald Sheppard still spraying water based?

BTW when I was using nitro Addam did them and he was excellent, especially with bursts. He did a couple of archtops that were amazing. Good guy. Turn around could be unpredictable and one had to accept that.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

I totally build from scratch with pride, including finishing, but if I would ever farm out a finish it would be to Joe White and for CNC work it would be Andy Birko.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Larry Sweeney in Vermont. Works for Froggy Bottom.

Thanks all for the input. I appreciative all the names and endorsements.

In my case I just to not have the space to do it right.

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EddieLee

Brian Howard- what is the brand of the conversion varnish product that you use? Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ML Campbell's Krystal.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

I've been curious about Matt Eady, as he's not far from me in GA. I think he did finishing for Bennedetto. Has anyone worked with him?


Ken Jones
Mountain Song Guitars

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Mountain Song Guitars www.mountainsongguitars.com