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I'm working on my second guitar and was thinking of going with a flat or satin finish. I don't won't to use lacquer so what do some of you use to get that type of finish?

I love this guitar building stuff....I just can't stay out of my shop< lol>

Thanks,
Jeff

On my second guitar I used Minwax Wipe-On Polyurethane. You will not find an easier to apply satin finsh. I pore filled with LMI water base pore filler, sealed with Zinsser Seal Coat and wiped on four coats of the poly. The seal coat is very important if you are using poly over rosewood. Rose woods have anti-oxidents and poly must oxidize to cure.

Steve

Thanks for the tip....can you post a picture or two of the guitar?

I've done it with Crystalac - a water based product and have had good results.
If I were to do it again, I'd use Behlen's Rockhard Varnish. I love a nice satin finish.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

You can take almost any finish to a satin via steel wool and past wax.

My favorite satin finish media is Shellac via French polishing but tru-oil, long and short oil varnishes, nitro, waterborne acrylic lacquer, you name it will rub out to nice satin finishes

I did the same thing with #0000 on polyurethane, on a gun stock. I didn't even use paste wax/carnuba.
Turned out awesome!
It would be great on a neck!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

It is my understanding that you would be better getting a satin finish as Michael describes. The reason, as it was explained to me, is that a by steel wooling your gloss transparent coat, you dont necessarily cloud up the grain, whereas with a satin from a can, there are additives that make it not as clear. Whether this is a noticeable difference on a finished surface I have no idea. I have not tried it myself.

That being said, I do like a less glossy, more "woody" look on some guitars. However it's tough to pass up on that gloss finish that looks like you could reach elbow deep into it before you touched the wood.

Darrin

That is right; the best satin finishes are rubbed not chemical. Rubbed leaves micro scratches that defuse the reflected light and directions away from direct return to eye sight. Chemical satin finishes adds an agent that dulls the film. Some also refract the light. At least in my opinion a rubbed satin finish is far better looking.

Some of the finish experts have recomended a product called Abralon to rub to a Satin finish instead of steel wool.I`ve done the steel wool and wasn`t real happy about the scratches that are visible .
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Jeff

This is my first guitar and I wanted a finish 'less than' gloss. This is amber dewaxed shellac...applied 1 coat by hvlp....second coat by hand (with a small rubbing pad made from stacked linen pieces about a quarter in size, wrapped in some old t-shirt material). I think it's also called a 'muneca'. Anyway, I had to do a little level sanding with 400 grit and then went straight to 000 steel wool. This takes some elbow grease. You won't get the look by just gently rubbing the steel wool across the top. You have to fold it correctly and use even pressure and rub with the grain direction of the wood. The payoff is worth it though. Everything you buy that is labeled satin or semi-gloss is going to have flatting agent in it and that is what will subtract from the clear appearance of your finish.

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There is no difference between the man that thinks he can....and the man that thinks he cannot.

Thanks Sniggly and to the others also.

That looks great! Very nice!