Official Luthiers Forum!

I can't justify it, but I'm probably with Rod.
Proper booth, extraction, lighting, no compromises.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Most of my instruments get a nitro finish, I have a dedicated and well equipped spray booth. It takes time and money to set it up and learn how to use it, but I agree that the prep work is even more important. And the better you get at it, the more concerned you will be with all the other little details, because the better the finish, the more they will show. Learning how to get a nice finish will help you become a better builder in these areas as well, because it requires great dicipline and lots of practice to refine it to truly professional level. I agree that the biggest cost here is time, not the equipment or materials.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

I do a Nitro finish on an average acoustic guitar for $415, that includes all prep work and final cut and buff. You simply sand out your work at 120 and get it to me I do the rest. Prep is such an important part of a good stable finish I will always prep my own work as I am the one who must stand behind that work. I feel he same about the final buff....It is what people see, and if I do the work I want them to see a finish on par with any fine instrument out there.

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Brian

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

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

"The finishers I have worked with expect the instrument to be properly prepped before shipment. Sanded to 220 and no missed scratches. A definite up charge if they have to do additional surface prep."

Hi Terence,
I'm sure you do excellent prep work, and finishers expect most of the sanding to be done by the builder, but most good finishers will "touch up" places that their trained eyes tell them will make a difference in the finish. It may be something as small as handling marks -oil from a persons hands, rub marks, etc. They don't charge for that, it's an expected part of finishing. If they have to do significant sanding then expect an added charge.

I prefer to do my own sanding if I am finishing because, no offense, but most don't do it correctly. Most film failures down the line can be directly attributed to bad prep work, in particular sanding. Over sanding is a common problem when people prep to finish wood and even a bit more so among guitar makers. Also wood begins to oxidize as soon as you are done sanding it, sealer should always be applied within 36 hours of sanding for best adhesion.

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Brian

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

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Brian, that seems like a reasonable price. Does that include pore filling?

Brian, what are you using for pore filling these days?

Thanks,
Chuck

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Yep, includes pore filling. The basic finish like I mentioned uses a paste filler. Basically the same finish as Martin, Gibson etc. I also offer an epoxy fill for a slight upcharge, it is nice to preserve clarity especially if one has used sapwood as an accent.

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Brian

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

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/