FAQ: guitar finishing

What is the “fastest” (smoothest feel with the least resistance) neck finish?
Most people choose a satin-sheen poly when they’re looking for the smoothest feel. Gloss finishes tend to feel a little sticky, especially as the player sweats. Nitrocellulose inherently has a slightly “tacky” feel. This is not to say that gloss finishes, nitro or poly, are bad choices.

Can you match a color from an object like a shirt?
Yes. We can match a color from an object or a photograph. Objects areactually better, because with a photograph, especially a digital one, some room for error resides in the processing of the film, the lighting, and the difference in computer screens.

Can you do a custom airbrushed graphic?
Yes. Supply us with a drawing or photo of what you want and we can give you an estimate of what it will cost.

Can you make and apply a custom decal from a graphic that I supply?
Yes. We can make custom decals with any name, logo or graphic.

Should I have my old finish stripped before the new one goes on?
A beautiful finish can be achieved with or without stripping the guitar, so the issue becomes finish thickness. With an acoustic or hollow-body guitar, the answer is most definitely YES. Acoustic guitars make sound by resonating, and a thick finish will choke it into sounding like a cereal box with strings. It becomes a little more subjective with solid bodies because their tone is based more on wood density and pickup selection. Stripping a guitar is a lot of work, therefore it does add a substantial cost (guitar body $125, guitar neck $90, whole guitar $180) to a refinishing project. Adding another finish on top of an existing one will change the resonance of the instrument slightly. Most players won’t notice this change, but if you are a tone freak and your axe sounds exactly the way you want, then we had better strip it.

How thin is ultra-thin?
12 mils +/-10%