I don't particularly want a high-gloss, super-reflective finish, but I do want a clear/transparent finish (to show the grain).

Is there a good finish that one can apply without sci-fi spraying skills?

Hi Adam

my guitar was finished by rubbing oil into the grain (not sure what kind of oil - will try to find out) and looks fine, but does apparently dry out with time and hence needs a re-oil after a while

D

Hey Doug,

Wasn't tung oil was it?

Is the finish shiny or dull? I'm ideally after something dull.

it's pretty dull, but the downside being it provides no mechanical protection like laquer would, so it is susceptable to dings

can't find anyone who knows what oil - mit might not matter, it's just to stop the grain drying up and cracking i think - i think it's linseed oil for cricket bats, but that could be different - will you be facing many googlies with this guitar?

D

Clownhunt wrote:will you be facing many googlies with this guitar?

D

Probably about belt-level, yep.

Arf.

Thanks, I shall investigate!

Tung oil comes in both gloss and matte finishes. I have a bass with tung oil finish and went from matte to glossy you need to touch up the finish every couple years with a new coat. The glossy is a nice change after matte for so long. It brought out the wood grain more.

You just put it on with a cloth and sand with light sand paper. Plan to put on a couple of coats. It soakes into the wood so it just kind of disapears with the first couple of coats.

You need to have a unfinished and lightly sanded (with fine sand paper - liked the new 3M stuff myself) body before application. Hardware stores have the oil in the furniture wax section.

Beeswax.

So easy, so nice.

Nico Adie wrote:Beeswax.

So easy, so nice.

Have you actually finished a guitar entirely with beeswax? I've used it for refinishing furniture, but never a guitar.

Any draw-backs?

Black Machine only finish their guitars with oil as they reckon it sounds better, I guess it is probably true. Either way they sure look purdy. The guitar may be more susceptible to stains, dings and so on though, and it might be a good idea to not wear that white jump suit whilst wearing the waxy/oily guitar. Hope that doesn't blow your entire on-stage routine?

Adam CR wrote:

Nico Adie wrote:Beeswax.

So easy, so nice.

Have you actually finished a guitar entirely with beeswax? I've used it for refinishing furniture, but never a guitar.

Any draw-backs?

I used it for an old Ibanez bass that I'd stripped the horrible red paint from, though I sold it about a year later. In the time I had it, I never noticed any degredation in the finish, though I did touch it up about 6 months in. It's a satisfying process anyway, and it smells fucking great.

Obviously it leaves the body more prone to knocks and dents, but that didn't really bother me.