Nitro Lacquer warmer sounding than Poly?

[Type-55]

Talked with a repair tech about the sounds of basses and he mentioned that the newer basses with a poly finish sounds brighter than a nitro finish. This is only about the finish. Anyone else heard this?

[SpamBot]

I will neither confirm nor deny your tech's observation, that's a can of worms, but I will say this: The pickups in your bass and the strings you put on it will definitely make more of a difference than poly vs. nitro.

[tonebrulee]

Also, "poly" can be either polyurethane or polyester. Polyurethane can be sprayed very thin - e.g. Warmoth finishes with polyurethane - while polyester tends to be super thick.

[Type-55]

This comment was made about my 08 MIA Fender which is supposed to have a thinner, improved finish. Poly of some sort. No doubt this is a can of worms.

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by SpamBot

I will neither confirm nor deny your tech's observation, that's a can of worms, but I will say this: The pickups in your bass and the strings you put on it will definitely make more of a difference than poly vs. nitro.

Absolutely. Regardless of whether you're a believer that the guy's statement is correct, strings and electronics will have MUCH more impact on the sound.

[JimmyM]

i think it's a crock. i think nitro looks better, especially when it starts checking and getting that old look to it, and it might affect the unplugged tone a little, but once plugged in it really doesn't matter.

[Type-55]

I tend to agree about the tone effect concerning pickups and strings.
Thanks for all the replies.