French Polishing?

[PaulSimonon]

I was just wondering if anyone here uses French polishing to finish their basses... I know a handful of high-end acoustic guitars are finished in this way, and I was wondering if anyone had specific experience with it. The guitars I've seen with it looked amazing, and it seems like an extremely nice looking and easy to repair finish that doesn't dampen vibrations as much or require setting up a spray booth.

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by PaulSimonon

I was just wondering if anyone here uses French polishing to finish their basses... I know a handful of high-end acoustic guitars are finished in this way, and I was wondering if anyone had specific experience with it. The guitars I've seen with it looked amazing, and it seems like an extremely nice looking and easy to repair finish that doesn't dampen vibrations as much or require setting up a spray booth.

french polish looks amazing, if done right...but, it is a time-consuming process...yes, it is easy to repair, but it is also not the most robust finish...

some of these new rub on oil/polyurethane finishes also look great (if your into the satin finish) and are way more durable...these are also easy to repair....

[Hookus]

Ffrench polish is probably more suitable to something you that you won't mind getting dented.

If you want a good finish that is not "thick", try as stated the rub on oil finishes, like Waterlox.

[Bowen]

Here is a mahogany body after 20min of french polish, though it took a few hours to complete and pore fill. It looks like hell now, with lots of little dents.