Nitro v. Poly

[sanwin17]

What's the big difference between these two types of finishes? Is it the look, the sound, the vibe or the way it ages? Pros v. cons.

[bassgod0dmw]

Yes

For me...I like the way it feels, ages, and the overall vibe.

[two fingers]

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

Yes

For me...I like the way it feels, ages, and the overall vibe.

This. The argument over potential tone differences is a can of worms you will regret having opened.

[bassbully]

As far as looks IMO poly looks better since it holds the shine and does not scratch as easy..much easier to buff a good shine. Some feel nitro get kind of hot and sticky also.

To me the best thing about nitro is the aging, fading, and natural relicing look it gets..if you dig that. It is applied thinner and reduces some weight as well. As far as sound I have not owned a nitro bass or guitar that sounded better than poly only because it was nitro. Others may disagree.

[sanwin17]

Originally Posted by two fingers

This. The argument over potential tone differences is a can of worms you will regret having opened.

If I get enough worms maybe I'll go fishing.

[D.M.N.]

I still think the nitro vs. poly argument really arises out of the fact that Fender switched over to Poly when it went to CBS, and there was a sense of declining quality during that period. Therefore poly gets lumped in with factors that caused 70s Fenders to be "bad". However, personally, I don't really see any inferiority between the two, just differences. I don't think there's any significant sonic differences between the two, it just comes down to, as mentioned above, how they age and the basses visual appearance. I'll take nitro over poly any day, but that's because I like the way it feels, smells, and ultimately how it ages. But again, that's not because I think Poly is inherently worse, I just don't like it as much for my personal preferences. YMMV.

[dmac1961]

If I wanted my bass to stay pristine, I would want poly. But I don't, so nitro for all the right reasons (and sound isn't one of them).

[Musiclogic]

Nitro/Acrylic Lacquer. As hard as Polyurethane, has all of the gloss benfits of lacquer, and can be repaired invisibly like lacquer. Something Polyurethane cannot.

As for the keeping the bass pristine, doesn't matter what finish you use. If you are careful, your instrument will stay pristine.

[D.M.N.]

Originally Posted by Musiclogic

If you are careful, your instrument will stay pristine.

True, but some of us are total clods. And ultimately, even if you are careful, a finish like nitro will age pretty much no matter what (checking and those hairline finish cracks throughout). You'd have to keep it locked away and climate controlled.

[sanwin17]

Originally Posted by D.M.N.

I still think the nitro vs. poly argument really arises out of the fact that Fender switched over to Poly when it went to CBS, and there was a sense of declining quality during that period. Therefore poly gets lumped in with factors that caused 70s Fenders to be "bad". However, personally, I don't really see any inferiority between the two, just differences. I don't think there's any significant sonic differences between the two, it just comes down to, as mentioned above, how they age and the basses visual appearance. I'll take nitro over poly any day, but that's because I like the way it feels, smells, and ultimately how it ages. But again, that's not because I think Poly is inherently worse, I just don't like it as much for my personal preferences. YMMV.

I agree. CBS was a game changer. They should have stuck to sports.

[darkstorm]

Nitro yelloew poly doesnt. Poly stays new looking much better then nitro. Nitro feels tacky/draggy to me. I much prefer poly finish. Only other finish I like is matte and the minimal type warwick uses.

[backup]

nitro feels so much better. so much more organic you know. it reminds me of an oil painting.

[InternetAlias]

Oil.

[SturmUndDrang]

How bout Shellac? Doesn't seem like anybody finishes electric basses with that. Wonder why?

[Rip Topaz]

Originally Posted by SturmUndDrang

How bout Shellac? Doesn't seem like anybody finishes electric basses with that. Wonder why?

Because its very easy to damage. Water and alcohol don't play nicely with shellac.

[thebassbuilder]

Originally Posted by SturmUndDrang

How bout Shellac? Doesn't seem like anybody finishes electric basses with that. Wonder why?

I wondered the same thing but from what others in business told me is it will not hold up like other finishes. I have used it but only as a base coat to spray crappy Nitro over.

Nitro is nice looking but I hate using it. It takes for ever to spray enough coats to start buffing and the cure time is way to long. It chips and cracks to easy and some guitar stands eat up the finish.

So why people still want to use it is beyond me. Give me an automotive finish/poly or ployester any day.

My thoughts only.

[sanwin17]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

Because its very easy to damage. Water and alcohol don't play nicely with shellac.

Hence the phrase, "a shellacing" meaning beaten up.

[SturmUndDrang]

Too bad. The French Polishing method makes for a stunning burst.

[D.M.N.]

Originally Posted by thebassbuilder

Give me an automotive finish/poly or ployester any day.

The irony being that Nitro was an automotive finish.

[marchone]

They're both great when done well. See top of the line Spector USA instruments for their standard matte poly finish and Sadowsky NYC instruments for their thin nitro finish.