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I hate polyurethane!
- Thread starter bigblondeafro87
- Start date
Like Poly bodies and nitro necks.
The poly on bodies the sound is the same as nitro plus poly is tougher and keep its looks longer. No advantage to nitro on bodies. On a neck I like the thinness of nitro and playing over time will wear it in to real nice feel. Plus the nitro used today isn't the same as the nitro of the past. EPA rules force them to use a diluted version.
The poly on bodies the sound is the same as nitro plus poly is tougher and keep its looks longer. No advantage to nitro on bodies. On a neck I like the thinness of nitro and playing over time will wear it in to real nice feel. Plus the nitro used today isn't the same as the nitro of the past. EPA rules force them to use a diluted version.
You can get a nice satin feel and look to your bass using 0000 steel wool. I did it to my Fender Japan '75 jazz (Natural finish). Still reflects a bit of light, but not like a mirror. Doesn't look "plastic" like it used to.
I guess this works best with natural finishes.
Hey is there any way i can turn this into a poll about who likes what finish and why? If not I'll just start a new thread because I think the results would be a very nice statistic to have, as people are obviously very opinionated on this particular topic 
When the finest Jazz guitars, and finest acoustic guitars are finished in Poly, then I may reconsider my opinion on the subject. 
Untill then, please make mine Nitro, unless it's a "budget" instrument, then I don't mind poly so much, just so long as it's applied fairly thin. If I'm spending "real money"...I want what I want, and that's Nitro. Nothing else is going to make me happy.
Untill then, please make mine Nitro, unless it's a "budget" instrument, then I don't mind poly so much, just so long as it's applied fairly thin. If I'm spending "real money"...I want what I want, and that's Nitro. Nothing else is going to make me happy. 
Hey, stick with what works for you... for me, I have some of the finest electric basses around and they have poly finishes.
Hey, stick with what works for you... for me, I have some of the finest electric basses around and they have poly finishes.
I'm only speaking to my own preferances Brad. If poly does it for you, that's cool.
I have no issues with that. I know, speaking only for myself, when I see a high end bass with a poly finish, it just makes me a little sad. To me, IMO, etc. it's like putting a vinyll top on a Mercedes.
Does it matter if the plastic finish goes all the way through??
I think you buffed it too much and buffed all the color right out of it.....and with the poly that heavy, how can the wood breathe....
I'm only speaking to my own preferances Brad. If poly does it for you, that's cool.
I know, speaking only for myself, when I see a high end bass with a poly finish, it just makes me a little sad. To me, IMO, etc. it's like putting a vinyll top on a Mercedes.
I know, that's why I said stick with what works for you.
Here's a couple of poly finishes... this should make you thoroughly sad. mmm vinyl
Does it matter if the plastic finish goes all the way through??
Ive always wondered, people depend on the body wood for sustain and tonal character etc, how the heck does this apply to glass bodied axes?
While it's 100% true the old Fender custom colors were car paint, it's worth mentioning that car paint back then was probably some form of lacquer and other than being paint has little in common with modern auto finishes. I use PPG, the paint formerly known as Ditzler, acrylic lacquer from an auto paint supply store and get good results, especially since I'm not a painter.
I don't think it was actual auto paint that fender used, just the pigmentation in their lacquer.
I prefer nitro over poly. I play only fender style basses and i like the more woody feel and sound. But I have poly basses that are great too. It don't think it should be a deal breaker one way or the other if you like the feel and sound. Nitro smells better.
I prefer nitro over poly. I play only fender style basses and i like the more woody feel and sound. But I have poly basses that are great too. It don't think it should be a deal breaker one way or the other if you like the feel and sound. Nitro smells better.
Leo was all about cheap, I doubt he had any interest in a special formulation or there was ever any "guitar paint" sold.
oddly enough that's how Fender does it these days, they spray nitro over poly to market the word nitro.
X
X Wolf
Guest
I've had many finishes down through the years including Nitro, oil, etc. and
by far my favorite is a properly applied Poly.
To me it holds up far better than anything else, is beautiful and is
not sticky if kept clean with a good grade of polish
and wiped down after every use. Just my .02.
George
by far my favorite is a properly applied Poly.
To me it holds up far better than anything else, is beautiful and is
not sticky if kept clean with a good grade of polish
and wiped down after every use. Just my .02.
George
I know, that's why I said stick with what works for you.
Here's a couple of poly finishes... this should make you thoroughly sad. mmm vinyl
You're right on with that Brad!
Single cuts, pre amped, and 2 pick up basses always make me very sad.
My vote goes to wax on bare wood. You can buff it every week for a shine, or leave it for months as a matt finish. Whatever you do the finish enhances the natural material whether the bass is made of a fancy piece of figured rare wood or (like mine) a good modern Fender with the chemicals scraped off.
