Nitro or poly?

[marchone]

The problem with polyurethane finishes is how many thickly applied basses were sold before the process became better.

 

[SleepyShark]

Nitro looks amazing when it's been aged through years of play. I'm not really a fan of a lot of new nitro relic jobs - IMO it's rarely done well, unless you're paying out the nose for an expert who can do it right. I'd say not even everyone at the Fender custom shop gets it right.

Not to make this a relic debate, we've beaten that horse enough over the years; but I do love the old quote, "there's two ways to relic a bass, and only one makes you a better player".

That being said, I actually prefer poly on newer instruments. It sort of creates two eras of basses in my head.

 

[SJan3]

Good to see that the old myths and silliness are still alive long after they've been proven wrong decades ago.

Is it a myth to say that he prefers the feel of nitro?

 

[hypercarrots]

Linoleum

 

[4andnomore]

Nitro, because it's what happens to be on the bass I have. And the smell.

 

[Jeremy Crockett]

Decisions... decisions...

 

[SJan3]

Nitro looks amazing when it's been aged through years of play. I'm not really a fan of a lot of new nitro relic jobs - IMO it's rarely done well, unless you're paying out the nose for an expert who can do it right. I'd say not even everyone at the Fender custom shop gets it right.

Not to make this a relic debate, we've beaten that horse enough over the years; but I do love the old quote, "there's two ways to relic a bass, and only one makes you a better player".

That being said, I actually prefer poly on newer instruments. It sort of creates two eras of basses in my head.

 

[SJan3]

How's this relic job?

 

[rockscott]

nitro or hand rubbed oil, poly is too damn heavy and it locks in wood tones!

 

[Windreaper]

A Japanese Squier body that was refinished and sprayed with (very thin) nitro by a great luthier. The relicing happened naturally over the years too. The finish chips and flakes quite easily mind you - a mere zipper on a gig bag was enough to remove a large patch on the upper horn. If you like this kind of look, and are willing to wait for the bass to naturally relic itself, go for it!

 

[MtManiac]

I found this blog on nitro/poly. It says that some luthiers believe the two finishes to make a marked difference to the sound. Are they right, or is it another 'tone wood' load of skwit?

High end luthiers selling high priced guitars are where most of the pseudoscientific tone skwit we hear on Talkbass come from. Tobias and Sadowsky, I'm looking at you two. Put some data where your word vomit is.