Scratch Proof Matte Clear Finish

Polyurethane matte. Just realize if you reshoot a brand new instrument you no longer have a warranty.

 

Totally normal for those instruments, as disappointing as that is. I'm also a pretty big Ibanez fan and still have my first SR505 bought way back in the early 90s. The finish flaking/wear is a result of a relatively soft grainy wood (mahogany), no pore filling, and a very thin polyurethane sprayed finish. It gives a great look, but is inherently weak, even compared to their lesser offerings with thicker gloss poly finishes. Those can last for years and years and take a good beating with just scratches to show for it.

Regarding a matte finish, it's funny we were just talking about it in some recent threads. Basically, any surface or finish will eventually polish up to a gloss at the contact points. This even happens with stone, it's just a reality. In a recent discussion one of our resident whiz kids @Bruce Johnson pointed out that matte paint is matte because it has additives that create a microscopically rough surface with little bumps on it. They refract the light and give the appearance of matte to the eye.

There is another way to achieve it though, and that's to spray or otherwise apply a regular gloss finish and then sand it back with a very high grit paper to knock back the gloss into a matte surface. Something like 1500 grit or higher. At that point, it can be waxed for a smooth matte look. One reason this option is potentially better in the long run is that it can be repaired. When the surface eventually polishes up under contact, you can sand it back again to the same grit and re-introduce the matte look. A purpose-formulated matte paint cannot be repaired in this manner. It needs to be resprayed over the whole surface.

I've done a few hand-rubbed matte finishes before in order to simulate an oil finish and I'm perhaps not skilled or practiced enough, but they didn't look as uniformly beautifully matte as when I've done a sprayed matte finish. So there's that, but it's just my experience with my own limits.

 

Agreed. I've found that the best way to get a uniform "scratched" matte sheen is with #0000 steel wool. It works better than sandpaper or Scotchbrite. And touched-up spots will blend right in.

 

I think every SR500 ive seen has that exact flaking finish issue, which is surprising given the otherwise high build quality. I have some cheap furniture with what I'm convinced is the same stuff, an industrial version of Minwax Polyshades, which is just tinted poly. The stain never penetrates the wood, so any chips go right back to bare wood. Excellent advice given above, i might have to try that myself sometime.

 

Much like fool-proof and idiot-proof, when you try to make something scratch-proof, they'll just make better scratches.

Realistically, any finish that will stay on wood can be scratched without going too far out of your way to get exotic on the scratcher side. If the wood is stained, repair/renewal are more complicated.

If the wood is unstained, a wax/oil "finish" is easily maintained/repaired as needed, even though it offers essentially no "protection."