Due to high environmental impact and personal health concerns, I no longer do finish repairs on instruments – with the exception of French Polish.
I do continue to provide buffing services for all other guitar finishes. I have a double buffing wheel and use dry Mezerna Compounds to remove surface scratches and achieve a showroom finish.
A short primer on finish types:
The traditional finishes (mostly classical guitars) are done with shellac in a process called French Polish. While beautiful, rich and vibrant, French Polish does not provide the degree of surface protection many musicians desire. Nevertheless, French Polish has earned a #1 ranking from me due to its extraordinary beauty, all-natural, non-toxic ingredients and low environmental impact.
Most fine guitars since the golden age of lutherie have been finished with nitrocellulose lacquer. This is a super-fine, flexible and protective finish that buffs to a high gloss. It is applied in many thin coats, each successive coat “melting” into those below. Because of this, surface repairs can be done fairly invisibly, although the entire process is time intensive… read “expensive.” Nitro repairs take a great deal of curing time. At least two weeks must be allowed between the final finish coat and polishing the instrument. A month is better. I no longer offer nitrocellulose lacquer repairs or refinishes, due to the toxicity of the chemicals and high environmental impact. If you wish to have a guitar professionally re-sprayed, I can provide you with a list of re-finishers who provide this service.
Modern polyester and catalyzed finishes used on most factory-built guitars these days are rock hard and buff to a high gloss. I will not work on these finishes as they are highly toxic and impossible to achieve repairs I am happy with.
If you are bringing in your instrument for a crack repair, the crack will be stable and sealed but not invisible.
To schedule an appointment
please call Paul at 520-284-0122 (shop) or 928-300-2620 (cell)
