Recommended finish for soft tops

Kurtski · Dec 22, 2012

I'm on my 6th and 7th tenor and all are spruce or western red cedar. They sound great but the finish is not very robust (tru oil over a base of zinzer shellac). The end result is OK but dings easily. How do i get a hard finish that will not deaden the tone?

Patrick Madsen · Dec 22, 2012

Kurtski said:
I'm on my 6th and 7th tenor and all are spruce or western red cedar. They sound great but the finish is not very robust (tru oil over a base of zinzer shellac). The end result is OK but dings easily. How do i get a hard finish that will not deaden the tone?

A gifted luthier told me to use Mcguires car polish. Professional show car Glaze. My tenors are both french polished western red cedar and this stuff is great.

I use a soft cloth and do small hard circles to rub the polish in and another soft cloth to polish it out. The small dings an minute scratches seem to fill in a bit.

For me, the scars it keeps is just going to be part of their trustfully, 100 years later of being played. If it gets too bad, it can always be re- french polished.

Liam Ryan · Dec 22, 2012

Spray lacquer?

Chris_H · Dec 22, 2012

Yep, or French Polish.. MeGuire's is a polish, not a finish. Oil finishes on Western Red Cedar will reveal 'your thoughts' when you come too close... careful!

Kurtski · Dec 22, 2012

Thank you all. I can experiment a bit with a piece of leftover. I should have started at the finish and worked backwards to the start I guess.

Rick Turner · Dec 22, 2012

I like Simtec polyester over their adhesion promoter.

Or put a clear pickguard on over whatever else you may choose.

Lacquer?
Varnish?

Or send the uke out to be done by a pro.

gspears · Dec 22, 2012

Rick, will you finish other amateur builders ukuleles? I would like to have my tenor ukulele finished. I have seen the finish on your ukes and they look fantastic. Any idea of a cost on something like this?

Rick Turner · Dec 22, 2012

I don't, but an independent finisher, Addam Stark, shares spray booth space with me. Here's his email:

<six50mm@yahoo.com>

He does work for Tony Graziano, Topher Gayle, some for Eric Devine and also Peter Hurney, and has done high end ukes for Kamaka...and that's just the uke world. Poly or nitro...whatever you want.

gspears · Dec 23, 2012

Great. Thanks for the info Rick.

G

Recommended finish for soft tops

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