Finishing, varnishing etc.

The spruce classical’s neck has been shaped and the guitar is now being finished. It is being sprayed using a water based lacquer. I import the lacquer from Stewart MacDonald’s in USA. It’s a great material to use as there are no solvents to worry about; so it doesn’t harm either the environment or my health! I know many classical guitar makers French polish their instruments, but I feel that lacquer wears better and offers better protection. I don’t believe that it affects the tone;I’ve carried out tests and I would estimate that the final thickness of the lacquer is 0.1mm (yes, one tenth of one millimetre!).

The mandolin, however, is being finished in Danish oil. This gives a very natural, almost “unvarnished” look to the instrument which somehow suits a smaller more “ethnic” instrument. It had its last coat today and I now need to leave it to dry for a few weeks.

What next? I need to get the 12 string electric completed. One, so that my son can use it at last. And two, I have a commission for an SG style electric coming up and the 12 string will act as a good starting point for discussing the design. And then there’s the cedar classical…………….