do urethane strats show wear? Lets see em

[jmp100watt]

We all know nitro strats wear nice and polyester not so much.......how bout urethane ones? Anybody care to post some pics?

[Stike]

I'm pretty sure Fender was using polyester by 1971.
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~shane/rockguitarworld/yngwie/images/loud.jpg

Looks pretty worn to me.

[Corinthian]

I'm pretty sure Fender was using polyester by 1971.
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~shane/rockguitarworld/yngwie/images/loud.jpg

Looks pretty worn to me.

Is that fretboard scalloped or have you worn the wood away?

[CharAznable]

That's Yngwie's strat

[Corinthian]

That's Yngwie's strat

Ah. That explains the Ferrari logo!

He let me play what he told me was his no. 1 in around 1997 and I don't remember it being anything like as beaten up as that. (And I've just made myself feel old by realising that 1997 is a lot longer ago than it seems!)

[jmp100watt]

Funny a Malmsteen strat was listed in the pic! My Malmsteen is quite new (lovin it!) but wondering if it the body will relic in a natural way or not in contrast different finishes. The neck is sprayed in nitro so it will amber in time but for sure from the pics the original "duck" looks well loved! Pic as new a few months ago:


http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b381/jmp100watt/strat.jpg

[CharAznable]

I really don't give a flying f*k about how a guitar wears.

Am I weird?

[jmp100watt]

I really don't give a flying f*k about how a guitar wears.

Am I weird?


Its all good my friend! Just some dumb stuff us guitar geeks (me included) want to talk about!

[CharAznable]

Its all good my friend! Just some dumb stuff us guitar geeks (me included) want to talk about!

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy talking about Yngwie's strat

[vintage66]

Yngwie's been known to throw his guitars in a pile so naturally it's dinged up. The correct answer is no, they don't show wear. The only wear they show is if you bang it against something hard enough to go through the finish and chip it. They chip, they don't rub through. My '95 American Standard has virtually no wear on the finish other than tiny surface scratches and one ding through the finish, and it's been played a lot.

[jmp100watt]

Yngwie's been known to throw his guitars in a pile so naturally it's dinged up. The correct answer is no, they don't show wear. The only wear they show is if you bang it against something hard enough to go through the finish and chip it. They chip, they don't rub through. My '95 American Standard has virtually no wear on the finish other than tiny surface scratches and one dint through the finish, and it's been played a lot.


poly or urethane on your 95' ? I guess that is my original question on the thread is if there is a difference overall..

[vintage66]

poly or urethane on your 95' ? I guess that is my original question on the thread is if there is a difference overall..

I'm not sure I understand-I thought it was either poly or nitro. It's polyurethane I believe. Nitro is what shows wear, although since Fender puts nitro on top of poly, even that's debatable. I'm not sure where polyester fits in.
edit: not really sure since "poly" gets tossed around so much, whether the standards are polyurethane or polyester. Whatever it is, it doesn't wear through.

[jmp100watt]

I'm not sure I understand-I thought it was either poly or nitro. It's polyurethane I believe. Nitro is what shows wear, although since Fender puts nitro on top of poly, even that's debatable. I'm not sure where polyester fits in.


Urethane is different from poly (experts chime in) is what ive heard. True, Fender has a fulerplast layer/undercoating on most all (that I know) strats and stuff. But the question here is how does urethane wear overall......

[Ravage777]

^^^ probably not much

[Stike]

I'm not sure I understand-I thought it was either poly or nitro. It's polyurethane I believe. Nitro is what shows wear, although since Fender puts nitro on top of poly, even that's debatable. I'm not sure where polyester fits in.
edit: not really sure since "poly" gets tossed around so much, whether the standards are polyurethane or polyester. Whatever it is, it doesn't wear through.

Urethane is different from poly (experts chime in) is what ive heard. True, Fender has a fulerplast layer/undercoating on most all (that I know) strats and stuff. But the question here is how does urethane wear overall......

Fender varies model to model but typically polyester is used as a sealer and urethane is used as the clear topcoat. Polyester can be used as a topcoat clear. It has a tint to it and does amber over time. Urethane clear usually has no tint at all and is a little thinner than polyester. The material for the color coats can vary, lacquer, automotive basecoat, tinted urethane.

[jmp100watt]

Fender varies model to model but typically polyester is used as a sealer and urethane is used as the clear topcoat. Polyester can be used as a topcoat clear. It has a tint to it and does amber over time. Urethane clear usually has no tint at all and is a little thinner than polyester. The material for the color coats can vary, lacquer, automotive basecoat, tinted urethane.


Cool. So no real difference in the two as far as wear and stuff between poly/urethane?

[Stike]

Cool. So no real difference in the two as far as wear and stuff between poly/urethane?

Urethane can be sprayed pretty thin so wearing through is possible. Urethane will stay clear over time, polyester will yellow. Neither will check like lacquer.

[jmp100watt]

Stike,

Thanks for the input. Just a player talking geek stuff here. By way of comparison it seems the nitro finish on my 2006 Les Paul Custom is thicker than my 2011 Malmsteen urethane strat. No matter, I happy either way just talking shop here..

[Stike]

Stike,

Thanks for the input. Just a player talking geek stuff here. By way of comparison it seems the nitro finish on my 2006 Les Paul Custom is thicker than my 2011 Malmsteen urethane strat. No matter, I happy either way just talking shop here..

I have stripped a few Gibsons (USA, not Custom Shop) that have had some seriously thick nitro. finishes so that wouldn't surprise me. You can get urethane pretty damn thin.

[JohnnyL]

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p208/JSLockwood/79StratBackChecking-1.jpghttp://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p208/JSLockwood/79StratHorn-checking.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p208/JSLockwood/79Stratbout.jpg

My '79 Strat has some cool checking and wearing thin in the right places going on. I love how it looks!

[jmp100watt]

Cool thanks for the pic. Poly on that strat?

[JohnnyL]

Cool thanks for the pic. Poly on that strat?


Yes-That is the original finish on the guitar.

[nrandall85]

In my experience, wait until you get a big chip or crack. Then, let the games begin.

I have a mid-90's G&L Legacy in green swirl, and if I LOOK at it the wrong way, the finish chips off. No, it doesn't have that broken in baseball glove appeal that nitro has, but it certainly has character.

I think certain thicknesses/ chemical variations in the finish material can cause a wide variety of different things to happen as a guitar ages. My '77 Ibanez Silver Series has some cool cracks and weathering that looks similar to nitro, yet it's still extremely shiny and lacking that haze.

I'm still really confused by 70's Fenders. Some of them still look mint, and yet others have the same wear patterns as a beat up '59.

[MrDoty]

My prs has this chipping thing going on. It's a 92. It's trippy, but I love that finish. It's poly and it's really hard. When I sweat on it it doesnt get sticky (that's my pet peeve with nitro). Also nitro is soooooo delicate its annoying.

[candid_x]

It will if its played enough. Here's a vid of Steve Morse's poly finished #1 MM. He's used nail polish to cover worn spots even.

http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/PZ9Cah157WU

[jmp100watt]

It will if its played enough. Here's a vid of Steve Morse's poly finished #1 MM. He's used nail polish to cover worn spots even.

http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/PZ9Cah157WU


Thanks for posting that

[shane88]

imagine a time if you will when peeps want their planks to remain new looking for as long as possible ....... a pipe dream you say?

[Stratobuc]

My mid 80's MIJ is surprisingly "ding" resistant, but it has yellowed from its original white finish - its kinda nicotine blonde now.

[EADGBE]

imagine a time if you will when peeps want their planks to remain new looking for as long as possible ....... a pipe dream you say?
That's where I'm at. I don't like worn out looking guitars. A finish isn't just for looks. It was invented to protect the instrument. It seals the wood and keeps moisture and humidity out. This keeps the wood stable and helps to prevent cracks.

This old barn didn't have a polyurethane finish:

http://www.explosm.net/db/files/Art/Old%20Barn-2-exp.jpg

[RedTiger]

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p208/JSLockwood/79StratBackChecking-1.jpghttp://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p208/JSLockwood/79StratHorn-checking.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p208/JSLockwood/79Stratbout.jpg

My '79 Strat has some cool checking and wearing thin in the right places going on. I love how it looks!

This is probably the best picture I've ever seen showing how such a finish wears over time. Thanks for posting. Kinda reminds me of old fiberglass playground equipment for some reason.

[RedTiger]

That's where I'm at. I don't like worn out looking guitars. A finish isn't just for looks. It was invented to protect the instrument. It seals the wood and keeps moisture and humidity out. This keeps the wood stable and helps to prevent cracks.

This old barn didn't have a polyurethane finish:

http://www.explosm.net/db/files/Art/Old%20Barn-2-exp.jpg

This is a good point. I do like the look of a worn guitar, but sometimes I wonder about it. If you wear a nitro finish down to the bare wood, aren't you ensuring a MUCH earlier destruction of the guitar? Won't it begin to rot and end up looking like that barn. Or do we all just not care because it won't look that way in our lifetime?

[Nobler]

The barn is out in rain and sun, your guitar isn't. Wood doesn't rot for no reason, so if you don't sweat excessively, your guitar will be fine even without any finish.

As for polyurethane, I'm pretty sure my '74 Epiphone EA250 Riviera and my '79 Epiphone SC450 Scroll are finished in it. Except for some buckle rash and minor blemishes, the finish is like they left the factory.

[guitarz1972]

That's where I'm at. I don't like worn out looking guitars. A finish isn't just for looks. It was invented to protect the instrument. It seals the wood and keeps moisture and humidity out. This keeps the wood stable and helps to prevent cracks.

This old barn didn't have a polyurethane finish:


http://www.explosm.net/db/files/Art/Old%20Barn-2-exp.jpg

That's what happens when you leave the barn on a stand or a wall hanger, and not in its case when you're doing playing it. Wait...

[drolling]

Except for some buckle rash and minor blemishes, the finish is like they left the factory.That's been my experience as well. IMO, the stuff's pretty much indestructable

I've had nitro guitars I could remove the finish from with my fingernail, but the only time I attempted to strip a modern poly instrument, even a blowtorch was insufficient. Tried ordering some aircraft-grade paint stripper, but the stuff's so powerful, they wouldn't let me bring it across the border!

My '93 strat's taken many hard knocks over the years, and outside of a few scratches & gouges, the body still shines like a mirror. No signs of checking, fading, fogging, etc..

The fretwire's pretty much ground down to the wood, but the neck's as immaculate as the body, with a tiny bit of finish finally just begining to flake off at the edge of the fingerboard on the high E side - all I've got to show for almost two decades of continuous, mindless pentatonic wankage

I like that "played-in" look as much as the next guy, but with a plastic-coated guitar, I just don't see how that's gonna happpen naturally

[scott]

Poly, is a term used for a lot of finishes. You can have oil based poly, poly urathane, polyester, Im sure there is a water base version as well.....ect
All of them can be applied thin, even polyester.
Ive found polyester to be the toughest but also the hardest to use. Urathane is easier but getting the colors(especially bursts) to look "right" is hard.
Back in the day when no one cared I tried just about every finish you can think of.....nitro still looks the best(historically) and is the easiest to use especially with colors.
However, if I could get urathane to look like nitro I would use it and apply it thin. No one would be able to tell the difference. It wears nice and sinks into the grain after a while, which people seem to like these days.

[Sirloin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tLBGLUVYh4&feature=related

[Sweetfinger]

Absolutely Polyester and Polyurethane can wear. I've seen all manner of wear on all different kinds of instruments from an Ovation that had the finish worn through the top on the pick 'rake line' to a Tele where the player's pinky was anchored on the treble side of the bridge and wore a groove right through the color coat. Pop/slap style bass players will have a distinctive wear pattern from the thumb. Poly is durable, but like anything, it can be worn away with use. Some pacific rim instruments have the color coat nearer to the top and you'll see wear through areas on acoustic guitar necks.
Poly will also check. It is more rare and doesn't look exactly like lacquer checking but you are flat out wrong to say it doesn't.
Here's what "not giving a crap" about your guitar looks like on a MIM Strat:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5270/5633421027_7c18192416_b.jpg

[JohnnyL]

This is probably the best picture I've ever seen showing how such a finish wears over time. Thanks for posting. Kinda reminds me of old fiberglass playground equipment for some reason.

My pleasure. It looks much better in person!

[Totally Bored]

My 78 Strat

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb375/duderocks69/cbde874a.jpg

[KHAN]

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p208/JSLockwood/79StratBackChecking-1.jpghttp://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p208/JSLockwood/79StratHorn-checking.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p208/JSLockwood/79Stratbout.jpg

My '79 Strat has some cool checking and wearing thin in the right places going on. I love how it looks!

I have a '95 American Std. Strat that looks a lot like that.

[jmp100watt]

My 78 Strat

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb375/duderocks69/cbde874a.jpg


nice!

[jbraun002]

That's what happens when you leave the barn on a stand or a wall hanger, and not in its case when you're doing playing it. Wait...

+1

:rimshot

Seriously, the barn does look pretty cool, though I guess it's not too functional anymore.

[Dr. Jimmy]

That's where I'm at. I don't like worn out looking guitars. A finish isn't just for looks. It was invented to protect the instrument. It seals the wood and keeps moisture and humidity out. This keeps the wood stable and helps to prevent cracks.

This old barn didn't have a polyurethane finish:

http://www.explosm.net/db/files/Art/Old%20Barn-2-exp.jpg

Anyone know where I can get my barn reliced like this?

[Blauserk]

My former '72 Tele Custom. I wore through the color layer; there was still a thick layer of clear finish between me and the wood. Also notice how the paint on the top had checked quite badly (in large chunks). I played one set of frets clean off this guitar--on the treble side, it was nearly flush with the wood in places--and yet there was never any danger of me wearing through the finish on the fretboard. That's durable.

http://images.lilypix.com/albums/userpics/10081/DSCF1789.JPG

[jmp100watt]

My former '72 Tele Custom. I wore through the color layer; there was still a thick layer of clear finish between me and the wood. Also notice how the paint on the top had checked quite badly (in large chunks). I played one set of frets clean off this guitar--on the treble side, it was nearly flush with the wood in places--and yet there was never any danger of me wearing through the finish on the fretboard. That's durable.

http://images.lilypix.com/albums/userpics/10081/DSCF1789.JPG


Nice tele man! Now help me out from what i've read the 70's Fender gear had the "thick improved poly finishes" right? So do todays urethane Fender sprays compare to these or are they thinner/different?

[blong]

Here's my 78. It's worn pretty well from all the playin' over the years.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/BBLong/Strats%20and%20Teles/78StratOblique.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/BBLong/Strats%20and%20Teles/78StratBack.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/BBLong/Strats%20and%20Teles/78StratOblique.jpg

Bob

[GA19RVT]

nice!

My first electric was that exact guitar in hard tail. Wish I could get it back.

[jmp100watt]

Here's my 78. It's worn pretty well from all the playin' over the years.

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/BBLong/Strats%20and%20Teles/78StratOblique.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/BBLong/Strats%20and%20Teles/78StratBack.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p72/BBLong/Strats%20and%20Teles/78StratOblique.jpg

Bob


Thats stupid awesome!

[Mike Duncan]

http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss31/mgd326/IMG_8094.jpg
http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss31/mgd326/IMG_8097.jpg

Well loved and well played '93 SRV Stratocaster.

[BEACHBUM]

All I can say about whether poly guitars show ware is I hope not and I try very hard not to let that happen. Maybe it's because I'm 64 and showing a lot of wear myself but, I'm just not that fond of ware in general. However, what I will say is that the idea that poly finishes don't turn amber in color over time is incorrect. They actually do that very well. Here's my 28 year old naturally aged Strat neck on a butterscotch Tele.

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j356/beachbum47/STRELECASTER/FMT022.jpg

http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j356/beachbum47/STRELECASTER/FMT043.jpg

[Lublin]

Check out the checking on my '78 Jazz Bass:

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/580/photo2kr.jpg
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/5521/photo4zl.jpg
http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/9024/photo5db.jpg