How To Finish a Redwood Top????

[Donnie B.]

Got a really nice redwood top that really explodes with flame when you wipe it with naptha. What should I finish the top with to get the same look as the naptha? An oil or maybe shellac?????

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[paintguy]

My guess is poly, urethane, nitro lacquer, etc.... Whatever your choice of a clear finish is.

I did some redwood Tele's a while back with a ever so slight trans tint and then clear. I thought it looked cool as did the builder and just about anyone that saw them.

Good luck on your decision:AOK

[Structo]

Shellac is known to accentuate a figure in wood topped with nitro clear.

[Glaze]

Got a really nice redwood top that really explodes with flame when you wipe it with naptha. What should I finish the top with to get the same look as the naptha? An oil or maybe shellac?????

Thanks in advance for any advice.


Donnie B

A nice finish of polyurethane, urethane, or nitro lacquer will all look nice and protect the finish. The best results will be with these finishes using spray gun paint equipment to finish the guitar with, then properly fine sand the finish and buff it out. If you do not have this type of equipment or experience then you could go with a wipe on/brush on oil or shellac finish. You could also have someone finish it for you. How it turns out is really the finish used and the experience of the finisher. I've painted over 400 guitars. I have tried many different types of finishes on all types of projects other than guitars. I have a guitar that I finished with polymerized tung oil. I have a 1979 Gibson Les Paul that I finished in nitro and it looks like a 1959 Les Paul. I like the modern finishes many of the top makers are using now because they look great and are extremely durable. I've compared so many guitars with different finishes on them and have come to the conclusion that a thin modern finish sounds the same as nitro or an oil finish. Go for the look and the durability you want.

I had some really nice flamed redwood tops a long time ago. The only production guitars I have ever seen with redwood tops were some PRS guitars made about 15+ years ago that had flamed redwood tops. Those would be very rare when it comes to PRS.

Mike

[Donnie B.]

Thanks all. Maybe I'll just send it to Larry...........

[mikef1331]

Wipe on some linseed oil and top it off with shellac, it will look great!

[Jack Briggs]

Redwood is very soft and needs some protection. Shellac of the lightest grade in about a 1lb. cut, wiped on with a clean cotton pad (white t-shirt material) will enhance any figure and color quite nicely and provide some sealing properties for a lacquer top coating (or whatever other clearcoats.) Give a couple hours between shellac coats - I'd do at least 2 or 3, and overnight B4 scuff-sanding with 320 or 400 Fre-cut and clearcoating.

[Donnie B.]

Redwood is very soft and needs some protection. Shellac of the lightest grade in about a 1lb. cut, wiped on with a clean cotton pad (white t-shirt material) will enhance any figure and color quite nicely and provide some sealing properties for a lacquer top coating (or whatever other clearcoats.) Give a couple hours between shellac coats - I'd do at least 2 or 3, and overnight B4 scuff-sanding with 320 or 400 Fre-cut and clearcoating.

Thank you sir. I can't believe how delicate the redwood is.

[paintguy]

Thank you sir. I can't believe how delicate the redwood is.

That's some soft stuff, aye Donnie? Dents just looking at it.:crazy

[Donnie B.]

That's some soft stuff, aye Donnie? Dents just looking at it.:crazy

Yup. Gonna have to be very careful doing all the routing.