Is the finish on the 09 highway ones just nitro or is there a poly undercoat too?

Hi imc_1121: we've heard several times from various Forum users that HWY 1s have a polyester "build" coat beneath the thin nitro top coat.

I have no difficulty believing that: it's a perfectly reasonable way to go about the job.

However, some have challenged it, though I don't know whether on evidence or just out of a sense of loyalty to the model.

PRS have always used a polyester build coat beneath a polyurethane top coat. And I believe a vinyl sealer coat under all of that, which is completely normal too. Recently they have finally reluctantly given in to customer demand and started producing a few nitro finished bodies, but I am told those also have the polyester build coat below. And you won't hear anyone complaining about the quality of their finishes (except Ed Roman of course...).

I wouldn't sweat it. Play that HWY 1 with satisfaction.

Cheers - C

Some guy was on here months ago with pretty strong evidence that even the american vintage reissues have a urethane undercoat.

That's ringing a bell... But remind us, please.

Cheers - C

Sounds logical and reasonable. I can't find confirmation though. Regardless, I love my Hwy 1 Tele regardless of it's finish composition

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

Its on the forum somewhere. I tried google to no avail. I cant remember who the poster was. CV knows a fair bit about it and participated in the thread.

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No no and no

American Vintage definitely has a bottom coat of some sort of plastic derivative. When my belt wore through the back of my '62 you could clearly see a clear coat on the wood, behind the black. After some research I have found that only Custom Shop Time Machine models from '56 to '65 are %100 nitro.

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Custom Shop '59 Strat with John Cruz Master Design Pickups
Vibro King
Fulltone Clyde>Deja-Vibe>TS-808>TS-9>Boss Tuner

And no one was complaining about a "lack o' tone" because of the undercoating.

I wonder how many other guitar tone myths can get "busted"?
How about the tonewood b.s. debate.
Maybe the evil tone robbing swimmingpool rout myth!
maple vs rosewood!

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

What do you mean with tonewood debate?

CW
The vintage hotrods are nitro straight to wood also isnt it? Looking in the pickup cavity of mine theres no clearcoat under the stickers in the pickup cavity. Though I havent worn through the topcoat anywhere on it, theres a fair bit of paint sinking into the wood grain going on. Indicitive of straight to wood? Its advertized as a thinskin finish.


Looking around I find this
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/stratocaster-discussion-forum/128600-avri-finish.html

Just a webpage much like this one, but that guy at the bottom got a answer out of customer services. Some very intresting photos on that page.

Wheres Rob Schwarz when you need him?

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No no and no

I have a question about that matte nitro finish- what would it look like if you buffed it to a gloss? is that possible with that kind of finish and would you pass it as a true gloss finish?

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Well avri's shine up pretty well and always seem to look shiney when new. So it must be possible right? I think a lot of what I attribute to shine is from a clearcoat, like I've said before I dont know squat about painting though.

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No no and no

Just about which one sounds better and for what reasons.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

I would think that scale length of the neck is whats most important to tone rather than what type of tonewood is used. That being said I love the wood grain of ash!