can someone please tell me what this finish is?

I thought it was a a really thin finish used back in the 50's and 60's which is more labour intensive than how guitars are made today?


I read someone that the finish is hard and durable?

It is made from cotton fibers or some similar natural material (cellulose). I thought that it was originally made from wood, by the cellulose reference, but maybe not. And yes, they used it exclusively on the original Strats in 50s and early 60s. The nitro is maybe not as hard and durable as the newer poly finishes, but they did use a similar (if not the same) type of nitro finish on cars back then also, so it's pretty hard and durable. The custom colors were actual car finish colors offered during the same time period. The Strats gradually started using poly base coats in the 60s with nitro finish, and then all poly finishes by the 70s. Maybe the nitro takes too long to dry for modern mass production, whereas the poly can be chemically dried rather quickly.

And if you are talking about a modern nitro finish, it almost certainly has a poly base coat underneath.

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Not to put too fine a point on it but the mid '60s also saw the introduction of some acrylic lacquer colors as well.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

That's great, Its just the finish they describe on my strat that I'm waiting for. It's a 60's custom shop closet strat. It also says it'd thin skin. I have a 62 custom shop tele relic and it has a really thin finish and it feels like nothing but wood then you compare that to a modern tele the finish is really thick. Would my tele be the same finish as my strat that I'm waiting on?

I believe they'll be quite similar.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Basically after years of playing it will look like a relic? am i guessing that as modern guitars have such thick lacquer on the bodys they will not wear like the the thin kins of old guitars.

Nitrocellulose lacquer is thin, dries very quickly, but toxic and fades fast. It was cheap to purchase, and apply. It was the favorite of auto manufactures. You could redo mistakes almost immediately. Rare now because of EPA restrictions. Rare in this case equals costly, but not better.

Nitro burns XD
But it´s way more easy to repair than poly.

Cheers,
Robin

_________________
_________________________________
http://www.youtube.com/robinstrower
_________________________________

All my Strats are nitro and it gets pretty banged up looking pretty quick but I dont mind. Nitro is solvent based, it evaporates and the cellulose shrinks onto the body, you get weather checking after a while too. One knock hard enough makes a chip so hope you dont get upset at every dent.