May react with the nitro and seriously devalue it.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Look after it. They were marketed and manufactured as a guitar that would easily wear over time.. if you don't want it to wear, then be very careful of it, keep it in its case- or perhaps look at purchasing a guitar that will not wear as easily, such as an Am. Special or an Am. Std

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You could clearcoat it with nitro. The old ones were acrylic lacquer, the newer ones are nitro -- both are nitro compatible. Clear nitro is available in spray cans (reranch has a good reputation and they have really good tutorials on their site). Do it yourself finishes can turn out just as nice as factory finishes if you can follow directions, have patience, and you're a painstaking craftsman. But it's also very easy to screw it up and make it uglier than any wear could ever be.

Having a pro spray it would be expensive. If you don't want to spray it yourself, it would make more sense to sell it and put the pro finishing money toward a Strat that already has a more durable finish.

Or just baby it. Clean it gently and regularly (so stuff doesn't build up and require heavy scrubbing). Keep it in a case when you're not playing it. Take off your rings, necklaces, wristwatch and put on a soft clean shirt before you take it out of the case. Try not to sweat on it (if you do, gently wipe it dry between songs).

Please do a lot of research on how to do it before you start. Ideally you should practice on something else first. It's easy to get runs or to sand through the clear and color coats all the way down to the bottom woodsealer coat (especially along the edges and contours of the body). Getting good results with spray cans takes a lot of work and time.

It's easier to make it uglier than it is to do a really good job.

reranch.com and mimf.com ("Musical Intrument Makers Forum") have lots of info on how to finish guitars. There are many threads here that have lots of info.

Honest wear are marks of beauty and a sign you are using an instrument for its intended purpose in my opinion. You stand more of a chance messing up your instrument heading down the path you are looking at; besides, if it bothers you that much, just sell it and get a MIM Strat with an acrylic finish. You won't have to worry about wearing that finish. Where in MS do you live?

If you REALLY want to do this; talk with Joey Burrell at Burrell's Guitar Service. He may be reached at 601-214-0905. Joey does excellent work.

Whatever you put on top of that soft, delicate nitro, it better be very, very strong, very thin, and very malleable. The finish on the Hwy 1 is so soft and delicate. Whatever you put on top will have to deflect well or you'll end up with mush and chips, not nicks and dings.

I'm using the Hwy 1 per it's design; a durable workhorse with a soft, delicate nitro finish that allows the wood to breathe. When the finish wears off, if it looks ugly, I'll have the body refinished with nitro that's more durable.

I'll post a before and after photo when I get around to it, there's a huge difference in the appearance after a year of play, huge! It's shinny in the play areas, satin in the untouched areas. It feels nice, I like the slipperiness of the paint in the play areas.

I've seen a few pics of people who've buffed out the whole body, looks cool. Have you thought about buffing it out???

The finish is incredibly fragile as others will testify to.

I buffed mine up - it really does help stabilise the paintjob and make it a little more impact resistant. And with it now all being shiny, those inevitable polished patches you'll get just handling and playing the guitar cease to be an issue.

I did it quickly and cheaply with "Brasso" which is a metal polish, but you can do a more professional job with various upmarket products and techniques. Research if you're going down that route. Mine looks great as far as I'm concerned, just a slight orange peel effect if you look very close up. Took me 10 minutes..

But on your own head be it! Don't come looking for me if you dont like the look. Here it is:

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

Oh no. This has raised some worry with me. If a HWY1 is made to wear over time, is my telecaster deluxe 72 RI (MIM)?

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"reach for the sky and aim for the moon, for if you miss you will end up among the stars"

Zoom MS50G
72 tele dlx RI
2011 standard strat
Blackstar HT-5R
Taylor Big Baby

http://www.youtube.com/user/Almungo/videos?flow=grid&view=0

Did Clapton worry about wear on Blackie? Does Keith Richards worry about wear on Macawber? Do any pros worry about wear? No. Guitars are meant to be played, not babied. When they are played as they should be, they wear. Keep it clean with a good guitar polish, play the crap out of it and enjoy the natural beauty of the guitar as it ages. Don't do anything foolish like spraying a clear coat over it (which, by the way, will wear also and maybe even worse than the original finish).

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Bill

"Oh no. This has raised some worry with me. If a HWY1 is made to wear over time, is my telecaster deluxe 72 RI (MIM)?"

Your guitar has a 1/16" thick polyester finish -- pretty much the most wear-resistant finish possible. It's way more durable than the paper-thin nitro color coat on the Hwy1.

Honey the Labrador - she's a lazy so and so.. I originally posted that pic on the Pets n Guitars thread..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

You can try http://www.dscustom.com. He sells clear pick guards and plastic sheets (6" x 10") that adhere to glossy surfaces by static cling. You may be able to cut the sheets to cover the high wear areas. I have one on the back of my acoustic guitar to prevent buckle rash. It is fairly invisible. You may have to check to see if the plastic is compatible with nitro finishes.

isnt a solution after a problem solved?
just kidding, thats cool.

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008