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Post subject: question about an original 57 P-bass gold pickguard
Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 8:13 pm
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On the "original" 1957 gold anodized PG, was it sprayed with clear nitro? I saw someplace where they said it was. If so, why aren't the Reissues sprayed? ...or are they? Just curious...


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Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 10:17 pm
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AFAIK the RI guards are not sprayed with anything.

Nitrocellulose lacquer is taboo for manufacturing purposes in the USA and is frightfully hard to obtain. Something to do with the hole in the ozone layer being enlarged by decent finishes on guitars. Thanks EPA!


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Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 10:43 pm
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I am almost sure that's why the Road Worns are MIM because nitro can be used down there, at least for now. Also I was under the impression that the "nitro" ban was a California thing and not a USA thing but I may be wrong on that. That being said, I'm wondering if the original PG's made in 1957 were sprayed as I've heard they were but it seems none of the Reissues are for whatever reason.

I just did a bit of research just now and found that the Road Worns definitely have a nitrocellulose finish on them...and also found that nitrocellulose paint is easily obtained from Stew-Mac...$18 a quart.


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Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 1:28 am
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Bad choice of words on my part. Sure, you can buy the paint itself, but you can hardly find any guitars that have nitro finishes any more. Frightfully difficult.

As I understand it, it is legal to sell it but illegal to actually use it in commercial manufacturing in many states.

That is sort of like rolling papers here where I live. You can buy rolling papers in North Carolina and every convenience store stocks them, but if you as an individual are caught with them you can be charged with possession of drug paraphernalia which is a misdemeanor.

I do know a couple of shops that are doing refinish work with nitro, but they are few and far between. One is Gord Miller in Canada. Actually one of the most expensive parts of the tab on a refinish job from poly to nitro is the removal of the poly.

Nitrocellulose lacquer is very flammable. Once started, a nitrocellulose material fire of any sort is very difficult if not impossible to extinguish until all the nitro burns up. One spark and it is 911 time.

The nitrocellulose compound itself is very unstable to say the least. It tends to go KABOOM unexpectedly and has in fact has been used to make solid rocket & missile engines. I'm saying this in case anyone tries to do a refinish job themselves. Be very cautious.


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Posted: Sun May 24, 2009 8:51 pm
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To answer your question: Yes, original 1957-59 Gold anodized aluminum Precision pickguards were sprayed with clear lacquer.
The guage of aluminum was also different than what is used on the reissues so that's two points of departure from original specification.

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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 4:11 am
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Thanks BCbassman,

I gotta find me an original PG to look at...


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