white or reifished?

[GattonFan]

Agree with Adam - no checking on the finish implies it is a refin, or poly. As was mentioned, you could test the paint in a pocket by swabbing it with acetone (nail polish remover) - if it comes off on the swab, it's likely nitro. Poly is impervious to all but nuclear blasts (if you've ever had to strip it) ...
Dennis

[oipunkguy]

Gattonfan,

a little off topic here but, to remove a poly finish use a heat gun. heat up the finish then carefully remove it with a metal scrapper. Be careful not to scorch the wood. It's not fun, but it's the easiest way to do it. little trick I picked up from Danny. By the way, thanks Danny you saved me A LOT of time in my shop with that advice.

[Veenture]

...also a little off topic here but Aaron, I can't help thinking what was the matter with that strat body...(it seemed OK) or did the owner simply want another colour?

[GattonFan]

+1 on the heat gun, if you're unfortunate enough to have to strip a poly body. Unless you're into self-flagellation - then enjoy the experience ...
Dennis

[oipunkguy]

the first poly finish I tried to strip was by sanding it. BIG MISTAKE. The only thing it accomplishes is a dirty and dusty workshop. Using the heat gun works far better. if someone wants to tries this, you want to watch out for not digging your knife into the wood of the guitar body and splittering the wood. poly is so hard, it's easy to want to try too hard to scrap off the old paint. also, very simply, be careful not to burn yourself! it can happen doing this, even when you are careful.
To answer your question Paul, yeah there was nothing wrong with the finish, he just wanted to refinish his old strat with nitro because he liked the feel better. so while stripping it he also said make it Olympic White. Something about a Jimi Hendrix feel. Gonna be clear coating this guy in the next couple weeks.

[GattonFan]

The first one I did, I used Bix stripper, and lots of scraping and sanding. What a nightmare! Lacquer just washes off under Acetone - mucho mejor!
Dennis

[jfine]

Also a bit off-topic, but that's a shame. I liked that Caribbean Blue (I think that's what Fender called it). They're not doing that color anymore, and it sounds like a major nightmare to get that finish off--so why didn't the guy just get a white Strat to begin with, or a Warmoth replacement body, or something that didn't involve destroying an original finish! I guess some of us have been guilty of that sort of thing at one time or another, though--I bought a new SG Standard in '67, and in '70 I had it refinished. The guy stripped off the original dark cherry red, and then told me that he couldn't paint it white like I asked him to--the best he could do was brown. Ruined the guitar, and it taught me never to do a stupid thing like that again.

[GattonFan]

Some of the tone-purists believe that only nitro is thin enough and will age well enough to conduct good tone. Me - not so much, even though I like working with lacquer (very forgiving), I don't so much believe the tone's so much in the finish. Of course, the debate will never be settled ... but if you want a guitar that will look as good in 30 years as the day you bought it (barring abuse), then poly finshes are the best.
Dennis

[oipunkguy]

I agree with Gattonfan. For me I really prefer Nitro. The poly finishes that were on a lot of guitars in the 1990's were so thick though, that it totally killed the tone. Some of the newer poly I've seen on some fenders squiers are better today. And I can work with both.
But I tell ya, when I get done buffing out a brand new nitro finish it's like nothing else.

Jfine, not sure why finishing your SG in white would be a problem. my guess is it wouldn't get white is because he didn't primer it first??? But if you ever wanted me to do it for ya, I'll be happy to. also if you wanted it back to the original cherry finish, I have the exact same paint, I bought it from gibson actually.

[jfine]

oipunkguy--thanks for the offer, but I got rid of that guitar in 1971! I don't know why he couldn't do a white finish either, but I think he wasn't nearly the finishing expert he claimed to be. The guitar wound up with a brown oil finish on it...proof that almost anyone can take a finish off, but it takes some skill and knowledge to put one on. I still did all right though--I wound up trading the SG straight across for a beat-but-stock sunburst '62 Strat! I definitely shouldn't have gotten rid of that one, but back in '72 it wasn't worth much, maybe a couple hundred bucks! I think I traded it in on a new Les Paul that year. Those were the days--and if I'd known how ridiculous prices were going to get, I'd never have gotten rid of anything! Well, maybe that refinished SG--but if I could do it all again, I'd have left it stock.