Someone give me a link to Poly vs. Nitro

[jerryjg]

I know from having read that this is one of the topics thats been to to death, so I dont want to open another thread about it. I'm interested in reading about what forum members have to say about Poly vs. Nitro as it affects guitar tone (all things being equal of course). I tried the search engine and couldnt find anything, And Im not able to go back 90+ pages at this time.Does anyone have a link to the definitive "TFF Poly vs. Nitro tone thread?"

[Gravity Jim]

I don't think there is such a thread, but here's the definitive post:

Wood finish has no predictable effect on the tone of a solid-body electric guitar, if it has any effect at all.

[NeoFauve]

Peoples' opinions, and the modern day marketing of nitro aside, I don't think anything credibly "definitive" exists.

When some one starts a thread celebrating a new purchase, or about a project, poly/nitro volleys often errupt, but nothing's really been decided, regarding "tone."

Tone's not in the finish.

This could be a project for Mythbusters.

[ampdan]

http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/1375/fenderc.html

[Don]

I'm interested in reading about what forum members have to say about Poly vs. Nitro as it affects guitar tone (all things being equal of course).

It doesn't.

[rudutch]

not related to finish, but damn technical

http://www.library.unsw.edu.au/~thes...ic/02whole.pdf

[curt1lp]

Nitro looks much better and ages very nicely. The poly probably affects the tone more because it is thick than its chemical nature. I just put thinskin nitro bodies (Highway 1) on two of my Japanese Squire strats in exchange for poly coated heavy bodies (one is ply and one is basswood). I think the tone acoustically is much nicer now but its hard to know if it was the light weight alder or the nitro, but probably a combination of both.

I think thinskin poly would probably sound as good only because it does not encase the body wood in a thick plastic casing which inhibits vibration.

Now on the neck the thicker poly might actually help tone due to added rigidity?

just some thoughts....

[jerryjg]

Nitro looks much better and ages very nicely. The poly probably affects the tone more because it is thick than its chemical nature. I just put thinskin nitro bodies (Highway 1) on two of my Japanese Squire strats in exchange for poly coated heavy bodies (one is ply and one is basswood). I think the tone acoustically is much nicer now but its hard to know if it was the light weight alder or the nitro, but probably a combination of both.

I think thinskin poly would probably sound as good only because it does not encase the body wood in a thick plastic casing which inhibits vibration.


Now on the neck the thicker poly might actually help tone due to added rigidity?

just some thoughts....

Yes, theres a lot of tone wizrds(or tone jesters) that say that the thick clearcoat and uretahne inhibits the natural resonance and tone . On reading a bit through the one link about vintage finishes, I see there were a lot of different poly finishes , some that werent as thick or clearcoated in such heavey plastic as a JV for instance.
I think the ones that are typically thoguht of as "not breathing " are those evry heavey poly-urethane finishes.