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I am getting close to spraying finish on a Quilt Maple guitar for a customer who wants the guitar to remain as pale as possible. His idea is basically a black and white guitar, I use Mohawk lacquer with great results but he looked at it on the stewmac site and their description was it has an amber tone and now wants to avoid using it. My question is what would be the difference between Seagrave, Cardinal and Mohawk as far as the yellowing with age. Don't tell me about waterborn, poly or other methods as I am planning to continue with a solvent lacquer as that is what I can guarantee a good result using.

Here is the guitar in bare woods, the top still needs the shellac sanded off before finish spraying.



Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I've used Mohawk Piano lacquer have not noticed any amber tone, one guitar is 13 months and the other two 5 months. That guitar will really pop with some finish, nice one.

There is CAB lacquer, which is very white but isn't too different in usage. Mohawk has it available in rattle cans, if you want to try it and see if it suits your methods.

A bigger issue is UV tanning the wood over time.

Fred, I think they all yellow. I have used all of the stringed instrument nitrocelluose lacquers but Seagraves. Cardinal is the clearest of them all. But It will still turn as it ages.

Chuck

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I think the customer needs to realize that the wood will change colour with time, part of this will have to do with the finish. If you are using Nitro you will get some degree of the yellowing amber tones over time. I don't see anyway around it. But like you I would stick to you guns, as far as staying with a finish you know works. This is not when you want to go experimenting with new finishes even if the customer pushes for it. In the end neither or you would probably be happy with the end result.

Josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

I used to use automotive acrylic lacquer, and it did not yellow. It also would not weather check. However, I have not used it in several years because the brand I used was discontinued.
Workability is the same as nitro.

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John

Fred- I have used Quilted maple and it has not yellowed, but turned more of a light tan when the finish hit it. I am using violin varnish, though. If you still have some of the cut-off, Try a piece with the finish and show it to the customer and exclaim how beautiful it looks under finish. Pals, Vic.

You need an acrylic lacquer, not a nitro. Automotive lacquers, CAB, or any of the post cat stuff will be water white and non yellowing. Though I will warn that some of the post cat stuff will actually yellow up a bit if kept out of the light, that seems to clear up when exposed again for a few months. If it were me I would go with PPG Duracryl which is an auto re-finish product. Make sure you stay under 5 mils dry film with these coatings for best results. I would run that over a vinyl sealer.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Sherwin Williams pre cat CAB acrylic lacquer is sold as "water white" and resists yellowing. Your customer may not notice how much the wood will yellow over time as it will happen gradually, so no need to burst his bubble.

If you go with a catalyzed lacquer be sure to give your spray gun a thorough cleaning after you are done and switching back to your regular lacquer.