What wood finish for figured maple?

[mlp-mx6]

I have a curly maple cab for a mini-Bassman (Champ-sized chassis I got from David Allen) that is nearly ready for finish. What would you folks suggest?

My current plan (doing some test boards now) - Oil finish to bring out the figure, then 2-3 coats spray gloss poly (like Varathane), rubbed smooth, then a final coat or two of satin poly.

Please let me know your thoughts/preferences/experiences.

Thanks,
Michael

[Randy Magee]

I really like a good tung oil finish... it takes a long time to build up a good finish, but the finish is easily repairable should it get scratched. Allow for proper drying between coats and buff between coats with 000 steel wool.

[Moose]

I you're going to pop the flame, use a good laquer. Delft makes a great furniture laquer that's brushable or sprayable.

I love oil on the right surface, but not for curly maple. An oiled finish doesn't pop the curl or give you the depth and movement in curly maple as well as the laquer.

If you want some hints, check out reranch.com LMII.com and Stewmac.com for instrument finish techniques. They also sell water-based instrument laquers if you're averse to the old-fashioned kind (though Delft isn't so bad as an old Nitrocelluslose)

Also check out MIMF.COM or fine woodworking magazine.

[908ssp]

Lacquer is great used on old guitars and all that stuff but it doesn't hold up as well as polyurethane and you're doing an amp cab not a clone vintage guitar. You can wipe the wood with die and sand it off, it is supposed help make the figure pop. I am sure you can find more specific info on some of the guitar finishing and do it yourself sights.

[mlp-mx6]

Moose -

Thanks. I'm VERY familiar with spraying lacquer. I have a spray booth set up with an explosion-proof fan in my basement for guitar finishing. I was concerned that the lacquer would not be durable - but I guess if I'm spraying it on my guitars it's tough enough, eh?

I guess I should state that I'm hoping for a "just the color of wood" finish - what some guitars have referred to as blond (when describing maple). Not the blond of a Fender Tele or Mary Kay Strat. Just like the color of lacquer over maple - but perhaps more durable. That's why I'm hoping that the Minwax Oil Finish (which is linseed oil and resin) will give me the nice gentle ambering I want, with the help of the spray poly.

One other way to pop the flame is to seal the wood with... believe it or not... super glue! Cyanoacrylate glue has a very similar refraction index to lacquer. And, unlike lacquer, it does not continue to sink in - and lacquer sprayed over CA glue will build very nicely. So, I guess lacquer IS an option.

Though my test board with oil finish does shimmer nicely. Guess the jury's still out... I'll see how my test boards look tomorrow.

Michael

[Moose]

The board will shimmer with almost ANY transparent finish. That's the magic of maple! However, you need a glass-clear finish on top to really get the illusion depth with anything that's really durable.

I've never used CA, but I have heard of the method from folks on MIMF. There are other sealers that work really well, too, that are surprising, like epoxy. For me, the problem with CA is that it STINKS! But it's also pretty safe for what it is since it was developed as a suture replacement for heart surgery.

As for laquers, an instrument nitrocellulose is softer than a modern furniture laquer. And laquer can be repaired, and polished to a super high sheen without witness lines. That's why I mentioned it. However, you KNOW this and are probably more expreinced than I am since you've sprayed it, so I'm preaching to the choir, I guess.

I've done oil. It's shimmery and shiny, but it's not quite the same. I've got a gutiar done in Danish Oil (polymerized oil finish not unlike the Minwax) and a coffee table done that way, too. Both the guitar neck and the coffee table have ambered nicely over the years, but the finish is not as durable as I'd like.

I also french polished a piece of maple and the shellac I used was an amber buttonlac. When applied gently, it REALLY emphasized the curl without dye, gave a pre-ambered look to the maple, and works as a sealer. The problem is, the more coats of it you apply, the less clarity you get to really see the curl pop in the maple.