#1
|
|||
|
|||
Satin or gloss finish?
So I had a chance to browse the acoustic room of one of the local GC's today (I have to get out in the 'burbs to find a GC, so it doesn't happen often) and noticed the finishes on their floor models: either satin or high gloss.
Which do you prefer? And why? Personally, I like the satin finish. I don't know if it makes any difference sound-wise, but it looks & feels all hippie-granola natural to me, and well, y'know. How 'bout you?
__________________
A. Riley rebeginning after a long, long hiatus Ibanez Artwood Vintage grand concert acoustic La Patrie Motif parlor-size classical Cordoba Mini M travel-size classical Cordoba Guilele even smaller classical (so cute!) and Ohana SK20-S soprano ukelele |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Satin or gloss finish?
Gloss
I like the feeling of it Better. Put a thick Polly on a acoustic may effect how the wood vibrated inso effecting the sound Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
#3
|
||||
|
||||
I like both. The satins have a more woody sound to them for some reason, but my 45 sounds good (mellow) inspite of the gloss.
__________________
Barry Sad Moments {Marianne Vedral cover}: My SoundCloud page Some steel strings, some nylon. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
finished
I am always surprised when I hear anyone prefers a satin finish. I've been surprised quite a bit too because anything other than gloss has always felt, well, cheap to me and i never seem to remember that not everyone feels the same way.
Satin finishes are cheaper to do, so I understand, but that was something learned well after my preferences were formed. Satin does not show fingerprints or marks so easily and has no effect on the sound. I do prefer satin for necks as it is often more smooth and slippery, but that is the only place i prefer it.
__________________
The Bard Rocks Fay OM Sinker Redwood/Tiger Myrtle Sexauer L00 Adk/Magnolia For Sale Hatcher Jumbo Bearclaw/"Bacon" Padauk Goodall Jumbo POC/flamed Mahogany Appollonio 12 POC/Myrtle MJ Franks Resonator, all Australian Blackwood Goodman J45 Lutz/fiddleback Mahogany Blackbird "Lucky 13" - carbon fiber '31 National Duolian + many other stringed instruments. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
I've owned both and like both just fine. I've had a couple satin-finished, all-Mahogany guitars and I thought the satin was a very appropriate finish on those.
|
#6
|
||||
|
||||
Gloss for me please. I especially like the Vintage gloss finish on the VTS Authentics.
__________________
Merrill | Martin | Collings | Gibson For Sale: 2023 Collings D2H 1 3/4 Nut, Adi Bracing, NTB -- $4250 shipped |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
I vastly prefer satin. No fingerprints to worry about, no forearm stickiness, no gummy necks. My Waterloo is the perfect example, and I love the way it looks.
My Gibson and my Guild are both gloss, and they're okay since the tops are natural and their backs & sides are light. But high-gloss nitro on a dark or a sunburst finish ends up looking terrible almost as soon as you pick it up. |
#8
|
||||
|
||||
Quote:
That said, my favorite finish of all may be the in-between semi-gloss. One often sees this finish on vintage Martin all-mahogany 00 guitars and on some luthier built hand applied oil varnish finishes. You can also see this semi-gloss on old, well traveled, nitro finished guitars where the finish has "patina'd" to a semi-gloss. Beautiful.
__________________
2017 Alvarez Yairi OY70CE - Sugaree c.1966 Regal Sovereign R235 Jumbo - Old Dollar 2009 Martin 000-15 - Brown Bella 1977 Gibson MK-35 - Apollo 2004 Fender American Stratocaster - The Blue Max 2017 Fender Custom American Telecaster - Brown Sugar Think Hippie Thoughts... |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
I prefer a high gloss satiny kind of finish with a highly polished top gloss coat.
Why? I like shiny things. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
To me.... Satin on an acoustic body always looks cheap. Just does. Sorry.
Years ago I was doing a lot of professional photo print finishing. The ones for competition were ALWAYS glossy because it brought out the depth, but took tons of time and effort and skill to get right. I don't see any difference in guitar finishing. You want to bring out the natural beauty and depth in the grain and satin just doesn't cut it. There's no getting around it. Gloss takes more time and skill to do it right.
__________________
Assuming is not knowing. Knowing is NOT the same as understanding. There is a difference between compassion and wisdom, however compassion cannot supplant wisdom, and wisdom can not occur without understanding. facts don't care about your feelings and FEELINGS ALONE MAKE FOR TERRIBLE, often irreversible DECISIONS |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Oh "laa dee dah"
__________________
Classical guitars, flat top steel string A few banjos and mandolins Accrued over 59 years of playing |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
It makes no difference to me.
__________________
Phil Playing guitar badly since 1964. Some Taylor guitars. Three Kala ukuleles (one on tour with the Box Tops). A 1937 A-style mandolin. |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
I've got one guitar with a satin finish, got to say I like gloss on the body and semi-gloss on the neck. Hand usually shines up the neck anyhow....
But I like that Seagull NE just fine all the same....
__________________
In order of appearance: Aria LW20 Dreadnaught Seagull Maritime HG Dreadnaught Seagull Natural Elements Dreadnaught Taylor 418e Taylor 514ce LTD |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
I own both high gloss and satin finish guitars, plus a couple of instruments that were French polished and are about halfway in between.
They all look fine to me. If I spent endless hours gazing adoringly at my guitars I'd probably insist on them all being high gloss, as I do think that brings out the wood grain better, but I can't really gaze at them when I'm playing them, and when they're not getting played they're in their cases. So I can't gaze at them THEN, either! Seriously, both finishes are fine with me. Wade Hampton Miller |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
Horses for courses, I have both & think I prefer the gloss of my Martin but would not use the finish as a dealbreaker if I liked the way a guitar sounds.
Just be aware that anywhere the hand regularly contacts the surface it will buff up to a shiny patina after a while. As a previous poster says the neck will gloss up & in my case the side of my right hand polishes up around the soundhole & the forearm does it a bit too on the lower bout. I have a Maton 6 string & a Cole Clark 12 string both finished in satin nitrocellulose where this has occurred. |