How to Detect French Polish

[Erithon]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

I have two guitars with French Polish. While it may be easy to repair good luck finding someone who can do it. I live in Savannah GA and had no luck. I tried Charleston, Jacksonville and Atlanta. Could not find one person. To go further out would be cost prohibitive with shipping.

Have you looked into luthiers beyond the guitar world?

This past winter I acquired a double bass. The original owner was not one to wipe down the soundboard and bridge after playing so it was caked with rosin. Years of buildup meant there was nothing I could do; the rosin was fused to the top. But in the course of getting a number of small repairs done, I also had the luthier clean off all the rosin--a chore that necessitated refinishing that area. His choice of refinish? French Polish. He did a great job, smoothly blending the refinished region into the original varnish around it.

All that to say, it's definitely worth checking out any classical string instrument makers or repair people in your area.

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Frederic Chopin was French-Polish...

lolz

[ALBD]

Maybe I missed it but how does it look? Pictures would help.

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by Erithon

Have you looked into luthiers beyond the guitar world?

This past winter I acquired a double bass. The original owner was not one to wipe down the soundboard and bridge after playing so it was caked with rosin. Years of buildup meant there was nothing I could do; the rosin was fused to the top. But in the course of getting a number of small repairs done, I also had the luthier clean off all the rosin--a chore that necessitated refinishing that area. His choice of refinish? French Polish. He did a great job, smoothly blending the refinished region into the original varnish around it.

All that to say, it's definitely worth checking out any classical string instrument makers or repair people in your area.


lolz

Yes, I tried those who do classical instruments like violins. Surprisingly not many are done in FP as you would think.

[The Bard Rocks]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Frederic Chopin was French-Polish...

Right on! Wish I said it first.

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Frederic Chopin was French-Polish...

How witty.

[zhunter]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

Yes, I tried those who do classical instruments like violins. Surprisingly not many are done in FP as you would think.

French polish is not a standard finish for bowed instruments or mandolins. It is always presented as an easy finish to repair but finding someone that knows how? I agree it is not so easy. I live around the block from an antiques restoration shop that actually does French polish. Whether a furniture grade French polish job would ever be as nice as the one on my guitar is doubtful in this case. But if mine gets really bad that is probably where I would look for help. So far, not needed.

hunter

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by zhunter

French polish is not a standard finish for bowed instruments or mandolins. It is always presented as an easy finish to repair but finding someone that knows how? I agree it is not so easy. I live around the block from an antiques restoration shop that actually does French polish. Whether a furniture grade French polish job would ever be as nice as the one on my guitar is doubtful in this case. But if mine gets really bad that is probably where I would look for help. So far, not needed.

hunter

I do have some furniture shops that say they do FP but I'm kind of nervous giving my guitar to a furniture place.

[zhunter]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

I do have some furniture shops that say they do FP but I'm kind of nervous giving my guitar to a furniture place.

I would need to see some very convincing samples. And have assurance they know how to handle something as relatively fragile as a guitar.

hunter

[redir]

Shellac was a standard finish for guitar of that age and older. I don't think nitro came out till about 1925. Then guitar manufacturers adopted nitro. So most likely it's shellac finish but probably not applied as French polish.

You can use naptha to Clea FP too. Water with a drop of dish soap is fine.

[lar]

I just looked up "Shellac" (=French Polish). It's a resin (natural polymer) secreted by a female bug that resides in Thailand and India. Interesting. Yuck!

[zeeway]

Originally Posted by lar

I just looked up "Shellac" (=French Polish). It's a resin (natural polymer) secreted by a female bug that resides in Thailand and India. Interesting. Yuck!

Also used as a coating for some medicines....you have probably eaten some...

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by lar

I just looked up "Shellac" (=French Polish).

Not to nitpick, but shellac is a component of the finish that is applied with a method called French Polish. You could probably use the same technique with other kinds of finish.

It's a resin (natural polymer) secreted by a female bug that resides in Thailand and India. Interesting. Yuck!

Isn't it produced by just grinding up said bugs and letting the alcohol dillute the shellac (I can't imaging bug "shellacing" factories )

Yuck? What's your reaction to silk?