Emerald Shipping Video - Matte Satin Finish Oh My!

[new2guitar_eh]

I was just watching the latest Emerald Shipping Video https://www.facebook.com/EmeraldGuit...5028259294665/ and was stunned by the Matte Satin finish showing at about 4:57!

My X10 is gloss like most Emeralds, but to see matte satin on the top....I was blown away!

Another reminder why I watch all the shipping videos...you just never know what amazing thing you will see!

[Simon@Emerald]

Its something that has been requested before, but myself and the guys decided we would give it a go on this occasion. We were shocked how beautiful it was ourselves. Its something we have been working on, as our gloss coating is pretty specific and specialised for our process. The satin is a big change in process and a lot of extra hours were involved, but hopefully in the near future we will have it down to a fine art and be able to offer it more!

Actually Chloe who works in the office seen it and now wants her own guitar finished in satin also, she should be sharing it with you guys in the coming weeks. I believe its a walnut burl top on hers

[kramster]

Does look really cool ... and prolly easier to photograph as a bonus..

[RP]

Thanks for sharing. I wonder what a satin finish costs. I've got an X30 in the works and am going to check into doing the matte finish....

[seamusknives]

I went with an exposed CF/ Green tinted X-20 a few years ago. After seeing the video with the matte finish veneer, that's what I'll do if I take the plunge again.

[acwild]

I love the satin finish look! I wonder if it gets glossy from play wear.
That’s my Amicus in the video and it just arrived today! :-)

[kramster]

Originally Posted by acwild

I love the satin finish look! I wonder if it gets glossy from play wear.
That’s my Amicus in the video and it just arrived today! :-)

That Amicus is so much fun... as you prolly know by now.

[acwild]

Originally Posted by kramster

That Amicus is so much fun... as you prolly know by now.

I can NOT put it down! My son wants one now too. Such a fun instrument.

[jdinco]

I wonder if the Emerald folks hesitate a bit to show us cool new stuff like the Matte finish because they know there will be some orders changed? LOL

I love that look too.....

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by jdinaz

I wonder if the Emerald folks hesitate a bit to show us cool new stuff like the Matte finish because they know there will be some orders changed? LOL

I love that look too.....

Just like a building contractor: "Yes, we can make that change... just let me figure up what the additional cost will be..."

That matte finish is gorgeous, though. Kinda glad I don't have a guitar in the building que. When my X10 was "in process," I saw the first Padauk veneer... I contacted Kevin to ask about it and he told me my guitar had already been started (too late to make that change). Well, that's good news, too... right?

[byudzai]

man i can't decide how i feel about that satin. on the one hand is silky smooth, sumptuous.... on the other it looks like it returns more light than the gloss and distracts from the colors beneath. i'd have to hang out with one to decide.

[Simon@Emerald]

Originally Posted by jdinaz

I wonder if the Emerald folks hesitate a bit to show us cool new stuff like the Matte finish because they know there will be some orders changed? LOL

I love that look too.....

Maybe a little! Haha i know how much effort went into that one, and the thought of another 20 of them scares me hahah

[new2guitar_eh]

"Haha i know how much effort went into that one....."

Simon,

Curious about the additional work for a satin matte finish. When I first saw it I naively thought it was simply a satin matte top coat vs. a gloss top coat. Can you enlighten us how such a finish is actually attained?

[Simon@Emerald]

Originally Posted by new2guitar_eh

"Haha i know how much effort went into that one....."

Simon,

Curious about the additional work for a satin matte finish. When I first saw it I naively thought it was simply a satin matte top coat vs. a gloss top coat. Can you enlighten us how such a finish is actually attained?

Essentially what we use on our guitars is a very specific polyester based finish which is manufactured for us, and it works well being applied on all areas, both on the sealed wood tops and the gel coat on the carbon. Many clear coats are not compatible with all the underlaying surfaces, or dont give the same high level of durability.

The key thing with a matt or satin finish, is it cant look milky or tinted in anyway which is what happens when you apply too many layers, or apply over the standard coatings. Particularly with a matt finish, the underlaying wood and carbon must be super clear and appear to not be deep under the surface, as it can take away from the beauty of the wood.

So essentially we have a sealing coat of polyester, then the satin coat. The tricky part is getting a consistent and even coating over all the guitar, which is made even more difficult by the shapes and countors. The finish you see is the finish as it is painted, unlike gloss coats, you cant sand or polish to perfection. The slightest imperfection can only be resolved by sanding the entire guitar back to the previous stage and painting again! You cant repaint one specific area, its all or nothing!

Things like finishing the fret edges which are normally done prior to sanding and polishing but post-painting, have to be done with the most extreme level of care as to not leave a trace on the surface that would result in the need for a complete respray.

The guitar you spotted in the shipping video is the first customer guitar (after several in house trial guitars) where we have worked with our suppliers to formulated the appropriate coatings. We are hoping that through several more developements and trials, we can switch up our process so that we could achieve the same stunning level of finish with only some additional tasks. We are happy that we have the perfect coatings, but as with all new things it just takes some time to integrate the process!

I love my job, and one of my favourite parts is trialing and testing new ideas in house before seeing them go out into the world and you guys enjoying them. I've several more interesting things myself and Alistair have been working on, that you should hopefully see in the very near future.

[new2guitar_eh]

Thank you Simon for taking the time to respond....much appreciated!