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Eastman Dreadnought with cooked finish
One of my sons has an Eastman Dreadnought that sat in a hot car for too long. The finish on the neck, sides and back (but not the top!) is damaged and rough and in some places has tiny bubbles in it. Eastman calls the finish "antique varnish," which isn't very enlightening. Any insights as to what the actual finish might be and how to deal with it?
Thanks in advance. |
#2
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Pics are necessary for a good clear response.
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#3
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Eastman reps are usually very good about being responsive and I'm sure if you reach out they will give you specifics and I'd bet even give you a quote on refinishing it.
Pura Vida here and on the Eastman Guitar Fans club probably knows as much as anyone about Eastman around these parts. He owns probably 8 of them right now. |
#4
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#5
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"Varnish" is a term used for a large number of different formulations from the Stradavari violin days to modern polyurethanes.
The kind of heat damage you describe is not uncommon on instruments finished with the vintage recipe varnishes, which can be very sensitive to heat. Repairing the finish can be tricky, although sometimes "block sanding" followed by buffing or polishing will improve the appearance. Over-coating the finish with a French polished shellac can be an effective technique as well. Stripping and refinishing is likely to be expensive.
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Cheers, Frank Ford Last edited by Frank Ford; 08-17-2020 at 11:22 AM. |
#6
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A simple approach is to smooth the finish with 0000 steel wool and live with the 'antiqued' look.
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#7
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An update -- I emailed Eastman yesterday and there was a response in my inbox this morning. More updates to follow...
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#8
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Latest update. Their response was pretty much "heat will damage varnish." I'm still waiting on the question of why the top was undamaged while the finish on the rest of the guitar wasn't. But the takeaway for now is that if you anticipate anything close to a heat issue, don't buy an Eastman with an Antique Varnish finish.
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#9
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In the case, the top does not touch the lining, with the possible exception of the tail block. The finish on the top is often thinner than the rest of the guitar, which may explain the lack of damage. Pore filler, which is not used on spruce soundboards, may have contributed to the bubbling.
The most heat resistant finish is probably catalyzed polyester. But it is not the best for sound, especially when thickly applied. Last edited by John Arnold; 08-19-2020 at 11:22 AM. |
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#11
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I'd suspect that "heat" great enough to buckle the outer finish might be the least of your worries. Be prepared to address popped bracing, etc.
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#12
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How long was it baking for?
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Martin D-13E (2021 MiM) |
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Wow. Guitars are far more fragile than I thought. Thanks. I'm babying mine already and this will make it like my only child. Which it already is my only guitar, lol.
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Martin D-13E (2021 MiM) |
#15
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Mainly at this point this is a PSA saying "don't buy one of these." |