Metal Body Resonators - Rusty Finishes?

[LemonCats]

Hey so I can't help but notice the amount of metal bodied resonators on the market that have beat up, distressed, and even straight up rusted finishes.

When I first saw the rusty finishes a year ago I thought YUUCK! how could anyone ever want that? Then recently I found this rusty finish
Rusty Finish Image 1
And that electric blue/green actually looks pretty dang cool!

Looking at it from a human biological health perspective though idk if resting your arm on rust for a few hours a day is a good idea, or rubbing rust off onto your shirt, possibly breathing rust particles in.

My question is how are these finishes actually safe (if at all)? Do they spray a clear finish over the rust?? Is it actually 'rust'? Anyone here own one of these purposely rusted resonators?

I don't know if it's actually rust. I do know that Matt Eich at Mule Resophonic Guitars has gone to great lengths to formulate a way to distress his steel and brass guitars to look tarnished, but there's no rust exposed. National offers a few "barnyard" finishes, as well as the "black rust" option, but again, there's no actual rust involved in the process or the finished product.

[Malcolm Kindnes]

I think it is actually "tarnish" rather than rust. You can only have rust on steel and most metal bodied guitars are not made from steel. Lots of people like it, in the same way that "relic'd" acoustic guitars have become popular.

[RJVB]

But don't they often use alloys that have high contents of nickel in them, and isn't that a metal that can cause annoying skin problems (as with cheap watches)?

[Silly Moustache]

it's the same pattern as "reliced" flatops. In the case of Nationals - it is like tryig to look like Son House or some such.

National Resophonics have been experimenting with various reliced finishes for some time.

Metals? Generally speaking there are steel bodied Nationals - the sound is very harsh and "primitive" and there are also nickel plated bell-brass.

In recent years, they have introduced "NRP" bodies which are made of thinner metal than the originals - I suspect they sound similar but are somewhat lighter, and, of course, may/may not be more fragile.

My first National was a Style "O" deluxe fully engraved in clean bright nickel over brass.



Here is a video of Mando Bob and I and he's playing his "distressed" Brass bodied National:



Underneath the finish - they are all much the same.

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

it's the same pattern as "reliced" flatops. In the case of Nationals - it is like tryig to look like Son House or some such.

National Resophonics have been experimenting with various reliced finishes for some time.

Metals? Generally speaking there are steel bodied Nationals - the sound is very harsh and "primitive" and there are also nickel plated bell-brass.

In recent years, they have introduced "NRP" bodies which are made of thinner metal than the originals - I suspect they sound similar but are somewhat lighter, and, of course, may/may not be more fragile.

My first National was a Style "O" deluxe fully engraved in clean bright nickel over brass.



Here is a video of Mando Bob and I and he's playing his "distressed" Brass bodied National:



Underneath the finish - they are all much the same.

November 1964, Eastman Theatre, Rochester, New York: Son House was a concert guest of Pete Seeger. After the concert, I got Mr. House's autograph as he crossed the rear parking lot of the Eastman Theatre on his way home with his wife, Evie, and agent, Dick Waterman, who held out the guitar case on which Son wrote his name in my Pete Seeger How To Play The 5-string Banjo book. This concert appearance was Son House's second one after being found and brought out of retirement by Dick Waterman. Years later, Dick mentioned to me that Pete Seeger paid Son $100 USD for his three-song set and Son's wife was ecstatic over such a large sum of cash for maybe 15 minutes of playing time! How did Son House get to Rochester?

[archerscreek]

Originally Posted by Willie Voltaire

I don't know if it's actually rust. I do know that Matt Eich at Mule Resophonic Guitars has gone to great lengths to formulate a way to distress his steel and brass guitars to look tarnished, but there's no rust exposed. National offers a few "barnyard" finishes, as well as the "black rust" option, but again, there's no actual rust involved in the process or the finished product.

Those look great, especially the top three.

[Bob Womack]

The nickel-plated steel and brass Nationals and Dobros have always been subject to finish degradation through tarnishing. And yes, nickel is highly allergenic to some people. Since my son was exposed to heavy metals in his line of work he has been extremely allergic to nickel - a short exposure to it leaves him with large red, weeping welts. He's not a wimp - he was trained as a machinist and heavy equipment mechanic and works in a shipyard. At six foot four and built like a tree stump, he'd love to chat with you about nickel allergy.

I'm just highly reactive: My fingertips turn black in minutes when I'm playing electric guitar strings and I can take the finish off pickup covers like no-one you've ever met. Need an electric relic'd?

Bob

[RJVB]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Since my son was exposed to heavy metals in his line of work he has been extremely allergic to nickel

Interesting that it was caused by exposure to other metals. I *think* that biologically speaking you'd have to call this hypersensitivity and not an allergy, but the effect is the same. Must be very handicapping in his line of work, too!