A lot of vintage guitars (and vintage re-issue guitars) have been finished with nitrocellulose lacquer. It’s usually applied fairly thinly, so you can still kind of feel the grain of the timber underneath. There’s an argument that not encasing your instrument in a thick layer of poly allows it vibrate more freely.
Many folks swear by guitars with a nitro finish and find any other kind of finish an abomination. Nitro finished guitars have a distinct look, feel, smell, sound, and for all I know, taste.
So what’s the problem?
Nitrocellulose lacquer never fully hardens, so it’s very easy to end up with dings and marks in it. It also happens to react with a bunch of common substances, making it quite difficult to preserve your lovely finish. When you consider that most guitars with a nitro finish happen to be reeeeeeaally expensive, that’s more than a little inconvenient.
What do we need to look out for?
While nitro seems to be allergic to just about everything, the main culprits tend to be rubber, vinyl, and plastics.
Unfortunately, finding a stand that doesn’t contain at least some of these at its contact points with the guitar is almost impossible. With at least 90% of all guitar stands being unsuitable, the safest place to keep your axe is in your hands or in its case.
I’ve heard horror stories of guitars left in stands where the finish had worn or degraded down to bare timber due to a chemical reaction with the stand.
How do we get around this?
First of all, there’s the utterly ghetto “raided laundry” approach. There’s nothing more incongruous than seeing a guitar worth thousands of dollars in a guitar stand with old socks or a cut up shirt draped over the contact points. It works, but you’re not exactly going to look like you have your act together in front of your musical peers.
Some folks cover the rubber contact points on their stand with a cut up garden hose, not realising the hose is made of PVC which is just as bad.
If you’re eyeing off a can cooler for the job, forget about it. Neoprene reacts with nitro as well.
Leather might work, but be mindful of any tanning or conditioning chemicals which may have been involved in the manufacturing process.
I know what you’re thinking: “if nitro finished guitars have been around for about 70 years or so, surely someone would have invented a suitable stand for them by now?”
There are a few options available, but I recommend extreme caution.
Hercules Stands
Many people swear by Hercules guitar stands. Anecdotal evidence from discussion forums would indicate that their “specially formulated rubber foam” doesn’t react with nitrocellulose. The company itself makes no such claim though, and if there’s even a trace of actual rubber in that foam, you’re in for heart break down the track.
I’ve heard at least one report of a small section of exposed plastic contacting a guitar and reacting with the finish. If you use a Hercules stand, just make sure only the padded parts of the stand contact your guitar. Otherwise it’s a bit like saying “sure the condom had a hole in it, but hey, at least I wore one”.
Hercules stands might be ok, and by all accounts they are, but I’m not sure I could bring myself to put a 1958 Les Paul in one.
String Swing
Likewise, a lot of people swear by String Swing products. The company thinks their products are fine for nitro, but stop short of offering a guarantee to that effect. This is from the FAQ section of their site:
Q: Are your products safe to use for guitars with a nitrocellulose lacquer finish?
A: Our material will not eat into the nitro of your guitar like most foams and rubbers do. Fender, Gibson, and Martin, all use our products in their showrooms, and for trade shows on their standard and high nitro finished guitars. However, there are some things that are out of our control that prevent us from putting an unconditional guarantee that no marking will ever occur.
- If an issue does arise there is no definite way for us to tell if the marks were caused by our products or if they were from a previously used product from another manufacturer.
- If you have used a guitar polish, be sure it is wiped off before you use our products. There is conflicting information on the internet as to whether polish is ever necessary or not. Also, along these same lines, do not use any chemical cleaners on our padding material. Water is fine if needed.
- Guitars being stored in any sunlight can be a big problem, regardless of what material is being used in resting the guitar.
- Nitro finish remains partially a liquid for its lifetime, so extended periods of time any significant pressure on the finish can result in pressure marks almost like a smear. This is worsened if the guitar was not given proper cure time when the finished was applied.
All of this being said we still have the safest material on the market for a nitro finished guitar and thousands of people trust hanging them every day. Also, if you have a nitro white Gibson, or Epiphone we have white yokes that we recommend for these extremely color sensitive finishes. If you decide to choose our products to display your guitars, for your peace of mind, we suggest that you check your guitars occasionally to be assured of their safety.
K&M Stands
This company specifically states that their stands are designed to not harm a nitro finish. Turns out the contact points are covered in either molded cork or thermoplastic elastomer, depending on the model in question. This is probably a winning solution, but it might be worth finding out what has been used to bind that cork.
It’s Not Just Stands…
While you’re getting paranoid about letting anything come into contact with your guitar, consider what else touches it:
- Have a long, suspicious look at that capo before you clamp it on the neck.
- If you use one of those tuners which clamp onto the head stock, be careful.
- What are you using to clean or polish your guitar?
- How about your hands? Soaps, lotions, and sanitizers etc can cause damage.
What about inside your case?
Maybe remove the strap from your guitar before locking it in its case: what are the chances it’s been manufactured with vinyl, rubber, or bits of plastic?
Do you wipe your guitar down with a rag after playing it?
Good for you!
Do you store that revolting sweat-sponge in your case with your guitar?
What the hell is wrong with you?
Not only will this introduce a stench to your case that will require an exorcism to remove, but a dubious rag with a potentially unknown past could be damaging your finish. Remove that rag immediately and apologise to your guitar. Hug it, and beg its forgiveness. Buy it flowers. Just don’t let the flowers touch the finish, because, well…
It’s Probably Not That Bad
There is a lot of contradictory testimony over the fragility of nitrocellulose. A quick google search will bring up anecdotes from those who have damaged their guitars and rebuttals from those who think it’s nonsense. Some folks will tell you they regularly clean their nitro finished guitar with paint stripper and a wire brush and haven’t had a problem yet.
I believe one of the biggest contributing catalysts here might be heat and humidity. Perhaps those who utilise a rubber cushioned guitar stand haven’t had a problem due to living in a colder, dryer climate? Who knows. All I can tell you is, if you’ve spent a significant amount of money on a guitar with a nitro finish, you might not want to take any chances.
Tone Quest 