Best cheapest Nitro Lacquer for headstock decal installs?

[Slobrain]

hey Folks,

I have been using the Reranch satin nitro spray can lacquer to install waterslide decals but at $27.00 to get it shipped to me I was wanting to ask if anyone has a cheaper nitro lacquer to use?

I do like the reranch stuff but shipping is $11.00 is expensive.

Thanks

[Chuck H]

Deft brand rattle can lacquer is a true nitro lacquer. I work in the finishing trades and cabinet makers commonly use it for touchups. I recently redid several whole cabinet doors entirely with rattle cans and got excellent results. It's available at most hardware stores.

[Slobrain]

Thanks for the info Chuck. I'm refinishing a maple Squier strat neck I got off eBay and stripped the finish off, I'm going to refret it too. I just refinished the neck with tru-oil but the headstock will need the lacquer for the decal. I do like the reranch stuff but shipping is too hi...

[tedmich]

a vote for Jescar SS frets...ONCE! good luck!

[Slobrain]

a vote for Jescar SS frets...ONCE! good luck!

Actually I'm using Jescar super jumbo frets I buy them from

Jescar Nickel Silver Fretwire FW58118 Electric Super Jumbo Pre-radiused - Philadelphia Luthier Tools & Supplies, LLC

These are cheap in cost and they radius them for me so all I have to do is install them. The funny thing is, I buy the Indo made maple Squier CBS necks off ebay, then re-radius them to 12 inch, then install the jumbo frets and do the fret leveling. Wild West guitars charge something like 4k for a relic Fender strat with the same neck...I buy and redo the neck for under $100.00

[tedmich]

refretting (to me) is such a PITA I will not do it unless SS, but I don't enjoy refretting as much as some! Steve Morse made a Ernie Ball video about his custom guitar where he said it had been refretted 7 times in the last couple years, and I just saw an interview with J Beck's guitar tech where he described doing an emergency ON refret between tour stops...ugh.

I used to get pre radiused Jescar SS from Bernie Tusko off Ebay (back when he sold fret wire and not just tools) hes' a nice guy, shipped me extra wire gratis when I F'd up.

[John_H]

Actually I'm using Jescar super jumbo frets I buy them from

Jescar Nickel Silver Fretwire FW58118 Electric Super Jumbo Pre-radiused - Philadelphia Luthier Tools & Supplies, LLC

I buy a lot of little things from that guy. Screws, inlays etc. Very good seller. I always have my shipment within a couple of days. I have some of his pre-cut, and bent fret wire in different sizes that I keep around for repairs.

Thanks for the info Chuck. I'm refinishing a maple Squier strat neck I got off eBay and stripped the finish off, I'm going to refret it too. I just refinished the neck with tru-oil but the headstock will need the lacquer for the decal. I do like the reranch stuff but shipping is too hi...

I'd experiment beforehand with the lacquer over the tru-oil. It'll probably leave a witness line. Shellac might be a better choice.

[Chuck H]

I'd experiment beforehand with the lacquer over the tru-oil. It'll probably leave a witness line. Shellac might be a better choice.

I'm in the finishing trades and I have to ask... What is a "witness line"?

I haven't used tru-oil. If it's a tung oil type product then it's compatible with nitro lacquer but you do need to observe dry times. Possibly much longer in cold temps or high humidity, lack of ventilation. etc.

[Slobrain]

Hey Fellas,

I have used Tung oil on the backs of guitar necks for years and always liked the feel. I also use the Birchwood Casey tru-oil and its great too, very satiny feel for the neck back. I have used to use Minwax satin poly spray on maple fretboards but it yellows over time, but feels good to play on. lately I just use the tru-oil on the maple fretboard and its works too.
I have sprayed the Reranch nitro lacquer over the tru-oil and it looked ok with no issues.

I just got some of the Deft spray lacquer from Home Depot and shot some on a scrap piece of pine, on the other side of the pine I sprayed the Reranch Nitro lacquer and its smells a bit different from the deft stuff. The thing that worries me about the deft nitro lacquer is that it will not harden up the way the Reranch lacquer does.

I wonder who Reranch gets their spray nitro lacquer from? maybe they have a special mix? The spray can always looks like they relabeled them so who knows... but their stuff works great. Does a good job on redoing headstocks when I have to reinstall the decals.

I think this will be the last Squier neck I'm going to redo. I want to try a Mighty Mite neck but I really don't care for a 9.5 radius so I guess Im going to have to invest in one of those long radius blocks for a better consistent re-radius...

John,

The guys at Philly luthier have some good stuff and I get my shipments in about 2 days also. I really like the Jescar frets over the Dunlop, the Jescar are just more consistent in the manufacturer process. The 58118 seem a bit bigger that the Dunlop 6100s too. As far as using stainless, I have heard great things about stainless but some say they have a more trebley sound and very hard to work with. I really don't want to spend more on new tools to do stainless just yet... but who knows in the future...

Cheers...

[John_H]

I'm in the finishing trades and I have to ask... What is a "witness line"?

I haven't used tru-oil. If it's a tung oil type product then it's compatible with nitro lacquer but you do need to observe dry times. Possibly much longer in cold temps or high humidity, lack of ventilation. etc.

When you have dissimilar coatings applied next to each other, or one over the other. If the transition is visible, that's a witness line. Another example of a witness line would be a visible repair. I suggested shellac because it's more compatible with the tru-oil. Tru-Oil is a blend of linseed oil, wax, and shellac. I love the feel of it on necks. It'll burn right into itself, but it doesn't sex up with lacquer.

[Slobrain]

Tru-Oil is a blend of linseed oil, wax, and shellac. I love the feel of it on necks. It'll burn right into itself, but it doesn't sex up with lacquer.

Wow... that's one way to put it....lol.... Right now I decided to try the Minwax spray can lacquer for the headstock, I can already see it doesn't go on as smooth as the Reranch stuff... I guess you get what you pay for.

John, the Tru-oil is great for that ultra fast feel for guitar necks, I think that's what Musicman uses on some of their hi end guitar necks. Maybe what Suhr uses on their necks too.

[David Schwab]

I finished a whole guitar in Deft rattle can lacquer once. The stuff Stew-mac sells is good too.

Regarding frets, I'm not a big fan of stainless steel frets. Unless a customer asks for them, or really goes through frets quickly, I prefer to use nickel silver fretwire, or evo gold.

There's something about the feel and tone of SS frets I don't care for. They also take longer to dress.

Instead of Tru-Oil I use Watco Dainish oil. It also works great as a wipe coat under lacquer to make the grain pop.

[Chuck H]

The only drawback I've found with the Deft nitro spray bombs is that they can leave a slight orange peel finish. No shocker there since it IS a spray can. If you're going with a "satin" finish it's all good. If you want gloss you'll probably need to do some light sanding and buffing for a really smooth gloss.

I've taken to the Daly's Teak oil as an oil finish for almost everything. I haven't tried it under lacquer yet but it's been great under urethanes. It dries harder and faster than Watco Danish oil. It only comes in natural as far as I know. I'm not finishing guitars with it but it might be worth checking out.

Still itching to try the SS frets though. Even with the reports of changes in feel and tone. I just REALLY like the idea of refretting my guitar for the last time! Though I've heard they make the SS fret material a little softer than it was now because people were having too many problems with tooling and popped frets.

[David Schwab]

The only drawback I've found with the Deft nitro spray bombs is that they can leave a slight orange peel finish. No shocker there since it IS a spray can. If you're going with a "satin" finish it's all good. If you want gloss you'll probably need to do some light sanding and buffing for a really smooth gloss.

Yes, but that's true of all sprayed finishes. As you said, you have to let it cure and then wet sand it flat and rub it out!

I don't use satin lacquer, as it's just gloss lacquer with a flattening agent added. If you use it on necks, it will polish up glossy after playing it awhile. I like glossy finish on necks, but then my hands don't sweat much, so it never gets sticky.

I've taken to the Daly's Teak oil as an oil finish for almost everything. I haven't tried it under lacquer yet but it's been great under urethanes. It dries harder and faster than Watco Danish oil. It only comes in natural as far as I know. I'm not finishing guitars with it but it might be worth checking out.

I havn't seen that one. I have used tung oil in the past on furniture. The nice part about Watco is it has vanish in it, so it builds quickly.

Still itching to try the SS frets though. Even with the reports of changes in feel and tone. I just REALLY like the idea of refretting my guitar for the last time! Though I've heard they make the SS fret material a little softer than it was now because people were having too many problems with tooling and popped frets.

I wonder if stainless steel strings, being slightly abrasive in their texture, would still wear groves in the frets over time? I just refretted a Strat, replacing the medium jumbo wire (it was a modernish model with roller nut, etc.) with super jumbo wire because the owner uses Markley Blue Steel strings, and had some pretty deep groves. But it did take him almost 10 years to get them there.

[Chuck H]

I wonder if stainless steel strings, being slightly abrasive in their texture, would still wear groves in the frets over time? I just refretted a Strat, replacing the medium jumbo wire (it was a modernish model with roller nut, etc.) with super jumbo wire because the owner uses Markley Blue Steel strings, and had some pretty deep groves. But it did take him almost 10 years to get them there.

I play about as much now in a month as I use to play in a day (and that's no shit ) I find it far less gratifying without a band and I'm not the sort that can find inspiration in scheduled time allotments. Plus, I seem to be tired a lot of the time. Being an adult sucks really But I digress... I use to wear out a neck inside of three years. So I suppose, with my current practice schedule, a standard NS refret should last me about thirty years. I'll be 76 and probably not much concearned about it. I'm still intrigued by SS for some reason.