What finish to use on detailed carvings?

[John Hudgel]

I have made an electric guitar with very detailed carvings on the surface and don't know what to use to finish it. Normally on a guitar you would use a waterbased lacquer or varnish, but both of these require sanding between layers and wet sanding in the final stages. Because of all the carved detail I would like to avoid any more sanding. It would be very difficult to get good results and it is likely I would sand through the varnish because of all of the edges I have created. Is there a rub on finish that I could use? I would like to get as much gloss as possible. And I would like to get as much protection for the guitar as possible. What is normally used on detailed carvings? I have put a lot of work into this guitar and would like the finish to look as good as it can. Anybody got any ideas? Thanks.

[Steve Schoene]

Solvent based finishes, lacquer, or even shellac, would not require sanding between coats and can be quite glossy.

[John Hudgel]

What about oil varnishes. I think with the carved surface something I could rub on would be best. What kind of rub on finish would have the best shine and protection?

[Steve Schoene]

I suppose you could use Waterlox Gloss. It is less sensitive to needing sanding between coats than some, but as with any oil based varnish, it will dry more slowly than lacquer or shellac, and therefore have more opportunity to pick up dust. It's also way more difficult to repair should their be a problem, either during application or down the road.

Lacquer ought to be plenty of protection, especially for the carved areas which won't be handled much anyway I would presume. I doubt that anything other than lacquer was used commercially on guitars until quite recently.