Unofficial Taylor Guitar Forum - UTGF

Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Taylor Acoustic & Electric Guitars => Topic started by: gotomsdos on June 15, 2020, 06:41:38 AM

Title: Is poly finish undesirable to you as a hunter for an old 'n' good Taylors ?
Post by: gotomsdos on June 15, 2020, 06:41:38 AM

Hi, guys out there.
Nice to meet you here  :D. I'm new. I'm doing some search, learning some about Taylor guitar history, trying to hunt a couple of old 'n' good GC Taylors(say 512, 712 Brazilian). Some say that Golden Era for Taylor is 90's(majority mid, some mid to late). But some say that there's a finish change from lacquer(nitro?) to poly around 1995. It seems to be that poly is not as good as lacquer to sound. If so, I prefer sound to gloss appearance. Weather checking is to my liking. Finish crazing is no problem to me.
Is this change to poly undesirable to you as a hunter for an old 'n' good Taylors ? :-\
Any input would be much appreciated.
Best, Dave.

Title: Re: Is poly finish undesirable to you as a hunter for an old 'n' good Taylors ?
Post by: tedtan on June 15, 2020, 11:21:14 AM

This really comes down to to personal preference, but personally, I prefer ploy finishes as they are better than nitro at protecting the instrument, which is what a finish is intended to do.

As far as sound goes, I notice a difference in the thickness of the finish much more than the material comprising the finish. And Taylor uses a thin finish, so a poly finish isn't a problem on a Taylor guitar IMO.

Title: Re: Is poly finish undesirable to you as a hunter for an old 'n' good Taylors ?
Post by: Strumming Fool on June 15, 2020, 12:05:03 PM

The UV cured poly finish has been around since the early 90s for Taylor. Considering the problems I've seen with nitrocellulose finishes, I'm  very happy with Taylor's work on this.

Title: Re: Is poly finish undesirable to you as a hunter for an old 'n' good Taylors ?
Post by: gotomsdos on June 20, 2020, 09:11:51 AM

Thanks, but "The UV cured poly finish has been around since the early 90s for Taylor",REALLY ?
Dave.

Title: Re: Is poly finish undesirable to you as a hunter for an old 'n' good Taylors ?
Post by: Strumming Fool on June 20, 2020, 01:53:50 PM

Quote from: gotomsdos on June 20, 2020, 09:11:51 AM

Thanks, but "The UV cured poly finish has been around since the early 90s for Taylor",REALLY ?
Dave.

Yes sir! For example, I asked Taylor about my '95 Taylor when it went back to El Cajon for cosmetic work, and they replied that the photo cured poly finish had been in place for a couple of years before this guitar had been built. It still looks great!

Title: Re: Is poly finish undesirable to you as a hunter for an old 'n' good Taylors ?
Post by: sstaylor58 on June 21, 2020, 10:26:58 AM

So I am helping a friend do a little work on her ‘89 512. Beautiful instrument by the way...so I assume after reading this thread that the finish on that would be nitro? Just wanting to confirm...thanks.

Title: Re: Is poly finish undesirable to you as a hunter for an old 'n' good Taylors ?
Post by: Strumming Fool on June 21, 2020, 12:19:11 PM

Quote from: sstaylor58 on June 21, 2020, 10:26:58 AM

So I am helping a friend do a little work on her ‘89 512. Beautiful instrument by the way...so I assume after reading this thread that the finish on that would be nitro? Just wanting to confirm...thanks.

I went back to one of my Taylor books to research. Sometime in the mid 80s, Taylor began using Fullerplast, a catalyzed acrylic resin. In early 1995, they began using the UV cured poly finish. Hope this helps!

Title: Re: Is poly finish undesirable to you as a hunter for an old 'n' good Taylors ?
Post by: sstaylor58 on June 21, 2020, 01:11:33 PM

Thanks!

Title: Re: Is poly finish undesirable to you as a hunter for an old 'n' good Taylors ?
Post by: gotomsdos on June 22, 2020, 04:35:16 AM

Some say it started on May, 1995.