Safe Guitar Stand for Gull Nitrocellulose Finish?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Gary Ellis on May 27, 2012 at 11:26am

I have never considered chemical reaction between my gulls finish and the stand or capo material. Is this the concern? I make my own stands and use thick felt where the guitar makes contact. I have one commercial stand that has orange rubber like protection. I haven't noticed any marks.

Permalink Reply by Lennie Schoonover on May 27, 2012 at 11:39am

Felt should not be a problem for the lacquer as it is not petroleum based, (but some are so you have to watch what you buy--"natural felt" is usually best.

If the guitar finish was petroleum based, i.e. polyurethane, it would not be an issue.  But then we would not have the sound we get due to the harder finish applied.

One might ask why violin makers use nitrocellulose lacquer for their fine instruments?  Sound!

Permalink Reply by Lennie Schoonover on May 27, 2012 at 11:30am

The general rule of thumb is to keep foam away from the nitrocellulose lacquer finishes.  That being said, putting a soft cotton cloth over the top of the foam should shield the finish from the foam.  Make sure the cotton cloth is of medium thickness or better yet terry, like a towel. 

The petoleum based plastics and foams actually spit an oil in varying degrees.  If you doubt this check your windshield inner surface in the summer time.  Just where did those little spots and foggy film come from?  Look to your dash board !  Put a cover like a towel over it and the windshield doesn't get such a film.

Conclusion..a terry cloth towel absorbs the oil emitted from the dash (or your guitar stand).  If you know someone who sews, you can take them a black terry towel and ask them to make you some tube type slip covers for your favorite guitar stand.  That should end the problem and you will hardly know the covers are there because they are black like the foam.  The terry will likely fade if left in a UV exposed room but that will take a few years and you'll want a new set of covers by then anyway.  It will also need to be washed to clean out the oils which have been absorbed.  Use no bleach, just soap for long lasting colorfastness.

It is hard to get a foam these days that is not petroleum based, so this is the best remedy that I have found.  Simple to make and most of us know someone who does a little sewing and can make up a set of covers.

Hope this helps some.

Lennie

Permalink Reply by Don Thompson on May 27, 2012 at 12:19pm

I use a Hercules stand that looks a lot like that one but mine has a little flip out support near the bottom that the back rests against. My guitar seems to like it and it's Black Lab proof to boot.

Permalink Reply by Gary Ellis on May 27, 2012 at 1:22pm

Interesting stuff. Thanks Lennie

Permalink Reply by Robert Stoner on May 27, 2012 at 4:04pm

I can vouch for the nitro /stand issue.I have a Framus I finished 2 months earlier and considered it cured plenty.I put it on a stand with socks to protect it because I was aware of the warnings and don't you know when I lifted it off several days later the socks were stuck into the finish. Out of 5 stands that one stand is the only one to create that problem.

Permalink Reply by tom blegen on May 27, 2012 at 7:41pm

I like these.  Simple, straps and cables don't get caught on them and they claim they're safe for nitrocellulose finishes.

http://www.ultimatesupport.com/product/GS-100

Permalink Reply by Peter Pauer on May 27, 2012 at 10:46pm

I've been using Hercules stands for years for my guitars, have their single, double and triple stands.

http://www.herculesstands.com/guitars/GS422B.html

No issues with them at all so far and they are daily holding all my electric and acoustic guitars some like the strat cost many time my Maritime seagull.

Prior to going all Hercules I had one of these

http://www.stagelinestands.com/product-details.cfm?productID=117

It mostly worked but the guitar I had at the time (fender acoustic) fell out of it more than once, and one time when it fell over it  put a ding in my SG. That incident was the end of my using any inexpensive stands.