difference between nitro and poly

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howlin' blues band

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Hello,
I'm newbee about this tokai forum (I have already posted about Greco les paul). I just bought a ST 60 (I suppose) on ebay. I just have search on this forum and found a topic about...my new guitar, a tokai ST60 (from 1980):


http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=10779&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

I anderstand it's very difficult to see difference between nitro and poly finish.
I think my tokai is pretty fine to play, exactly like my 1960 strat (original), and I don't find any difference between both guitar about the laquer.
As the previous owner, I can't see the good number on the neck (60 or 80).

Finally, it's a very good guitar, pickups sound great.

So my question: what is the difference between nitro and poly laquer ?

Thanks and best regards from France

hbb
 
It's of course subjective, but for myself (and Mike?) it's definitely all about the feel of the neck. Poly feels that little bit stickier to me when it gets warm; a nice thin nitro coat there is slick and joyful to behold.

You'll find opinion split on the contribution a nitro lacquer makes to tone - some folk say that the thinner coat can only be good for resonance, but personally I think it's splitting hairs when you look at the physics (ie. mass comparison versus the rest of the guitar).

Guitars live and die by the feel of the neck for me. The body can be beaten to high heaven but if there's even the tiniest ding on the neck then I don't want to know.

Edit: I thought that one was identified as an ST80 (ie. nitro test positive, V-shaped neck)?

Edit edit: Ah, just read what i'd missed on page 2!
 
I'm confused! If it has a V neck, surely it must be an ST80? And if it's an 80, it's nitro, if it's a 60 it's poly. Let's try to establish what it is before we go any further!

For the rest, I agree with Alan (except that a small ding on the neck is not likely to bother me too much), it's more about feel than anything else. If I play my Goldstar ST50 with the band, my left hand seems to sweat more, & it feels less comfortable after a few numbers. With my Springy ST80 (or other nitro guitars), I can play for an hour or more without worrying too much about sweaty hands.

Mike
 

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