Remove Finish From Acoustic For Better Sound

Cymbaline · Post by **Cymbaline** » Wed Aug 27, 2014 5:35 pm

So I recently got an acoustic that is "open-pore", one of those all mahogany Ibanezes. It sounds better than any of my other guitars. Now I am thinking about sanding the finish off of all of them to open up the sound. Don't wanna use heat or chemicals for fear of popping the seams apart.

CRAZY TALK?
I am sure the guitars would sound significantly better without the coating. Anyone done this before?

sunshiner · Post by **sunshiner** » Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:13 pm

I'm afraid that Open Pore is just a trendy name of the satin finish like you can see on Squier Affinity necks. When you want to finish mahogany to have a flat surface you have to use some grain filler - Open Pore means the satin finish without grain filler, there is no magic imo. The mojo is in full mahogany construction I guess, it gives warm round tone. My opinion, it is a bad idea to strip down the finish of your other guitars.

I tried mahogany Vintage V300 that looks almost identically to your Ibanez and Sigma S000M-15, they both had the same tone to my ears and I guess they were made at the same factory, maybe as well as your Ibanez. To be honest I prefer brighter sound of the acoustics with spruce top.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:35 pm

Your guitar will be much more sensitive to changes in humidity and prone to warping with no finish at all. Mojo arrows be damned.

George · Post by **George** » Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:47 pm

Nick wrote:Mojo arrows be damned.

Cymbaline · Post by **Cymbaline** » Wed Aug 27, 2014 6:59 pm

sunshiner wrote:I'm afraid that Open Pore is just a trendy name of the satin finish like you can see on Squier Affinity necks.

Curious, it does say "satin finish" on the neck, but the body is listed as "open-pore".

Dillon · Post by **Dillon** » Wed Aug 27, 2014 10:08 pm

It just means the pores aren't filled, which IMO, does have an effect. I didn't use pore filler on my ash-bodied Strat, just tung oil over hand rubbed stain, and that guitar sings. I have also taken steel wool to some of my solid bodies, for a satin look, and while that didn't open the pores, it definitely improved the resonance, without any real negative effect. You could do that on an acoustic, but I wouldn't go any further than that, because yeah, the finish does keep the wood strong.

George wrote:
Nick wrote:Mojo take arrows to the knee.

Sorry, just started playing that game again...