Lacquer types?

[imperialbari]

Some guitar stands also are relevant for brass instruments. That leads to a question about lacquer types, because some guitar stands come with a warning, that they will hurt nitro-cellulose lacquer.

Is such nitro lacquer used on brass instruments?

Does somebody know whether Ovation uses nitro lacquer on their basses and guitars?

Klaus

[SousaSaver]

I think most lacquer used on modern instruments is some sort of epoxy lacquer.

[Rick Denney]

Spirit varnish and lacquer are basically the same thing: A resin dissolved in a solvent, that hardens primarily by the evaporation of the solvent, plus some subsequent curing. The resins used in varnish and lacquer are pretty similar, too. Both use polymers derived from something or other. The solvent for spirit varnish is mineral spirits, but that solvent is also used for many lacquers.

The original lacquer got its name from lac, which is derived from insect droppings, but that is now properly called shellac, and it is dissolved in alcohol.

Nitro-cellulose is the common resin in spray lacquers, and was used in everything from furniture to automotive finishes. The resin is derived from plant materials by nitration. It cures very hard but with a little elasticity. Polyurethane replaced nitro-cellulose for most modern finishes, but it is also dissolved in mineral spirits. Acrylic resins have replaced nitro-cellulose in some other applications, and some of these are water-based. I don't know of any water or alcohol-dissolved lacquers or varnishes used for musical instruments. Old wooden instruments (I'm thinking violins, not guitars) have used gum varnish, where the resin is a gum that is derived from plant polymers by other means that nitration. They are not as hard as nitro-cellulose lacquer.

Epoxy is different though it may also use a solvent. It mixes an epoxide polymer with a polyamine hardener, making a copolymer. That's a different process than is used by lacquer.

Some lacquers and varnishes also contain oils that harden with exposure to air, but these are not used for musical instruments.

Best I know, nitro-cellulose lacquers were typically used in musical instruments until epoxies came along. It's possible that they used a polyurethane at some point, but I've never heard of it.

So, the answer is yes, nitro-cellulose was used on lots of brass instruments, particularly the vintage instruments in your collection, Klaus. I would cover over the parts that touch the instruments with a soft cloth to prevent contact.

Rick "noting the overlap of many of these terms" Denney

[imperialbari]

Is there a test to tell the type of the lacquer? For home usage and non-explosive?

Klaus

[imperialbari]

Bach has used that type of lacquer - at least on their pro-grade instruments. Others do as well.

Apparently I set off this thread in duplo. I will try to unify it again.

As for the Bach lacquer, there was talk about a trombone in our RSO loosing its lacquer, when its player flushed it with hot water out of the tap. When I helped a student buy a gold brass Stradivarius trumpet, the shop repeated that story as a warning.

I only have one Bach, a yellow brass Stradivarious alto trombone with the lacquer going slightly greenish, as bloke and I have discussed previously. That lacquer appears being very sturdy.

Klaus