In past decades the increasing popularity of the classical guitar has prompted an
unprecedented demand for this most beautiful instrument. Many small shops converted to
mass production techniques to supply consumers with affordable instruments. Since the guitar's
finish is one of the most time consuming steps in the construction of the guitar, age old
finishing techniques were discarded in favor of finishes that were faster to apply. Economic
considerations had to be taken into account in order to make new instruments as affordable as
possible. Expensive labor was eliminated wherever necessary, even though there was an acoustic
"price" to pay.
As the popularity of the classical guitar increased, it was soon discovered that guitarists
were demanding better sounding, better quality guitars. Luthiers, who are always searching for
the best sound in their hand-made instruments, soon discovered that there were many discerning
musicians who were willing to pay the extra cost for French polished guitars.
Orville (left) and Bob Milburn
French polishing is a method of applying shellac and has nothing to do with materials as the
term may indicate. No "polish" is used in this method of finish. The term "French polishing"
might have received its name from the extensive rubbing that is necessary to apply shellac
smoothly and perfectly. It is agreed by most makers of handmade instruments, that the acoustic
properties of French polish are far superior to that of any other finish. With a
French-polished finish of shellac, the finish is only a few thousandths of an inch thick.
The dampening properties of this finish are less than tougher synthetic finishes. The only
drawback to the French polished guitars is the delicate nature of the finish compared to the
hard, synthetic finishes provided on the factory-made instruments. Extra care must be taken to
protect the finish from damage due to perspiration, moisture, and of course general abuse from
fingernail scratches. Even though factory finished instruments are more durable, it is very
difficult for the repair person to match these materials and repair them. If a French polished
finish is damaged, it is the most forgiving to repair and touch up. We will cover some repair
techniques in this article.
Years ago, when we decided to learn the "old -world" way of French polishing, we were
discouraged to find very little information on the subject. Most of the articles that
we were able to find contained little more than a definition with a list of materials
needed and very little instructional content. Just as frustrating to us was the fact that we
could not find instructions on how to solve routine problems as they arose during our attempts
at French polishing. Many of the articles were written as if nothing would ever go wrong,
therefore, no explanation would ever be needed. We suspect that a step-by-step description of
the entire French polishing procedure would be too lengthy which is usually beyond the scope of
most publications. Instrument makers are often much more fussy about finishes so an article on
French-polishing furniture may not translate well to the luthier.
A close-up of blond shellac flakes. This brand is called 'luna'.
Our determination to learn French polishing began with reading the few short articles
that were available, many long phone calls to experienced luthiers, and a huge phone bill.
The most valuable information that we were able to obtain was from America's foremost French
polishing experts, Eugene Clark and luthiers Cyndy Burton and Jeffery Elliott. Much of the
information contained in this article comes directly from Mr. Clark's and Ms. Burton's methods
and techniques as we learned and practiced them over the years. We will also try to detail
possible problems and their solutions we have encountered. The reader should understand,
however, that there are many very successful French polishers that do not necessarily use
the same techniques as we do. This article is meant to get the beginner started with as much
practical and useful information as possible. No doubt, as you gain experience, you will make
discoveries and incorporate those ideas into your own methods. Remember, many skills and
disciplines are accomplished in many different ways.
This overview is divided into a number of lessons from which the beginner or the already
experienced finisher may find useful information. By segmenting this article into lessons,
future reference will also be easier. We will get started by explaining the nature of the
materials that we will be using and then relate our step-by-step procedures to the French
polishing of a guitar from start to completion. We will try to avoid complex terms and long
technical explanations in this article since that is not our goal nor would it serve any
beneficial purpose for the student.
