Tenderly, Nitrocellulose

Les Paul nitrocellulose finish blemish

My Gibson Les Paul Studio has a gorgeously lustrous glossy nitrocellulose lacquer finish. This is a premium finish. Or so I thought! Recently I noticed that the bottom edges of the guitar body are showing some damage. My heart sank a little bit to see my treasured Les Paul disfigured like this. 

OnStage guitar standIn some dark recess of my mind, a vague memory came back that the foam on some guitar stands can react with the finish on guitars.  Sigh.

I use a classic little OnStage guitar stand. I’ve used this type of stand with every guitar I have ever owned, and never had an issue.  Until now.  I guess all of my previous guitars had simple polyurethane finishes. Those are the “cheap” finishes  compared to nitrocellulose, but apparently what you give up in glowing beauty, you gain in thick-skinned toughness.

OnStage guitar standSo apparently, where the foam supports of this guitar stand are contacting my Les Paul’s bottom edge, the reaction is causing a blemish in the guitar finish. 🙁

My first thought was to put a couple old cotton socks over the guitar stand supports. That was a little too embarrassing, so instead I busted out the blue tape. Ugly, but it works:

 

OnStage guitar stand with blue tape OnStage guitar stand with blue tape OnStage qatar stand, before and after

 

Les Paul Headstock BlemishUpdate May 1, 2015: I’ve just found another blemish in the Les Paul’s nitro finish, this time up on the headstock where (I assume) there has been no contact with guitar stand foam.

WTF?

Is nitrocellulose really so sensitive?!?

Update February 21, 2016: I bought a new Ultimate Support guitar stand!