Guitar Stands Affect Nitro?

[slappy]

I was looking through a muscian's supply catalog and they were selling floor guitar stands. But it had a note that said: not for guitars with nitrocellulose lacquer. The stand looked like the classic tripod guitar stand, completely normal and like several that I have. Why can't you use certain stands with nitro lacquered guitars?

[DC Ross]

The stands that have surgical tubing (the orange-y rubber stuff) are a no-no for nitro finished guitars. There's something in it that causes a reaction.

[slappy]

wow, I had no idea. Thanks.

[zeppelinchld]

its the same for most spray paint clear coats just so everyone knows. ive messed up a guitar id just finished painting by using a rubber stand

[Southpa]

I figure the fresher the finish the more (and faster) problems can occur. But a lacquer coat that is literally YEARS old and totally cured could still react if left on a stand over a long time. The rubber emits chlorine gas and only seems to react to nitro lacquer. I use either poly or acrylic lacquer. Its one of the reasons why the big companies stopped using nitro along with checking and yellowing problems.

[Ben]

My guitar stand ate its way through an acrylic clear coat in no time.

[biliousfrog]

I've had a reaction on an acrylic finished guitar with a supposedly safe Warwick multi guitar rack. The finish was relatively fresh though so that might have been the problem although it continued to react for some time...I just covered one of the rack's "slots" with duck tape & always placed the same guitar there

[WezV]

its the same for most spray paint clear coats just so everyone knows. ive messed up a guitar id just finished painting by using a rubber stand

My guitar stand ate its way through an acrylic clear coat in no time.

I've had a reaction on an acrylic finished guitar with a supposedly safe Warwick multi guitar rack. The finish was relatively fresh though so that might have been the problem although it continued to react for some time...I just covered one of the rack's "slots" with duck tape & always placed the same guitar there

Spot on bilious, fully cured acyrlic should be fine on these stands - but it might take a while before its fully cured

Nitro will always be affected by these stands, possibly a bit less when its very old but the effect will still be there

[jmrentis]

Is there all color of surgical rubber stuff or just standard orangey type color? I believe the one I have now is more of a sponge type of material, very soft and spongy. I assume these ones are no prob for all finishes, as its not rubber I don't believe. I got it cheap on sale at GC a couple years ago. I'm glad this was discussed, I hadn't heard of this before and as I finish my project I'm sure I would have ended buying a regular stand like that and screwed the pooch on the finish. Thanks guys for the heads up. J

[WAK Guitars]

Well the guy who wrote the paint your own guitar books wrote this other book that shows you how to make this jig for your stand with a piece of wood basically that keeps your guitar off of the rubber or sponge. The books about $5 I think.

[marksound]

Just to be on the safe side you could just throw a soft cotton towel over the stand.

[GregP]

Hrm. I would think that cotton would offset part of the design... grippy rubbery stuff.... I wouldn't want my guitar on a slippery surface. Though, practically speaking, there's still going to be SOME grip, due to the friction caused by the weight of the guitar.

What about foam rubber? Same deal?

[biliousfrog]

well the Warwick stands use that spongey foam rubber that is often used for handlebar grips on bikes. That seems to be the norm for "safe" stands but, as I posted earlier, I still got a reaction with a new finish. I'm hoping that Rustiins plastic is a little less prone to attack.

[WezV]

yeah, i leave rustins for about a week before buffing - it probably doesnt need that long but i like to be safe. never had any problems with it on a stand

[Masina]

What a stupid choice of material for a guitar stand... of all the different substances out there, manufacturers have chosen a material which destroys the finish of many guitars!!

[marksound]

Hrm. I would think that cotton would offset part of the design... grippy rubbery stuff.... I wouldn't want my guitar on a slippery surface. Though, practically speaking, there's still going to be SOME grip, due to the friction caused by the weight of the guitar.

What about foam rubber? Same deal?

That black (neoprene?) foam stuff leaves black marks on some of my guitars. Others it doesn't bother. All of them are polywhatever finishes, so who knows?

As for losing grip with a towel, I don't worry about that. I'm not that klutzy, and I don't let other people get that close. Not without a wad of cash in hand.

[GGW]

Wow! That's the first I'm hearing of this. I imediately ran over to my less-than-one-year old nito finished guitar sitting on my old stand. Sure enough, it has yellow rubber and when I examine the finish on the bottom of the guitar body, it is marred in two places over the supports. Time for a new stand I guess.

Thanks for bringing that one up!

As a bit of a side bar, is there some sort of contraversy with hangers? I've also got a hanger with black foam which seems to be good, but I read some off comment in another thread which suggested this may have been a flame out in the past or something.

[Maiden69]

yeap, this is true. I'm on the way to refinish3 of my guitars! The stand "corroded" the paint. Now, this only happened on the guitars that I painted with DEFT nitro! Not the ones painted with the bethlen from Stew Mac. Those I have no rpoblem so far.

[GGW]

Deft here too. Fortunately, I read this before it got real bad and I've just finished getting it out with rubbing compound.

That laquer was so tempermental in many ways. I'm currently doing one with shellac.

Time for a new stand.