Gee, I didn't mean to piss anyone off by stating that I prefer thin finishes rather than multilayer solid finishes or coat after coat of clear poly on a PRS. I probably shouldn't have used the word "suffocate" either. What I meant was let the wood "resonate". My point was that with a hollow or semi-hollow instrument, you want the wood to resonate. If PRS slathers a thick "glass-like" finish on the instrument, you're going to lose resonance. If you don't believe me, pick up an old ES-175 with a thin finish and compare the sustain to a new hollow or semi PRS. I have, and it is my opinion that the thinner-finished guitar has better sustain and volume. It's nothing scientific, just my ear.
If you want a scientific study, sorry, don't have one. I'm guessing you probably knew that I wouldn't, but arguing in an internet forum about something as silly as guitar finishes is like running in the Special Olympics. Even if you win, you're still retarded.
Here's what I know. Some of my favorite artists who recorded my favorite music used instruments with incredibly thin finishes. John Lennon, with his refinished Epi Casino, Stevie Ray Vaughan, with almost no finish, Bruce Springsteen, etc. The most highly revered violin in the world, the Stradivarius, has an incredibly thin finish and some of the most resonant wood ever put into an acoustic instrument. It's the combo of the wood and the finish that makes it all work.
Maybe a thin finish wouldn't make as big of a difference with a solid body. I don't know. All I was trying to do was help someone out and throw in my nickel's worth of free advice. If you don't agree, fine, but having you and your buddies put me down is just stupid and really immature. If you want to reply and "kick my ass", go ahead. If that's what it takes for you and your buddy to get off, go for it. Next time you have a question in the forum and I know the answer, I'll just go ahead and let you wait for someone else since my opinion doesn't count here.