MIMF

Hi, trying to contact EMTECH customer service, but they don't answer the phone.

I have a few questions:
1. I want to do a piano black gloss finish on a guitar, would it be better to use their EM6600 or just put some black Transtint into whatever top coat I decide on (and if Transtint, how much?)?

2. What are the differences between the EM6000 Production Lacquer and EM2000wvx Alkyd Varnish? Is one harder than the other or what? They both say they have a Clear/Amber Effect.

I am looking for a hard wearing finish for an electric finish that will take a super nice gloss polish. I am going to do the back piano black, and the front will have some tint to the base coats, but will have a clear topcoat. Trying to reach them to get suggestions. Does anybody here have information that would help? Thanks!

I have used EM-6000 for a number of guitars.
I liked it for spraying, and it does dry hard. It also has a bit of blue tinge to it. That may not make much difference on a black finish.
I used about 12 coats to get a real nice finish.

I am now using a product called Britetone, made by the same company that makes the Crystalac products.
I like this much better. It dries clear, and polishes very nicely. I also am able to cut down on the number of coats.

As for how much color to use, I generally just mix about 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon of color in a pint jar full of lacquer.
That would be for the 2 base color coats only. After that I would simply add more lacquer to the mix, and ease up on the color for 2 or 3 coats, and then use only clear to finish off.
Grain filling must be done prior to painting also.
You can prime the painted areas of the guitar also, if you wish. As long as your surface is VERY smooth before you paint, you should be OK without priming.

Thanks for the advice Gordon! I'll give that a try.

Remember to use a SOLID color for the black, not a stain. The stain will be semi-transparent.

Gordon Bellerose wrote:Remember to use a SOLID color for the black, not a stain. The stain will be semi-transparent.

Gordon, the above statement would be more accurate if you replace the word "stain" with "dye". That is because stains can include both solid colors (i.e.; pigments) and/or transparent colors (i.e.; dyes).

Barry Daniels wrote:

Gordon Bellerose wrote:Remember to use a SOLID color for the black, not a stain. The stain will be semi-transparent.

Gordon, the above statement would be more accurate if you replace the word "stain" with "dye". That is because stains can include both solid colors (i.e.; pigments) and/or transparent colors (i.e.; dyes).

Barry,

I think my choice of words stems back to my house and fence painting days.
A solid color would be called paint, and a semi-transparent color was called stain.
So, that is why I use the words I use. I'm Canadian EH!

Finishing terms are very flexible depending on the person and the craft. The only reason I brought this up is that I have seen that many people are confused or even not aware of the difference between pigment and dye.

I'm sure they make a solid white and a solid black finish along with the clear topcoats. Then again that was 10 years back when they were the hot new thing.