Varnish Finished Guitars

[William2]

Has anyone here played a guitar with a varnish finish? Is there a noticeable tonal difference to them as opposed to a nitro or poly finish? I like the look but wonder if this finish could be a PIA compared to other finishes. I was intrigued by this video of the new Eastman varnish finish dreadnoughts. These little things that come out interest me and while they now offer the E-15SS with the varnish finish and a 1 & 11/16" neck, they also offer the E-25SS with a varnish finish and a 1 & 3/4" neck. Sadly, they no longer make these instruments as lefty instruments. My dealer had a early varnish finished Eastman with the relic look and thought it sounded quite open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7DqXtF3Wno

[Silence Dogood]

My favorite finish is a varnish like you commonly see on old violins.  I'm sure it's very time-consuming and labor-intensive, so it's not a common way to finish an instrument. Sometimes I'll see a mandolin with a finish like this and they always look great. I had an Eastman mandolin years ago that had a gloss finish and I scuffed it up with scotchbrite in various thicknesses and it ended up looking a lot like a violin finish when all was done. I spent a lot of time getting it just right, but in the end it still sounded pretty much the same so I sold it. 

[BlueBowman]

If you're hard on your guitars, I'd say varnish is not the way to go. The ones I've seen are far more delicate than nitro, and worlds apart from poly. These were luthier-built guitars, so maybe Eastman's varnish is a little more durable. IDK.

The luthiers building those guitars clearly thought there was a good reason to use the varnish finish. They sounded fantastic. But...as with focusing on any single spec, I'm not sure it's the best way to go when looking for a guitar. Actually, I know for a fact it usually ends in disappointment. It's best to look at each guitar as a complete system. So, IMO, William, you're best off just playing through a bunch of varnish-finished Eastman guitars until you find one that strikes your fancy.

By the way, the best Eastman I've played is one that I used to own: a 2011 E10p (basically, a 12-fret 0-18). Built very lightly, the inside looked like a '30s Martin, including a small bridgeplate. The nitro finish on that guitar was the thinnest I've seen on an Eastman. At fifteen years old, the finish had sunken beneath the grain lines in the top. I would've kept that guitar, but it had structural issues. Unfortunately for us (fortunately for them), Eastman does not build them that lightly any more, but I played a brand new 2026 E10p recently that was still worth the money. I think that's one of their best models. FYI.

[BlueBowman]

Double posts happen!

[William2]

If only they made lefty varnish instruments. The closest I got to a varnish was when I was playing lute. My lutes all had a French polish on them. Someone told me it was made from squashed bugs LOL. But you are right, a guitar is more than one thing. My dealer just got a lefty E-10P in. It is supposed to be the last lefty in that size he will get. Maybe I should consider it. I just can't see myself playing something so small, at least not regularly. He it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPYHbIAos7E

[BlueBowman]

Didn't realize you were a lefty, William. That sure makes things tougher. A good musician buddy of mine is also lefty. He never has as good a time guitar shopping as the rest of us when visiting guitar stores! You have my sympathies.

My dealer just got a lefty E-10P in. It is supposed to be the last lefty in that size he will get. Maybe I should consider it. I just can't see myself playing something so small, at least not regularly. He it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPYHbIAos7E

Always tricky with recordings, but I think that guitar sounds pretty nice. If you're not much of a fingerpicker, might not be the way to go. But I quite dig the immediate response under the fingers of a really good small guitar, not to mention the tone.

FWIW, I came from playing dreads only, but now I don't own a single one. My biggest guitars are 000-12s and OMs right now, though I see myself going down to 0 and/or 00s (probably 12-fretters). Just bought my first deep body 00-12 fret, and it's been an ear opening experience (with apologies for the cheese  ). There's just something about those two sizes (0 and 00) that make for a tonally pleasing and perfectly responsive guitar to me, where everything that matters just lines up perfectly . Again, I'm mostly a fingerstyle player, which probably explains my preference.

Anyway, a long-winded way of saying: sure, give that Eastman a try! Keep an open mind going in. Might be something you enjoy.

[William2]

I'll give the size thing some thought. Maybe not a parlor, but the idea of a deep body smaller instrument sounds interesting. I think that is what attracted me to dreadnoughts. I only play fingerstyle.

[Rockysdad]

I'm a *Larrivée* guitar kind of guy.

I would think from your various posts, that you're more interested in *OTHER* brands, they certainly seem to be slanted to others.