In the early 1950’s, the increasing popularity of the classical guitar prompted an unprecedented demand for this most beautiful instrument. Many small shops converted to mass production techniques to supply consumers with affordable instruments. Since the guitar’s finish is one of the most time consuming steps in the construction of the guitar, many age old finishing techniques were discarded in favor of finishes that were faster to apply. Economic considerations had to be taken into account in order to make new instruments as affordable as possible. Expensive labor was eliminated wherever necessary. As a matter of fact, there are some companies that have the capabilities to apply a beautiful, deep, durable finish in less than 20 minutes.

As the popularity of the classical guitar increased, it was soon discovered that guitarists were demanding better sounding and better quality guitars. Luthiers, who are always searching for the best sound in their instruments, soon discovered that there were many discerning musicians who were willing to pay the extra cost for French polished guitars.

French polishing is a method of applying shellac and has nothing to do with materials as the term may indicate. No polish is used in this method of finish. Most experts agree that the term "French polishing" might have received its name from the extensive rubbing that is necessary to apply shellac smoothly and perfectly. It is agreed, by most makers of handmade instruments, that the acoustic properties of French polish are far superior to that of any other finish. The only drawback to the French polished guitars is the delicate nature of the finish compared to the hard, catalyzed finishes provided on the factory-made instruments. Extra care must be taken to protect the finish from damage due to perspiration, moisture, and of course general abuse from fingernail scratches. Even though factory finished instruments are more durable, it is very difficult for the repair person to match the materials and repair. If a French polished finish is damaged, it is the most forgiving to repair and touch up. We will cover some repair techniques in this article.

Years ago, when we decided to learn the "old world" way of French polishing, we were discouraged to find very little information on the subject. Most of the articles that we were able to find contained little more than a definition with a list of materials needed and very little instructional content. Just as frustrating to us was the fact that we could not find instructions on how to solve routine problems as they arose during our attempts at French polishing. Many of the articles were written as if nothing would ever go wrong, therefore, no explanation would ever be needed. We suspect that a step-by-step description of the entire French polishing procedure would be too lengthy which is usually beyond the scope of most publications.

Our determination to learn French polishing led to a collection of short articles, many long phone calls, and a huge phone bill. The most valuable information that we were able to obtain was from America’s foremost French polishing experts, Eugene Clark and luthier Cyndy Burton. Much of the information contained in this article comes directly from Mr. Clark's and Ms. Burton’s methods and techniques as we learned and practiced them over the years. We will also try to detail as many possible problems and their solutions as we have encountered during our years of French polishing. The reader should understand, however, that there are many very successful French polishers that do not necessarily use the same techniques as we do. This article is meant to get the beginner started with as much practical and useful information as possible. No doubt, as you gain experience, you will make discoveries and incorporate those ideas into your own methods. Remember, many skills and disciplines are accomplished in many different ways.

This overview is divided into a number of lessons from which the beginner to the already experienced may find useful information. By segmenting this article into lessons, future reference will also be easier. We will get started by explaining the nature of all the materials that we will be using and then relate our step-by-step procedures to the French polishing of a guitar from start to completion. We will try to avoid complex terms and long technical explanations in this article since that is not our goal nor would it serve any beneficial purpose for the student.