Finish for goncalo

[Mike Sayre]

Any tips for finishing goncalo alves?
I want it to retain it's color. Lacquer? Tru-oil? Other?
Thanks

[David King]

Mike,
I don't have a lot of experience with goncalo alves but so far it has been very colorfast with minimal oxidation. I'd say any finish would give satisfactory results. It would depend most on what you've made with it.

[Mike Sayre]

Considering an SG.

[David King]

It's a very dense, heavy wood, think teak but not as greasy. It would be a very heavy guitar unless you were to hollow it out somehow. Typically one would put a 1/4" drop-top over a lighter body, say khaya, alder, swamp ash etc.
But back to the subject at hand, I'd say that a drying oil like Tru-oil would work well as the wood is unlikely to dent easily.

[Patrick DeGreve]

I have built two acoustic guitars with Goncalo Alves. I finishes them with Mohawk Lacquer. They finished very nice. It is a very tight grained wood. I like this wood, and have bought a few more sets of it. They had a very bright tone, very clear, and projected well.

[Dave Weir]

It's one of my favorite woods for one piece necks. I prefer oil varnish like minwax tung oil finish. Usually three coats, and sand in between with boiled linseed oil. It seems like one of the easier woods to finish, and I think most products would work well