Thread: sealing inside a chambered body?

Gday pjpalfi,

I guess most people will say it's a personal preference thing but if you want the timber to be stable it surely isn't going to hurt to seal it up.
I personally seal every cavity, every drill hole etc & i mean everything, if the air & moisture can get in, seal it up.
I use Wattyl Sanding Sealer for everything, there is lots of talk about how sealers & finishes can affect harmonics etc but i haven't actually seen this on an Oscilloscope to prove it?
For electric guitars i use it straight from the tin, just one thin coat is all that's needed.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
WayneW

Hi,

Sometimes I will wipe on a thinned coat of blonde shellac if the timber is thin, but I generally don't and haven't had any problems with movement so far. I don't recon a thin coat of sealer would have a significant impact on tone, but it can provide an additional protection against environmental change.

You are right about acoustics not sealing the inside, however the same goes for an unsealed fretboard. It wouldn't matter if you sealed the inside or not if you left it next to the fire place in winter or in the car in summer, your guitar would move around alot. Keep your guitar in the proper environment and you wouldn't need to finish it at all....

Cheers,

Peter