When in the course of running a business, it becomes necessary for a company to create rules that protect the sanctity of its employees and operations, which serve a rich and diverse industry, a decent respect requires these policies be clear and aligned with our commitment to excellence and reasonable expectations.
Starr Guitars finishing shop, located in the heart of Central Florida, has been providing guitar manufacturers, luthiers, and the general public with nitrocellulose finishes for nearly 20 years. Run by a small, but dedicated team of builders, players, and friends, we’re passionate about our craft and love the opportunity to work on your instrument’s finish!
Currently, we ONLY spray nitrocellulose finishes. Though not as tough and durable as modern urethane and polyester finishes, our finishes give you that vintage look and feel that only nitrocellulose can provide. While we love the look and performance of those modern finishes, our choice to spray nitro grew out of our passion for restoring vintage instruments and the unique, unparalleled character that a nitro finish imparts as it ages.
Finishing instruments is as much of a science, as it is an art! Especially when it comes to nitro. As many finishers will tell you, there’s no such thing as a “perfect finish”, but we do our best to always provide the highest quality possible—whether we’re in lab coats, or straight-jackets!
We’re always excited to share our love of nitro and expertise in finishing, aging, and building, with others who appreciate it too!
For nearly 20 years, we've been an industry staple when it comes to finishing instruments in nitrocellulose lacquer. Our processes and techniques have been developed through years of research and development for each aspect of our operations. Below are some of our specialty services that we offer to the music community.
OEM Instrument Finishing
Service for builders, from small to large, looking for industry rated nitrocellulose finishes for their line of musical instruments. To become an OEM client, please reach out to us via phone or email to discuss pricing and details.
Vintage Finish Refinishing
For those looking to have their vintage instrument refinished in authentic and accurate detail. Whether it was refinished poorly in the '70s or just aged poorly from years of neglect, we know how to bring that "old soul" back from the dead!
Les Paul Refinishing
From a simple finish, to vintage inspired, or just a whole new look, Kip Elder cut his teeth working with the best in the industry to develop his keen eye and noteworthy techniques for Les Paul refinishes. This service offers options outside of our standard fare and is priced on a job-by-job basis. Please call or email us to get a quote for your Les Paul refinish. We do not currently offer any wood/recarving services for Les Pauls.
Prices quoted are valid for 30 days from the date of quote. If you do not approve the quote, or send your items to us within that timeframe, you will have to re-quote the job again.
All invoices are provided and made payable through QuickBooks. Please read through the following information, as certain payment policies may apply based on your customer type:
General Public Customers
All major credit and debit cards are accepted through our QuickBooks payment portal. Cash and checks are accepted as payment for in person transactions only.
OEM/B2B Customers
All major credit and debit cards are accepted through our QuickBooks payment portal. Checks are accepted and can be mailed to the address on our contact page. Cash is accepted for local customers only.
Turnaround times can vary based on current production volume, customer needs, and end-user expectations. We will give you an estimated turn-time with your quote.
We always say, “a good finish takes time”; and even though we perform multiple steps to control as much off the process, climate, and production hiccups as possible, you still can’t beat the clock—at least, not without a Flux Capacitor!
Our primary source of work comes from builders, who send us large batches of bodies and necks for OEM production finishing. So, as volume builds, our turnaround times can get longer. For you builders out there: batching similar types of finish jobs/colors really helps keep each run efficient and turnaround times lower!
While there is literally a rainbow of colors available to finish your instrument in, there is also a large variance in cost for those colors from our vendors. We try to keep pricing as simple as possible, but each job has its own unique needs and processes, so they are quoted on a job-by-job basis.
The "starting" prices listed on our Finishing page detail the minimum range for each of the three types of finish offered. This is for a standard clear over wood, or "Natural" finish. The price goes up from there as you move to trans tint/stains, solid colors, and metallics.
Custom colors incur an upcharge over our "standard" pricing. They are priced based on the minimum orderable quantity from our vendors. These are colors specifically ordered for your job, which are either non-standard/traditional colors, or colors custom mixed by our vendors.
We try our best to work with you on finding the right finish and colors to hit your expectations and budget. Ultimately, we are not going to push you into a sale, but will inform you of your best options available to finish your instrument and still love it!
Nitrocellulose Lacquer is both ostracized and embraced for it's faults as a protective finish. Those who choose to finish their instrument(s) in nitro, do so with the understanding that it is susceptible to all manner of environmental and chemical reactions; including, but not limited to sudden changes in temperature, reactions with non-organic materials, dissolving from caustic liquids, and naturally thinning as it continues to cure over it's lifetime.
By electing to have us finish your instrument in nitrocellulose lacquer, you are entering into a contract that absolves us from any liability for the following issues:
Our standard shipping for all customers is UPS "Ground", insured, with signature required. Please make sure you are able to receive and sign for the package within the delivery window. We are not responsible for charges due to undeliverable package returns.
For "OEM/B2B" customers, should you want to use another carrier or "non-ground" delivery option, you can either provide us with a return label, or provide us with your shipper account number to process the shipment.
We only ship to the customer provided address, as written on the invoice. It is the customer's responsibility to ensure the correct address is provided prior to shipping. We are not liable if the incorrect address is provided by the customer.
Shipping estimates are included on quotes and are recalculated on the final invoice, prior to shipping. Shipments are processed after full payment is made and cleared.
Import, customs, VAT, or other fees associated with international shipping are the responsibility of the customer, and are not included on invoices.
When shipping your guitar body or neck to us for finishing, please consider the following information to ensure safe and hassle-free shipping experience. If you are unsure about how to pack and ship your items, please visit your shipping carriers website and read thier packaging guidelines.
While our shop is not openly available to the general public, you can still schedule a day and time to drop-off/pick-up your items for finishing. We are available to schedule times Monday - Friday, between the hours of 11:00am-1:00pm and 2:00pm-5:00pm. Please call or email us to schedule your drop-off or pick-up.
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