Selmer SA80 SII lacquer removal
Hi folks,
I've decided I want to strip the lacquer from the body of my SA80 SII alto, bought new around 1997. Horn works beautifully, no dramas whatsoever, but it's entered that dowdy phase between shiny & nice and old & vintage-looking. I really like the idea of fully stripping the body and leaving the keys in their current semi-worn state, think it'll look great. I never liked the greenish tinge to the lacquer of the SA80 SIIs.
(I don't believe for a second that it'll change the tone in any noticeable way - or if it does, the difference will be a tiny fraction of the difference you get changing reeds! This is purely a cosmetic thing for me.)
I've read a bunch of different forums about different stripping methods and have been experimenting on the neck, but with no visible result thus far. I boiled the neck in water for about 20 mins last night, alternating between hot & cold water; it did nothing (well, made it slightly shinier & cleaner, but the lacquer is unaffected). I tried acetone this morning, applying lightly with rags to begin with then actually soaking in acetone for 5-10 mins; again, zero effect. These methods seem to work on Mark VIs, but I'm guessing that 30 years earlier they had different lacquer applied using a different technique to what they used in the late 90s. I can't find any specific advice for this model of sax, so hoping one (or several) of you might know what I can try...? Thanks in advance!
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