Superior Timber Coatings work closely with guitar manufacturers to help achieve the right finish for professional instruments—balancing durability, colour consistency, and surface feel without compromising tone or craftsmanship.
Beyond musical instruments, we supply premium timber coatings and provide practical technical support for specialised projects across architecture, building, carpentry, furniture making, kitchen manufacturing, and other applications where standard coating systems are not always enough.
We regularly solve timber coating challenges by developing custom finishes tailored to the material, application method, and end use. Our coatings have been used by respected Australian guitar makers including Salvis Fine Guitars, Maton Guitars, Cole Clarke Guitars, and Falch Guitars.
Recently, we collaborated with Rik Falch of Falch Guitars on a custom build for Adelaide musician Shaun Holton. Featured in this case study is a solid purple finish developed specifically for this instrument, combining durability, colour consistency, and a surface feel suited to a professional performance guitar.
Falch Guitars is lead by Rik Falch, an engineer and custom guitar builder. He reached out to us with a custom request for a special guitar he was building for Shaun Holton. Shaun, a well-known Adelaide musician, is celebrated for his work in various musical projects such as Projected Twin. He is also a prominent figure on Singit Live, an online platform that showcases live performances of the world’s greatest songs. Additionally, Shaun made a memorable appearance on The Voice, Season 10, where he performed alongside Keith Urban (watch the performance here).
For this project, Shaun envisioned a standout guitar that would be both visually stunning and sonically versatile. Rik Falch expertly crafted a Strat-style guitar with a unique 10-way switch, enhancing its tonal range. The guitar’s body was constructed from Oregon, also known as Douglas Fir, which offers remarkable sustain while remaining lightweight.
Once the guitar was built, Superior Timber Coatings were engaged to specify a coating system suited to a professional musical instrument. Shaun selected a distinctive purple from the Ilva colour range, drawn from thousands of available options.
To achieve the required finish, we supplied an Ilva polyurethane 2-pack system, incorporating premium yellowing-resistant hardeners and high-performance polyurethane undercoats. The undercoat system sands cleanly and consistently, adheres strongly to the timber substrate, and provides a stable, even surface for the coloured topcoat to bind to.
This system delivers long-term durability, strong colour integrity, and a smooth surface feel—key requirements for a guitar that will be handled regularly and exposed to varying conditions.
The collaboration resulted in a guitar that is not only a standout visually but also a testament to the craftsmanship of Rik Falch and the quality of Ilva coatings. Shaun Holton now has a unique instrument that complements his excepional talent, ensuring that his performances are as striking visually as they are musically. At Superior Timber Coatings, we are honored to have played a part in this project and look forward to many more creative collaborations in the future.
If you have a unique coating for a specific purpose, talk to our team who can help guide you through the best timber coating for your needs.
📞 Call our technical sales team on 1300 887 853 or submit an enquiry via our website, and we’ll help you Coat With Confidence.