Good vs. Bad Satin Finish

[swankerme]

I received a custom ordered mandolin today. My luthier has been working this one for nearly half a year. This specific model has a satin finish.

What are qualities of a "quality" satin/matte finish? I own an Eastman MD-315 for comparison. The Eastman also has a satin finish, and it is very smooth and very flat. I see no bubbles, evidence of spray, un-evenness, etc. Very impressive for a Chinese mandolin!

The custom luthier-made mandolin I received today does NOT have the same qualities. The finish is very obviously "sprayed". You can see tiny "dots" that look like evidence of spray painting (I have spray painted MANY fine projects). I'm saying the luthier actually spray painted the mandolin, but to me, it doesn't appear like a quality spray-finish.

I don't want to include pictures or names at this point, but I'm curious if the finish will eventually "smooth out", or is this evidence of a cheap job?

[Skip Kelley]

If I were in your shoes, I would share your concerns with the builder. I’m sure they will take care of you.

[Marty Jacobson]

Probably not evidence of a cheap job. Possibly evidence of a finish spec that the builder doesn't have a ton of experience with, if it's not advertised as a "budget model". If it was advertised as a budget model, then the builder is trying to focus on making a living while building functional, playable instruments without sinking too much time into the finish, which can easily take as much time as the entire rest of the build process.
So yes, talk to your builder and let them know your concerns.

[sunburst]

Usually, the main deciding factor between a good vs bad finish is surface preparation. That applies to all levels of gloss from matte to high gloss.
Otherwise, as Marty said, it may be a lack of skill applying this particular finish.

Another note. Many quality low gloss/sheen finishes are "off the gun" meaning there is nothing done to the finish following the last sprayed coat. The last coat must be near-perfect for the finish to look really good, and that can be a difficult thing unless the finish room is spotlessly clean, the exhaust system is of high quality and working well, and the finisher has plenty of experience with the material and procedure.
Relatively easy for a large production facility like Eastman, not so easy for many small/one man shops.

[MontanaMatt]

My Ratliff was ordered as a flat satin finish, it was “off the gun”, and very different from the satin finish on my Martin Guitar. It had a noisy, almost gritty feel, and I didn’t like it at all. I paid another Luthier to professionally buff it out to high gloss, which it did achieve quite nicely, and I am cured of my dislike of its finish. I think the satin finish was cheaper by the same amount I had to pay for the pro buff job, so no loss to test out the satin.