I'm late to the party on this one. As a builder, I have switched over to post-catalyzed conversion varnish on my instruments. One of the biggest advantages is the very quick cure time. Nitro has to sit for weeks before it's cured enough to final sand and buff, that's a big slow up in the production schedule for an operation that produces a lot of instruments. It also means you get to that same hardness that puts a crisp edge on the tone WAY faster. Nitro shrinks back and becomes thinner and harder over time. The biggest improvement is in the first few years, at ten years it can sound really good, in 30 years it can be fantastic (depending on the build). Cured finish is buffable in 1-2 days, and as cured as it will ever get in 30 days.
The fact that someone as meticulous as Dana Bourgeoise has made this change tells you something. Nitro is currently 3-4x as expensive as the synthetics (at least in the quantities I buy) but I doubt that's behind the change. When a Bourgoise goes for $5-6k new, they're not going to sweating $10 in finishing materials. His reputation is most important.
The fact that someone as meticulous as Dana Bourgeoise has made this change tells you something. Nitro is currently 3-4x as expensive as the synthetics (at least in the quantities I buy) but I doubt that's behind the change. When a Bourgoise goes for $5-6k new, they're not going to sweating $10 in finishing materials. His reputation is most important.
