not at all. I was referring from the perspective of a guy who hung around with violin makers, and where "varnish" might well be a reactive finish with little or no oil in it at all. Typically, an " alligator" finish was left on, and a french polish, in this case, linseed oil, followed by alcohol until it began to squeak and then oil, & so on adding a bit of clear "varnish" if needed to protect naked wood. By definition, I suppose it would be more accurate to refer to spirit varnish as shellac, even though the dissolved gums may not include shellac flakes? Anyway, I did not want to sound like some kind of varnish expert, which I obviously am not, but wished to point out that some of what might loosly be called "varnish" , does indeed dissolve completely with alcohol, so would certainly react as though it was shellac. The above mentioned method for french polishing, while a bit spooky on an old, valuable violin, works well on some older soundboards which have a reactive finish, and is a reasonable alternative to refinishing when possible. It doesn't take away from the nice coloration either, except to make the old oxydized finish clear again. Just some thoughts. Steve
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