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Like when I was offered to play a Selmer...about ten minutes after spraying the nasty DEET stuff on my hands to spread on my face. But I had to say no....to quote Buco - "Dude, I would have showered...."🤣
But those things were some intense beasts, biting through cloth even.
I agree that refinishing a "French polish" guitar will probably reduce it's value. Players past who afforded this upgrade in the future may slowly sell guitars to "players" and "collectors" which will reduce the supply and hold the value of those non perfect finish guitars!
I'm not sure how well a French polish finish that has been made into a matte finish will hold up over time. It's worth looking into before starting the process.
French Polish doesn't really hold up well over time regardless so....
It's a cool finish, I don't think it's a great choice for gypsy guitars that are going to live (hopefully) in bars and live exciting lives. It's really well suited to classical guitars that live in cases and concert halls.
I recall several years ago when a few guitars lost their finish where DEET mosquito repellent came into contact with the guitar. It was a particularly bad year for mosquitoes ~ a lesson worth remembering and passing along.
That's a check mark for an oil finish, I think. I'm not 100% sure but I don't think it would affect them (much). I should check.
I could add DEET resistance to my guitars features ;)
I have an archtop with a a French-polish finish, more than 30 years old, that I've played out on, including a week at a mostly-outdoor summer music camp. Aside from the inevitable dings and scratches, it has weathered fine, so I'm not sold on the argument that it's a delicate finish, though it's certainly not as tough as slathered-on polyurethane. And I certainly wouldn't mess with it myself just to change its albedo. (Though I'm sure that the builder could train me to do simple touch-ups--I've watched him apply FP, and it's mostly a matter of careful touch, the right FP formula, and lots of patience.)
Thanks all for the comments and pieces of advice. I removed the pick guard, but left the french polish as is.
FYI: Here is how I removed the pick guard without harming the guitar or French polish
I applied heat from a hair blow dryer over the pick guard, pealing it off carefully with a very thin, clean metal scraper (leaving no scratches). There was another layer of thin plastic material underneath that I then peeled off with my fingers. Next, I then removed the remaining glue by rubbing in (with my fingers) Ronsonol lighter fuel to the area. Once I removed all of the remaining glue, I wiped the face of the guitar with a soft, fine cloth. This process didn't harm the french polish or the guitar what so ever. No scratches, and no sign of once having had a pick guard. By removing the pick guard, I've eliminated that reflective shine that came from the pick guard. Since my manner of playing doesn't involve nicking the guitar with my pick, It's all good and I'm happy.