Guitar Clear Gloss Finishes?

Question:I'm finishing my homebuilt guitar, and I need a thick, very hard clear gloss finish. I originally wanted to do polyester, but I can see that isn't a feasible option for me at the time.

I've looked at nitrocellulose and polyurethane, but they're too soft. Should I go with several coats of acrylic enamel? Any ideas?

Answers:
Nitrocellulose Lacquer is certainly too soft. Paint will work but needs a hard surface over it. Polyester is ideal but as you already know, hard to apply. Polyurethane is a tough, relatively hard finish and is attractive. I don't know what leads you to believe poly is not hard unless you plan to use spar varnish which is softer. Oil based polyurethane is popular as a floor finish because it is so tough. I would recommend that.