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I have just restored an old guitar and I sanded it completely back and was talked into french polishing by the Bunnings guy and it's the first time I've attempted anything like this and it's come up reasonable. But I've now learned that the shellac will need constant touch ups of shellac so I wonder can I use a gloss estapol over the top of shellac.
If its a guitar with any sort of value as an old guitar (ie its not just any old 'old guitar' from the local Vinnies but something that great uncle Fred played back in his days with Metallica when they were going through their flamenco period), stick with the shellac and give it a polish occasionally, or pad on extra shellac if it gets worn.
The problem with estapol is that it is a non-reversable finish. Put it on...and thats it - you will need to mechanically or chemically remove remove it when it gets worn, which is not good for the object you are removing it from.
That ten million dollar violin recently donated in Sydney - wouldn't have been worth $10 million if someone had given it a quick blast of estapol twenty years ago.
That said, you can strip shellac with metho, but its not really necessary as you can overfinish it with just about anything.
I think nitro cellulose would be a better way to go. It is widely used on guiatrs.
http://www.durobond.com.au/lacquers.htm
http://www.mirotone.com/Australia-Mirolac/default.aspx
http://www.speco.com.au/vht_special.html
I have used 'hard' shellac on some necks and so far (early days) it is going very well.
I use at least one of the guiatrs every day.
Hope this helps.
RobSm
You could try some of ubeaut's Hard Shellac.