Yes. The effort is not wasted however.
Despite automated spray booths and chemically curing finishes, I have yet to see a product of contemporary manufacturing methods match the quality of a hand finish. Anyone remember French Polishing? Built up layer by layer, it is about the best "natural" finish you can get. It works for trans and solid finishes too.
"Literally, hundreds of passes all over the surface of the wood will be required to complete this step. When this objective is reached, take a break and wait a few hours to allow the shellac to dry thoroughly. You're going to need to repeat this entire process 6-8 times to achieve the desired finish."
French polished guitars
There is a lot of effort spent in the prep between coats with high quality spraying too. You could take short cuts but it would be a shame not to give the underlying instrument the best finish you can achieve.