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I thought guitars typically get a French polish which does use shellac.

Some guitars do but it's not common. Nitrocellulose lacquer was common in the 20th century and linseed oil with natural resins before that.

When I hear "nitrocellulose" I quickly get doubts if I'd want to coat my instrument in it. (If it's common I presume it must be safe, more or less, but it sure doesn't inspire much confidence in me.)

This is low-nitrated material, and the only issue there is thermal runaway that you don't have when applied as a guitar lacquer.

That nitrocellulose form is only really a problem in bulk form, like back when it was used for movie projection film.

Flakes of the lacquer just burn fast and may continue burning without additional oxygen, but the thin film inhibits any detonation waves across the surface, while the liquid lacquer form inhibits such by dilution in a solvent.

No, it is not safe, and that is why it is regulated and hard to get in many parts of the world.

Afaik the final product is pretty safe but handling the chemicals while working with it needs precautions.

Well, handling the lacquer while (re)coating a guitar would only have the typical solvent issues.

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