Hey guys.
Got a couple of old stage guitars that have their finishes tourterd over the years by aggresive playing, club lights, sweat(LOTS of sweat), and other stress a working guitar goes through. I'd like to refinish these guitars, but I don't want to pay somone top dollar to do it. Does anybody know of any good books, websites, or forums that would have comprehensive imformation to gide me through the process D.I.Y style? :mrgreen:
What guitars are they? Whether you really want to refinish them, how you'd refinish them, and what resources would be useful would depend on that, imho.
finish wear and tear is part of the character building process. lots of us have grown to love the worn look. post pics.
-=tension & release=-
finish wear and tear is part of the character building process. lots of us have grown to love the worn look.
Yep, and some go out of their way to "relic" their guitars to achieve that look.
But, if you must, the most helpful DIY site is the Guitar Reranch: http://home.flash.net/~guitars/ReRanch101.html
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
it's a black 2001 Gibson Explorer. Normally I agree. I love the "worn in" look on a guitar. But I have a simular problem with all black Gibsons from that time('95-02). The paint itself takes on this odd, waxy and melted feel that can be quite disgusting. And to be a bit finiky, I think the guitar would look great in a sparkle, lime green finish(how many explorers do you see like that?). I will take, and post pics tommrow. Thanks for everybody's input.
p.s. thanks sljghammer.....great site! :mrgreen:
My old man has the same quandry with his Fender PJ Bass. I love the relic look too, but even though his bass has heaps of Patina, it's white over yellow undercoat & can look a bit naff. We've got this excellent Luthier nearby that does these 'wallpaper' jobs & I'm trying to convince the old man to get one.
Check them out:
http://www.guitarrepairers.com/index2.html
I guess what I'm saying is they can either look cool, or just wrecked. Go the lime green sparkle & gold hardware - saw an LP in a local music store like that & got GAS straight away...couldn't afford it though, kids have to eat...
"Who says you can't 'dive bomb' a bigsby?!"
Link didn't work how I expected. There's a few 'wallpaper' jobs on there - check out the black tele under guitars - solid bodies.
"Who says you can't 'dive bomb' a bigsby?!"
Hi - Re-ranch is a good place to start, but I think refinishing a guitar is relatively easy. The Gibson set neck makes it a little tougher than a Strat, but really all you need to do is strip the existing finish, sand the wood, apply paint, sand the paint, apply lacquer/poly, sand it, polish it and re-assmble. If you go with a sparkle paint you will be less likely to see any runs, drips, or errors. It is a fun process.
There are a few other sites out there to give you tips, I would search on google to give you some more ideas. If you were looking for an opaque finish I would suggest trying the Re-Ranch products,but for solid colors I think you are fine useing materials from a local hardware store.
-=- Steve
"If the moon were made of ribs, would you eat it?"
My old man has the same quandry with his Fender PJ Bass. I love the relic look too, but even though his bass has heaps of Patina, it's white over yellow undercoat & can look a bit naff. We've got this excellent Luthier nearby that does these 'wallpaper' jobs & I'm trying to convince the old man to get one.
Check them out:
http://www.guitarrepairers.com/index2.html
.
Glad I checked that site out the Jan Akkerman and Focus video on that page is great saw him live again a few weeks back and his guitar work is still stunning .
Love the guitar jobs as well :)
Dont give a shite about punctuation or spelling , I have to do that all day at work.
Free times for rocking !!
I've often wondered if there's a way to get that old cracked nitro-cellulose look? I know the places in Australia that do Nitro are very limited 'cause it's nasty...anyone know of any substitutes to get that OLD look? 8)
"Who says you can't 'dive bomb' a bigsby?!"
The "relickers" crack nitrocellulose lacquer by warming it with a heat lamp or heat gun, then spraying cold "canned air" on it.
I saw a video on YouTube of a bozo using a propane torch followed by the canned air, but I think using a flame's really risky! Nitrocellulose is quite flammable. My principal use for it is propelling bullets out of guns. It spontaneously flames up at about 450°F.
Wait a few years and your lacquer will crack just like it's supposed to, anyway. Much faster if you leave your guitar out in the car in freezing weather, bring it inside with the heat cranked way up and open the case.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Cheers - unfortunately (or fortunately) we don't get freezing cold where I live :D
But at least I know what to do if I can find someone locally who can spray nitro for me.
"Who says you can't 'dive bomb' a bigsby?!"
Thanks for everybody's input on this thread. I have several resources at my fingertips now, and the guitar will be done D.I.Y.
I will post "before", and "after" pics once my baby is complete!
Randy :mrgreen:
