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Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Restoration Project- HCEG Black Top!


GreatDane

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Paging someone here who can do great guitar work (repair/restoration/etc.) and can do finish work. I could go to a few well-respected people around here, or have it shipped out to a few different places, but I'd really like it to be someone on this forum so the work can be shared with all of us here as it progresses. love.gif Atrox, AJ, anyone?

The Patient
I have a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe that is in need of some TLC; she was once routed for a Kahler, so there's a 3" route at the bridge and some screw holes in the headstock. It's not the cleanest route I've seen, but it wouldn't be difficult for someone with skills to fit a maple block in there. seal it up correctly and address the screw holes.

81Deluxe_FrontFull.jpeg

81Deluxe_Front2.jpeg

81Deluxe_HeadFront.jpeg

Right now, as you can see, the finish is a dull transparent wine red, and it will look pretty bad once the block is inserted into the top. So, I want to have the guitar refinished as a "black top" (think goldtop, but with black instead of gold). Here's what I'm thinking:

1.jpg

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what do you think? I think it would really make for a cool thread! This could become the HC Forum Les Paul (so of course it will have P90s thumb.gif)

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Quote Originally Posted by JOn` View Post
great idea!

that "black top" is extremely sexy. really elegant.

i also like your location, bonamassa fan?
i completely agree! and yes, i am.

Quote Originally Posted by LvVein View Post
I have no recommendations but that black/clear is one of my favorite finishes, It looks so classy! I like the "black top" name too, makes perfect sense thumb.gif
sweet! i agree, it's one of my top favorite finish combos.
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thank you for the tip; i'm really looking for someone who posts here and would be willing to post pics showing the progress so we can all follow along.

i've had this guitar for a few years now, and am not in any rush to get her prettied up. that's why i think this would be a great job for someone to take on. with the economy the way it is, i thought maybe one of our better known guitar building guys/gals would bite.

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Quote Originally Posted by mdintx View Post
How about that one dude meandi? He built a sweet archtop and regularly posts repair work threads:

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/....php?t=2012558

guitarzan1143 is builder as well. He just sold one of his personal builds:

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/....php?t=2310356

I don't know if he does finishes though.
good suggestion on meandi. just PM'd him.
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i'd love to do it, but i have no such facility/gear for spraying good finishes, and im too impatient to work with spray cans, that is entirely possible to fix up really nice though, most local repair guys will bel ike "you cant do that", or "its not worth it", because they are lazy, inexperienced, etc.

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I heard back from meandi~ if no one will step in to do the whole thing (repair and finish work), then he'd be willing to do the repair work, but doesn't have the facilities for finish work. anyone with finishing skills want to take in the guitar from Meandi and do the "black top" full finish work?

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Quote Originally Posted by guitarzan1143

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i'd love to do it, but i have no such facility/gear for spraying good finishes, and im too impatient to work with spray cans, that is entirely possible to fix up really nice though, most local repair guys will bel ike "you cant do that", or "its not worth it", because they are lazy, inexperienced, etc.

 

thank you for the encouragement. i would love to get her fixed up right~ she deserves it!
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Quote Originally Posted by GreatDane View Post
I heard back from meandi~ if no one will step in to do the whole thing (repair and finish work), then he'd be willing to do the repair work, but doesn't have the facilities for finish work. anyone with finishing skills want to take in the guitar from Meandi and do the "black top" full finish work?

Yeah, that is pretty much the same exact thing I said last year. However, I'm not taking any work at all till this Fall

Good luck man. i hope you can get this thing done finally
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Quote Originally Posted by guitarzan1143 View Post
i'd love to do it, but i have no such facility/gear for spraying good finishes, and im too impatient to work with spray cans, that is entirely possible to fix up really nice though, most local repair guys will bel ike "you cant do that", or "its not worth it", because they are lazy, inexperienced, etc.

The black & clear nitro are both available from Stew Mac in spray cans.
I experimented with them several years ago.

With nitro, or for that matter, acrylic lacquers as well, the flash time of the thinners need to be tailored to temperature & humidity conditions for good flow out & to avoid blush in high temp/humidity conditions.
There-in lies the major problem with trying to do high quality work with spray cans.

Orange peel can always be leveled with wet sanding before proceeding.

Blush occurs primarially due to excessive humidity, especially on warm/hot days, which limits the ability of the atmosphere to accept the solvent vapors of the drying solvents from the sprayed lacquer.
This causes the sprayed paint film to "skin" over too quickly trapping un-evaporated solvents in the substrates of the paint film layer, causing the finish to turn greyish looking...not a pretty sight.

This is an easily controllable situation with slower drying thinners/retarders.
However, these options are simply not available to the painter when using spray can finishes.
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Quote Originally Posted by Burningleaves

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Cool idea. If a member does end up taking on the job maybe they could post up a build thread here.cool.gif

 

that is definitely my goal with this. i was thinking that, with the economy what it is, someone would be taking this on. so far, meandi has offered to do the repair work. just need a capable finisher. anyone, anyone, Bueller?
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