This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

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This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

Post by Single coil »

I picked this up a couple weeks ago. Always liked the whole DC les paul thing, couldn't say no to it for the price. Figured I'd get a bunch of paints from werk and see if I could actually refinish it.

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Got it home and ripped straight into it. Turns out the burstbuckers are legit, and it had planet waves locking tuners on it too.

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The John Wayne Gacy blue just had to go. So I had at it with the spray n' wipe and one of those green rough frying pan cleaning things.

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Oddly enough, it came off with bugger all protest and revealed a sunburst done right. Good shit, ibanez.

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Buuuuuut given I already had all my paintsies and carryon, I had at it at the next opportunity. First was trying to get rid of the original finish with paint stripper.

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Usually this is really volatile stuff; it bubbles on contact and eats everything it can. It ... Took a whole bunch of the plasticy urethane finish off, and that's about it.
I hit it a couple more times, even with oven cleaner and a different paint stripper, but this is all it did.

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So, I'd had just about enough of that. 80 grit to the rescue.

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We (flatmate and me) got enough off it that I was happy primer would stick to it. Wax and grease remover made it go this colour while it was damp which is pretty cool really.

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Always, always, always spray your can a wee bit first.

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Came up ok later though.

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Got sanding with lighter shit once it'd dried. Wet sanding wasn't quite necessary here, but I did it anyway cuz it's what I'm used to.

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Getting rid of the faggy blub blub spray bits would prove to be a bit of a pain, but that sorts itself out later.

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... Somehow I managed to contract another one.

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More wet sanding pix.

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Anyone who knows me will know I've always like the ol' goldtops. So here we are after the first dusting of colour.

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I dusted it a couple more times before I took it up north, where the was a dog and a shed. And gin.

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Once I was in north, I managed to fashion a real would be spraying stand thing, and got to my final colour coat.

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JUST KIDDING.
I fucked it up and had to wet sand and do it again rah rah rah, so here's some footage of that. Dorkland somehow had a mass shortage of 2000 grit wet n' dry, so I managed to find some of that in whangarei.

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Taping up is the most annoying part of the whole job.

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So, final coat.
Round two.
FIGHT.

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Sorta shot myself in the foot doing my first ever refin on something with binding, but it wasn't... As bad as it coulda been.

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Managed to get the clearcoat on once I'd tidied that up. It is lots more glossy while it's wet.

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It left me with a soft looking gold. Not quite what I was pegging for, but not bad.

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Shoutout to temporary clothesline for improv hanging drying thing.

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I let it dry a bit more inside by the door where the light could get to it.

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... Then I had a good afternoon trying to buff and polish it.

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The logo had been covered by some sticker, and the extremities were covered with fucknose what. Suspect vivid but never really figured it out.

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This made short work of it.

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DO NOT use rubbing compound on anything, ever, unless you have exhausted every other avenue ever. It is seriously strong shit.

I started putting it back together for a sorta mockup thing. Had to dig a bunch of crap outta the accessory holes of course.

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Before and after, with rubbing compound.

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This is as far as I would get on that weekend.

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The guitar wouldn't be playable until the new bridge turned up - The old one was set up weird. I ordered this mean fat gotoh thing. Serious piece of hardware.
The posts were different sizes because of course they were, so they got drilled to take the new ones.

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Then there was the case of wiring. Not my favourite, especially when the problem isn't obvious.

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Solution turned out to be simple, oddly enough. Neck pickups' wire wasn't grounding properly, so I cut it and used a new bit. Gibson and braided wire etc. Went fine after that.

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... And then there was this. Featuring new knobs.

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Chucked its strings on, intonated it, dropped the action, and couldn't put it down.

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Took some sexy not even on the deck pix the next day.

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So now I have a double cut, a goldtop, a HH guitar, and I know I can do the next one better.
Objectives achieved.
werdna wrote:Well at least I can still make toast in the bath without anyone telling me it's unsafe.

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Re: This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

Post by Capt. Black »

I like that!

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Re: This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

Post by higainer »

Excellent work :thumbup:

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Re: This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

Post by Zaulkin »

Fantastic! Awesome work dude.

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Re: This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

Post by Single coil »

I think I did alright. After giving it a good strum over the last couple days, it could do with a bit more setty uppy.
That's really it.
werdna wrote:Well at least I can still make toast in the bath without anyone telling me it's unsafe.

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Re: This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

Post by Bg »

yeah that burst was pretty sweet under the denche.... but word of advice, next time forget the paint stripper ;) go with the heat gun, it'll chip right off - care is needed that you don't burn the wood underneath but you have to be pretty careless
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

Post by GrantB »

Nice - good colour choice. Good effort with all the photos and dialogue too. Thanks!
"Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible god and destroys a visible nature. Unaware that this nature he's destroying is this god he's worshipping." - Hubert Reeves

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Re: This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

Post by jeremyb »

Looks awesome man!
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

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Re: This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

Post by AiRdAd »

When I saw the flamed maple top in a nice burst underneath the blue paint, I thought that the thread was going to be about how happy you were with the finish underneath the shoddy paint! hahahaha Looks great!!! You did a really good job with it.
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Re: This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

Post by willow13 »

I did a fake les paul in the exact same colour....got bored with it within 2 weeks so spray it copper instead (cool story I know)

good work james....oh and that table in the first photo is fucking outstanding (well upstanding I suppose)
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Post by Single coil »

Apparently one of the flatties went nuts and bought a whole heap of dragon stuff.
Not complaining.
werdna wrote:Well at least I can still make toast in the bath without anyone telling me it's unsafe.

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Post by Danger Mouse »

First obvious question is why would anyone put that blue over what looks to be a pretty nice flame, which I'd be very tempted to keep once I'd discovered what was underneath, but the end result is really cool.
The older I get, the more disappointed in myself I become.

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Post by Single coil »

Fuck knows.
werdna wrote:Well at least I can still make toast in the bath without anyone telling me it's unsafe.

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Re: This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

Post by Cdog »

Image

Mini Forklift

Re: This artist has gone gold already (really super not dial up friendly)

Post by Mini Forklift »

Seriously well done, what a fantastic end result !! I'd love to have the knowledge and patience to do something like that ~ must have been hugely gratifying.

Heck, I'd even struggle having the patience to upload all of the photos !! Props to you bro.

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