Attempt to get close to a '59 burst replica

lapdawg · 2014-01-20T22:38:01+00:00

Over the past few years I have built a few amplifiers and made even more cabinets, mostly repro's of Fender & Marshall amps. I done a reasonable amount of research & reading about amps & their construction but... I've always wanted to build some guitars. The closest I've come to building in all my years of playing is making lefty nuts for my string flips. Guitar building, as I am finding out is a different in some very fundamental ways. Most importantly: The amount materials needed, The levels of accuracy needed The amount of work and detail involved The number of tools & jigs needed Impatience is my biggest weakness, so that’s my personal challenge. My fascination with Gibson, especially the 58-59-60 bursts, means that this project can't be anything else. I have done a lot of reading on the construction of the 58-59-60 bursts. This is territory for obsessives & endless debate. I initially started out with idea that I would like to build a few completely accurate ’59s. The first thing I've decided is to build a few of them. 2 reasons for this: If I mess something up, then all my eggs are not in one basket. Secondly, with the jig building, lumber sizes etc. Its just not worth the effort to make one guitar. Through all the reading I have done, I have seen a lot of DIY build threads that just die. I promise I won’t do that. If I mess up, I’ll post it. That ambition of “completely accurate” has changed with a bit of discovery, most importantly: the availability of Brazilian rosewood, Honduras mahogany (Swetenia). The price & ethics that go with this are both a problem for me. The price of repro bridges, switches, fret-board inlays etc. is extreme. I am not sure that a first build will justify that outlay. These decisions need to be made as I go. Pickup rings that are "repro" can easily cost R2 000 with shipping & duties to add. Ridiculous. I've bought plans which I think are mostly accurate. They were supposedly modelled on 3 bursts that the drafter had access to. There are one or 2 details that haven’t 100% added up for me & some info that is missing. I have worked out my adjustments to these and think I have a good idea of what to do. I've bought African mahogany & sapele for the necks. I have been unable to find any info or sources for featherweight African mahogany, but I know it exists. It won’t be playing a part in this build. I have read that some of the bursts had sapele necks. I have ordered 2 pieces of tiger maple – eastern red maple. This was mostly what was used on the bursts. I want to make as much as I can, within reason. I will definitely do all the woodwork. I’m going to make & wind my own pickups. Obviously, tuners, tailpiece, bridge etc should be bought. I think it makes economic sense to make things like hide glue, fish glue & some of the plastic fittings. I've started with making the body templates & will post those later.

Attila

Tea for me please

Jacques_nasi

lapdawg wrote I've given the tops a light 600 grit sanding to flatten the sealer coat. As soon as the weather clears up I'll spray the bursts and start with the clear coat layering

That would be my colour right there. Always been a huge sucker for a Lemon Drop type finish on a Les Paul ?

Chabenda

I reckon the Dark Burgundy - these guitars are going to around for a great many years and are going to fade to some extent. Especially if they are true to their original design and purpose!

lapdawg

Attila Barath wrote Tea for me please

Sugars?

Jacques_nasi wrote
lapdawg wrote I've given the tops a light 600 grit sanding to flatten the sealer coat. As soon as the weather clears up I'll spray the bursts and start with the clear coat layering
That would be my colour right there. Always been a huge sucker for a Lemon Drop type finish on a Les Paul ?

I also like this colour but I don't believe that you can get to it simply. Its the process of fading that gives it a character that's hard to replicate.
The one short-cut is:
Step 1: Spray the amber undercoat
Step 2: Burst coat - mix the cherry dyes - mostly cherry; a little amber/brown; very small amount of blue; even smaller dash of black.
Put the dye in a clear jar & leave it in the sun. Spray the burst with that. That will give that very slight greenish hue typical of the lemon drop.

I'm not doing any aging on these, so I'm not going to accelerate the fading - I would like that all to happen with time. Chabenda's got the idea.
That said, I would like to experiment with this lemondrop technique.

nicovlogg

Stopped by the workshop this weekend and can confirm that these guitars are as beautiful (or in fact more) than they appear to be in the pics. The attention to detail is astounding! :applause:

Big-G

Gosh, those three look incredible! You clearly are a very talented man, and whoever gets to 'look after' one of these beauties when they are finished is going to be a very lucky person! I just hope I get to see one in the flesh and have a go!

Now that you have actually sprayed the three guitars, I can honestly say that I like all three finishes equally. I usually prefer kind of honey bursts compared to darker bursts, but the burgandy looks fantastic!

If you should feel like doing a Jazz bass ish body in a similar vein at any point, let me know, as I'm looking to have a Jazz body built for a 5 string neck I have. ?

Keep up the good work sir Dawg!
Regards
G!

lapdawg

Big G wrote Gosh, those three look incredible! You clearly are a very talented man, and whoever gets to 'look after' one of these beauties when they are finished is going to be a very lucky person! I just hope I get to see one in the flesh and have a go!

Now that you have actually sprayed the three guitars, I can honestly say that I like all three finishes equally. I usually prefer kind of honey bursts compared to darker bursts, but the burgandy looks fantastic!

If you should feel like doing a Jazz bass ish body in a similar vein at any point, let me know, as I'm looking to have a Jazz body built for a 5 string neck I have. ?

Keep up the good work sir Dawg!
Regards
G!

These will all become honey-ish in time.
BTW - Gibson made a LP Standard bass from 1969 - 1971. The styling was very much like bursts. They were discontinued and replaced with a changed model.

lapdawg

I haven't had a window to do anymore spraying, so I took the time to complete a pickup winder. Often these kind of designs of mine don't work out, but I think this one will. There is likely to be a bit of fine tuning needed, but it came together quite easily & cost almost nothing. It comprises:
- motor, foot pedal, belt & drive from an old sewing machine
- a digital counter bought cheap on eBay
- an old cellphone charger to power the counter
- a window/door sensor for an alarm system to do the switching for the counter per rotation
- a piece of shafting & 2 bearings
- a few BB ply off cuts

There was a power source for the light on the sewing machine. I connected that to the charger. This means that the counter switches on with the winder.
Buying one online could easily cost more than R5 000, so for a couple of bucks I think its a good result. The difficult part will be learning to wind accurately. I might try with some thin nylon first. The ceramic coated 42 awg is not available in SA and will definitely be the most expensive part of the humbucker.

warrenpridgeon

Sweet homebrew winder!!!

Attila

love it

Heath

You sir are an evil genius

G-Man

This keeps getting better and better! I love your diy approach to everything! I would have probably used a fishing rod and reel and tried to count manually haha.

Attila

Don't joke the coffee grinder action could be great for a scatter wind

lapdawg

Thanks for the encouraging feedback. Hopefully the winder will do the job.

I'm going to be at work for the rest of the weekend so I won't be able to test the winder or take advantage of the good-for-spraying weather.
I did a bit of sun fading on on the burgundy & tea tops before I left. I was worried that I had been a little heavy handed with the burst. A bit of morning sun confirms that they will fade - and produce a nice effect.

Burgundy after some sun time:

...and Tea:

IMO - both looking better.

guidothepimmp

Great work dawg.. thanks for sharing.. seriously talented

Stoffeltoo

Mmm Coffee grinders. Time for fishing? Trout fishing with Sasko specials.
Dawg, I am amazed. Boer maak 'n Plan and voila digitised pickup winder. Rof man!! ?

singemonkey

lapdawg wrote Thanks for the encouraging feedback. Hopefully the winder will do the job.

I'm going to be at work for the rest of the weekend so I won't be able to test the winder or take advantage of the good-for-spraying weather.
I did a bit of sun fading on on the burgundy & tea tops before I left. I was worried that I had been a little heavy handed with the burst. A bit of morning sun confirms that they will fade - and produce a nice effect.

Burgundy after some sun time:

...and Tea:

IMO - both looking better.

Ok. That's what I'm talking about. I was actually a little disappointed for the first time on this thread when I saw the initial sprays. I thought that was it. I was like... damn Lapdawg... that's a little heavy, ain't it.

I will never doubt you again. :'(

lapdawg

singemonkey wrote
Ok. That's what I'm talking about. I was actually a little disappointed for the first time on this thread when I saw the initial sprays. I thought that was it. I was like... damn Lapdawg... that's a little heavy, ain't it.

I will never doubt you again. :'(

Its hard to be sure whats correct. The old pictures (i.e. early 60's) of the bursts are no good as colour references, but do show show dark/strong bursting. I could be wrong. Time (& fading) will tell.

Here's a grab from a 1960 Gibson catalog:

Sean

Wowzer. That tea is absolutely stunning!

singemonkey

There are one or two under-the-bed type bursts, and a couple of '60 'bursts that appear to have much more resilient pigments. They are garish, no doubt.

I just didn't realise you were still going to fade after those initial sprays. They look phenomenal. The colour on the tea 'burst is especially delicious.

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