Trying to find an old sunburst project. 59 refin pending...

Bringing your older offset back to life.
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PorkyPrimeCut
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Trying to find an old sunburst project. 59 refin pending...

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Mon May 22, 2017 1:06 pm

I actually mentioned this to someone looking for more or less the same thing.

To all you old-timers of the forum. Do any of you remember a project thread, I think by Doug (Fullerplast) where a body was refinned, presumedly sunburst, using the old technique of submerging the body in amber dye? I thought it might be in the library but I don't see it.
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Re: Trying to find an old sunburst project...

Post by thisisnickpaige » Tue May 23, 2017 1:04 am

The amber dip for the yellow of the burst? I seem to recall that, do you remember about how long ago it was?

You could message Doug on Facebook. He came back to OSG for a bit but haven't seen him since.

Edit: is this the one you're talkin' about? The pictures seem dead, sadly.

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=69261&p=1000691&hi ... t#p1000691
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Re: Trying to find an old sunburst project. Might try a refi

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Tue May 23, 2017 1:56 am

Ah, yeah, I think that's it. So, even without the aid of pictures (bummer) it seems it wasn't a sunburst finish after all.

I'm looking into the possibility of refinning my '59, basically re-doing the sunburst. It was originally refinned based on a 1960 Jazzmaster which had a thicker black band than most. I've never been 100% happy with it. I'd really like to get a more '58 - '59 burst nailed with the red part faded out. I'll be using aerosols.
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Re: Trying to find an old sunburst project...

Post by thisisnickpaige » Tue May 23, 2017 4:35 am

Oh, that'd be cool! Something more like this?:
Image

Are you just looking for help on how to go about it? I could always text my friend, he use to do a killer sunburst. Or I'm sure a post on this forum would result in a wealth of knowledge.
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Re: Trying to find an old sunburst project...

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Tue May 23, 2017 5:15 am

Ooph! That'd do nicely!!

I had it in mind that I'd want to do something close between a tobacco burst & a '59 sunburst. I have a few problems nailing the correct black though. As I'm using aerosols I won't be able to get that browny black for the edges (unless you can actually get some kind of "vintage black" in a rattlecan).
I guess I have the same problem getting the right shade of red (or lack of, if you like) so maybe I'd need to focus more on getting the black balance & the gradient of colours. The rest should sort itself out.

Any info or links to tutorials would be great, especially if your friend has good tips on getting the look right. I've seen YouTube videos but all the good ones are with spray booths & pro kit. I'll be doing it in the bathroom with spraycans.
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Re: Trying to find an old sunburst project...

Post by shadowplay » Tue May 23, 2017 6:09 am

Sunburst looks like skilled work if you are doing it on an old guitar to period correctness. I'd just get a man (or lady) in, I know you save money doing it yourself but you'd probably be hundreds up if you worked the hours it took you and paid someone to do exactly what want. I've struggled with this in the car world, it's never a saving doing it myself if could work during those hours. I'm doing something just now and i've done a fair bit myself, got the kids involved and it's satisfying but I'm coming to the conclusion that anything I can do a specialist can probably do better in half the time (or way less*).

As said, it could be fun but on the other hand 'buy once cry once' and get it done once and for all.

D

*recently a pro upholsterer laughed for a few minutes when I told him how long it took to do the interior on my old Maser (which he did think was very well done). He asked if that included breeding the cows.
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Re: Trying to find an old sunburst project...

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Tue May 23, 2017 6:29 am

shadowplay wrote:Sunburst looks like skilled work if you are doing it on an old guitar to period correctness. I'd just get a man (or lady) in, I know you save money doing it yourself but you'd probably be hundreds up if you worked the hours it took you and paid someone to do exactly what want. I've struggled with this in the car world, it's never a saving doing it myself if could work during those hours. I'm doing something just now and i've done a fair bit myself, got the kids involved and it's satisfying but I'm coming to the conclusion that anything I can do a specialist can probably do better in half the time (or way less*).

As said, it could be fun but on the other hand 'buy once cry once' and get it done once and for all.
Wise words, I must admit. It got me thinking back to all the trials & tribulations I had doing my Telecaster (which I ended up sending off to get done by a pro, in the end).

The only trouble I have with this is purely to do with how bloody hard it seems to be to photograph reds in guitar finishes. I've heard this a few times now and it seems to be how digital cameras process colours. I've even seen it with my own eyes. If I take any pictures of my Jazzmaster it ends up looking like a fucking target burst. The red stands out far too much & the blend looks awful. If I was getting a pro to do it I'd want pictures every step of the way. I doubt the images I'd get would be a true representation of how the guitar actually looked.
shadowplay wrote: *recently a pro upholsterer laughed for a few minutes when I told him how long it took to do the interior on my old Maser (which he did think was very well done). He asked if that included breeding the cows.
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Re: Trying to find an old sunburst project...

Post by thisisnickpaige » Tue May 23, 2017 7:44 am

I've also tried to refin three guitars, and they never came out quite right. You need patience, and practise. Also red is notoriously difficult, especially in nitro form. I have to second what shadowplay is saying, plus you seem to have had similar results with your telecaster. You could also just agree on a red colour first, and go from there, no?
shadowplay wrote:
*recently a pro upholsterer laughed for a few minutes when I told him how long it took to do the interior on my old Maser (which he did think was very well done). He asked if that included breeding the cows.
:D oh gosh, that's humbling. Had an experience like that in a pub in Glasgow. The misses and I were doing a full UK trip. First we took the train roundtrip from London to Glasgow to see friends, then rented a car from London, and did a circuit up to Manchester, and through Wales, back round, stopping along the way. When we were explaining our adventure to the eye patched bartender over a fish pie and a pint he looks at us, and then to his mates and says, " You come to Glasgow to then go back down just to go back to Manchester...Did ya look at a map before ye came?! " ha ha ha ha, crowd goes wild. Felt like we were in a movie.
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Re: Trying to find an old sunburst project...

Post by thisisnickpaige » Tue May 23, 2017 7:50 am

Oh, that brown black talk got me thinking about this old Epiphany archtop i once had that had almost a chocolate burst. These are sorta close. Figured you'd appreciate it if you liked the late 50's Fender bursts.

Image
orImage
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Re: Trying to find an old sunburst project...

Post by PorkyPrimeCut » Tue May 23, 2017 9:12 am

Yeah, those old Gibson bursts are the best. I used to have a '59 ES125T that had the most beautiful burst. Just perfect!
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Re: Trying to find an old sunburst project. 59 refin pending

Post by zepset » Thu Aug 17, 2017 11:51 am

Something about that wide & delicious, heavily ambered, partially see-through 1959 & 1960 Burst. Fender's finest finish!

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