New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

[THRobinson]

Hey guys, new to the site, looked like a great forum so hopefully a 'forum appropriate' type question since not Seymour Duncan specific.

Looking to build a Les Paul type guitar (with Seymour pickups!). Was certain I was going to do a black/gold/cream one, then made the mistake of continuing to look, and now, totally loving that Pelham Blue/Cream/Nickel.

Researching, I guess newer paints/clearcoats don't age like the old stuff. Nitrocellulose I think is what they use to use and now can't get, though saw that a place called Guitar ReRanch may have it? But, I'm in Canada and I don't think they ship here.

Is there a 'trick' to achieve a slightly aged look? Like, a few drops of amber in the clearcoat? Not really aged, I have seen their "aged Pelham" and it's a bit too green for me.

My plan is to get an autoshop to mix up the Pelham Blue (Dupont 4038L) and clear coat the guitar when done, basically treat the guitar like a car, paint wise. Though part of me wants to get a pearl equivalent vs metallic.

Just curious if anyone had any tricks.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

Welcome!
:wave:

If the search is working for you,check some of St_Genesis's threads,I think...

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

I'd send your guitar to Brian Monty, who is in Canada. He can do whatever you want including using old-style non-catalyzed lacquers, made to look as new or as old as you'd like. An auto paint shop (and modern auto paint materials) would not be a good route to take IMO. Go to someone who knows guitars and guitar history. Auto body guys will not only know nothing about the materials you want, but will be thrown by all the nooks and crannies on a set neck guitar, and they will know absolutely nothing about properly scraping binding. I might trust auto body guys to handle something simple like a Telecaster (body only), but not a Les Paul.

 

[THRobinson]

Re: New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

I plan to paint in the garage... not really a DIY project when you have other people do the work for you.

Just in the info-gathering phase right now, I pick the body up tomorrow, be a while before ready to paint but want as much info gathered beforehand.

 

[THRobinson]

Re: New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

Welcome!
:wave:

If the search is working for you,check some of St_Genesis's threads,I think...

Did a search but, says user does not exist. Probably a few posts related to this, just a case of getting the search terms correct.

 

[Kamanda~SD]

Re: New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

I'd send your guitar to Brian Monty, who is in Canada. He can do whatever you want including using old-style non-catalyzed lacquers, made to look as new or as old as you'd like. An auto paint shop (and modern auto paint materials) would not be a good route to take IMO. Go to someone who knows guitars and guitar history. Auto body guys will not only know nothing about the materials you want, but will be thrown by all the nooks and crannies on a set neck guitar, and they will know absolutely nothing about properly scraping binding. I might trust auto body guys to handle something simple like a Telecaster (body only), but not a Les Paul.

Brian is fantastic, but I don't know if he's back to building or not after his Cancer bout awhile ago.

As far as autobody guys... If you tape and scrape yourself I don't see why they would have any problems, imo. Depends on the place, but I'm assuming he's going to a place where they do custom jobbies all the time.

EDIT: I see his just getting them to mix it and he will paint himself, problem solved!

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

The one I was thinking of,but not sure how much help it'll be:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?288190-TV-Pelham-Blue-The-Secrets-Revealed

 

[THRobinson]

Re: New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

Ya... going to self-paint. Last summer I got a $10 Washburn (Nuno N2 series) that someone hacked up a bit. I started to rebuild it when I came across a Les Paul archtop kit body, that someone tried to make a bass guitar out of. Other people's hack-ups = me getting cheap priced stuff.

Anyways, I went to school for art, again for design, I use to airbrush pin-up girls when I was 20... never tried big surface painting and always wanted to, will practice on the Washburn before the Les Paul for sure.

I doubt it'll be as good as a pro job, but then again, lots of research and OCD, who knows, may come out even better.

I have no probs with modern paints. Just like the idea of having the guitar look a bit aged paint wise, which is why I was looking at the Nitro paints, or tinting the clear coat a little. From what I read though, the new clear coats have a lot of upsides to them.

Mainly, I want that wet glossy shine.

 

[THRobinson]

Re: New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

The one I was thinking of,but not sure how much help it'll be:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/showthread.php?288190-TV-Pelham-Blue-The-Secrets-Revealed

Nice, thanks for the link...

I won't be able to do the TV aspect, but some good info in the link. Original owner tried to make a bass guitar out of the Les Paul kit body. So, was painted and the tuneomatic holes filled and holes drilled for the bass bridge way down the body. Guy bought it to re-build it, then bought a flamed top one for a stain instead so selling this one cheap.

Gotta re-drill some holes, fill in the holes for the through-the-body bass strings (dowels and glue) and sand off a bulk of the paint. Haven't worked on a guitar (or played) in about 20yrs so kinda happy to get back into it again. Been online for days searching for parts. Figure cream and nickel hardware.

I like the TV finish, just, sadly won't work on this body. But he did mention later about the tinted clear coat.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

Brian is fantastic, but I don't know if he's back to building or not after his Cancer bout awhile ago.

I wasn't aware of that. I hope he is doing well.

He has been doing a custom build for me for the past year +. AFAIK, he's doing business as normal.

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

It's because my username is stupid hard to spell and no one ever reads it right anyway.

Reranch is the most well known supplier of rattlecan nitro, but there are others if you look around. Most don't have as wide a selection, though I did see someone recently that had some really cool looking options...LMII, maybe?

I will say this (and if you check my other threads, you'll see it there too): rattle can Pelham is a HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS.

Did a search but, says user does not exist. Probably a few posts related to this, just a case of getting the search terms correct.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

Sorry,Dude...

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: New Guitar - Vintage Look (Paint)

Not your fault; I'm the one who's been using this stupid name for nearly 20 years.

Sorry,Dude...