Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

[karpathion]

So, I picked one of these up a couple months ago used, for $250 in Atlanta.
The kid I got it from thought it was a metal guitar, and well, it's not. It's a Melody Maker, with an explorer cut. His loss, my gain.
All I've done to it is put a Duncan 59 in it.

Well, I've got a buzz, and I just don't like this satin black finish. I'm thinking of stripping it down and refinishing it.
Depending on what the wood grain looks like underneath the paint, I'd like to put a natural finish on it.

If the wood looks like crap, what would be a good finish on this thing? I'd love to do a burst, but I've never tried it before.

Give me some opinions, guys. This is just too much black.

Sorry for the bad pics, all this black is hard to make look good.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

Maybe try a white pick guard to cut down on the blackness? But it's maple underneath, so it would be a unique looking plain maple Explorer if you stripped it. Stripper is a mess, but it will make quick work of the bulk of the lacquer. Then you can finish up the stripping with lacquer thinner.


I think a vintage sunburst on the plain maple would be a killer look for an Explorer. However, the cool thing about refinishing these guitars in a solid color is that you can fill the pick guard holes and then paint. That means you can put a more normal looking Explorer guard on instead of that odd shaped pick guard Gibson designed for this model.

 

[karpathion]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

I wouldn't use a stripper, I'll sand it. Like I said, I'd love to do a burst, I'd just be scared to try it. My Explorer Pro is a vintage sunburst, I was thinking more like a cherry burst.

And yes, the pickgaurd they put on these things is odd.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

P.S. Another cool thing about going with vintage sunburst is that you'd only have to strip the top...or the back too if you want the sunburst there as well. You could leave the neck black and not have to mess with it.

Edit, we were posting at the same time. Never mind the vintage burst comments then. Cherry would look killer too, like a Hamer finish minus the flame. Maybe get an extra Reranch can and practice the burst on scraps first?

 

[karpathion]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

Where the hell is Crusty, when you need him? He could tell me how to do a burst. He did one hell of a job on his lester build.

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

Cool, I've been looking at those (and the V); being in Aus just gives me that sucky feeling at seeing the MF blowout. These axes are about $600-700 here! The only thing I find annoying about them is that everything is p/g mounted but I suppose that was the point .

Maybe try a white pick guard to cut down on the blackness? But it's maple underneath, so it would be a unique looking plain maple Explorer if you stripped it. Stripper is a mess, but it will make quick work of the bulk of the lacquer. Then you can finish up the stripping with lacquer thinner.

I think a vintage sunburst on the plain maple would be a killer look for an Explorer. However, the cool thing about refinishing these guitars in a solid color is that you can fill the pick guard holes and then paint. That means you can put a more normal looking Explorer guard on instead of that odd shaped pick guard Gibson designed for this model.

^^ This - I was also thinking a white p/g as I was reading the post. Sanding is going to take you forever, especially if you want to do the whole guitar. Chemical stripper is much quicker, and there are plenty of tutorials out there on how to use it on guitars, like here, for instance: http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/tutorial5.htm.

You'd be familiar with plain top LPs, so you know what to expect regarding the appearance of the wood. A subtle lemon or honey burst would look pretty nice.

 

[Surgeon]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

Why is it not a "metal guitar"?? Humbucker equipped guitar... what else is there to a "metal guitar"? High-output bucker? that easily remedied...

Back on topic: my dream explorer would just be a dark brown stain...but that's just me...

 

[karpathion]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

Sanding on this will be very easy. The satin finish is not very "strong". It comes off if you scratch it with your fingernail. It's very thin. Sanding on this one will be no problem. You'd have to see it to believe it.

Lemon burst sounds nice! That's definitely on the table at the moment.

 

[karpathion]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

Why is it not a "metal guitar"?? Humbucker equipped guitar... what else is there to a "metal guitar"? High-output bucker? that easily remedied...

Back on topic: my dream explorer would just be a dark brown stain...but that's just me...

Thick neck, wrap around tail piece, and a fully maple body. It wouldn't be the first choice for a metal guitar. I mean you could stuff a hot a$$ pup in it, and get a badass style bridge, but it just doesn't feel right for a metal guitar.
You'd have to play it to understand.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

I would get a X2N, badass bridge, a cracked mirror pickguard and call it a day.

 

[karpathion]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

I would get a X2N, badass bridge, a cracked mirror pickguard and call it a day.

That would work great. I'm not saying you couldn't. I just bought it to use as a bluesy, classic rock, southern rock guitar. I've got the metal territory covered.
The kid I got it from thought it was a shred stick. It's not.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

Yeah, that is true. The Melody Maker finishes rub off, so sanding will not be tough after all. And it's maple, so not a lot of color will be stuck deep into the grains like with mahogany.

There may be a hard lacquer clear coat underneath your black color, like there is on my LP Melody Maker (2003). That is a mahogany body, though. Gibson may not bother using the clear coat on a maple body before they put the color on.

If the maple is too ugly under the paint, you can glue on a veneer of whatever wood you want before painting. Rosewood, figured maple, mahogany, purple heart, whatever.

It's also an opportunity to go for a custom color you hardly ever see on an Explorer. A Fender '60's metallic, for example. Charcoal Frost, Burgundy Mist, Ocean Turquoise, Sherwood Green, Lake Placid Blue, etc. http://reranchstore.stores.yahoo.net/fencuscol.html

There are also compensated wraparounds that still keep the stock wraparound look, if intonation is off with that stock tailpiece.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

Where the hell is Crusty, when you need him? He could tell me how to do a burst. He did one hell of a job on his lester build.

I was right here, in this secret passage behind the wall ..... :naughty:

I made a bunch of full-size cardboard copies of the body and headstock shapes and practiced my attempts at bursting on them (both sides). I was using an air compressor with a touch-up gun so i had to experiment for the best settings. I worked at getting the burst in one pass, as any attempts to go back over a section caused heavier finish build and uneveness.

Basically you may find yourself shooting the centre of the spray jet just off to the side of the job so less than half of the spray 'cone' is actually hitting the body. Of course you need to work out if you need to mask the sides of the body or if overspray on the sides is going to work for you.

 

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

Back on topic: my dream explorer would just be a dark brown stain...but that's just me...

Sounds like you want a faded Explorer in brown :naughty:.

Sanding on this will be very easy. The satin finish is not very "strong". It comes off if you scratch it with your fingernail. It's very thin. Sanding on this one will be no problem. You'd have to see it to believe it.

Lemon burst sounds nice! That's definitely on the table at the moment.

So it's kind of like a faded; sanding would be pretty quick then.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

If the instrument plays and sounds good, I would leave the finish alone.

Concentrate on altering the appearance. Obtaining a ready-made MM/Exp 'guard in any colour other than black could prove tricky. You may have to order something especially or make your own from a rectangular blank.

I thought about suggesting stickers or one of those peel-on, peel-off Facelift graphic things but these would probably come across as still "too Metal".

 

[Wattage]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

DON'T USE STRIPPER!!!!!!

That finish will sand down so easy it isn't even funny plus you can't damage any glue sanding it. Finish as you see fit otherwise, Re-Ranch is a good start.

 

[formula73]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

All you bastards picking these things up are giving me GAS pains.

Do want. TV yellow. Tortoise guard. 1 P90. OOF.

 

[karpathion]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

All you bastards picking these things up are giving me GAS pains.

Do want. TV yellow. Tortoise guard. 1 P90. OOF.

Get one. You can't beat it for $299. You will want to change a few things though. P90 was my first choice, but I got a great deal on a 59, so it works.

TV yellow would be slick.

I'm about to start taking this guitar apart.

 

[TheLivingDead]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

TV yellow. Tortoise guard. 1 P90. OOF.

This sounds awesome.

Progress pics, man!

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Refinishing a Gibson Melody Maker Explorer?

Guess he thought he was getting a real explorer on the cheap.. You got a heckuva deal! I never noticed the input jack being whre it is.. That in the way??

Did MF blow those out?? I prolly dont wanna know..


That reranch site is killer!!! (thanks for the site!!!)

Id go with this color: Royal purple . http://reranchstore.stores.yahoo.net/crropu.html

but Tv yellow would be both different and classic. Lemon burst would be different too..