Sunbathing my Lester

astrozombie

KatyPerryologist
It has faded, it's also gotten so hot the finish has started to sweat off. Finish seems to have hardened and is much closer to Vos Custom shop finish, very hard and fast neck.
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Re: Sunbathing my Lester

I'd be scared to do that; seeing what happens to guitars left in trunks etc., cracked binding/fretboard edges and more...
 
Re: Sunbathing my Lester

yeah I hope this gets you what you want
it certainly isnt on my "to do" list

so is your intent to catalyze the finish?
 
Re: Sunbathing my Lester

Careful with the heat... not because of the finish, but because of the glue-in neck joint.
 
Re: Sunbathing my Lester

Yah, luthiers use heat to loosen glued components. Probably best not to leave the strings under tension when you do this. At least you've got a long tenon in that one.
 
Re: Sunbathing my Lester

Yeah please be really careful letting that thing cook in the sun. You won't be happy if that neck gets out of whack and Gibson will not cover it
 
Re: Sunbathing my Lester

When I was a wee whippersnapper, our band played a poolside gig in the middle of summer, and the temp was about 100.

I used my trusty Gibson Les Paul Custom (black beauty)... it went out of tune after about the 1st song.

I tried tuning up a few times (singer kept audience busy) but it would immediately lose it.

It was so outta tune we had to stop the gig so I could swap with my bolt-on. We finished the gig.

Thankfully it didn't do any permanent damage (that I could tell)... but still... a little heat is
all it takes before everything comes unglued (pun intended).
 
Re: Sunbathing my Lester

I haven't noticed any adverse effects apart from the sweating I mentioned.

I wanted the top to fade but noticed that the finish became "harder" so I did both sides. I leave it out in the sun for about an hour per session, I try to do this with the morning sun which isn't as hot as the sunlight at say, mid day.


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Re: Sunbathing my Lester

When I was a wee whippersnapper, our band played a poolside gig in the middle of summer, and the temp was about 100.

I used my trusty Gibson Les Paul Custom (black beauty)... it went out of tune after about the 1st song.

I tried tuning up a few times (singer kept audience busy) but it would immediately lose it.

It was so outta tune we had to stop the gig so I could swap with my bolt-on. We finished the gig.

Thankfully it didn't do any permanent damage (that I could tell)... but still... a little heat is
all it takes before everything comes unglued (pun intended).

I used to have a hot pink (hey, it was the 80s) aluminum-neck Kramer Duke that could only be used for the first couple of songs in a set, even indoors. It went sharp from the heat of the stage lights.
 
Re: Sunbathing my Lester

I like the general idea.

However, I would be afraid that you fretboard protection could trap heat. I would use aluminimum foil.
 
Re: Sunbathing my Lester

I like the general idea.

However, I would be afraid that you fretboard protection could trap heat. I would use aluminimum foil.

Tommy Chong heard you and put a bit of tin foil on his fretboard for good measure.

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;>)/
 
Re: Sunbathing my Lester

I personally would have taken the knobs and toggle ring off before doing it.
 
Re: Sunbathing my Lester

Careful with the heat... not because of the finish, but because of the glue-in neck joint.

Anyone who leaves the guitar out in the sun to generate a faded effect can't care less about whether or not the neck joints ****s up in the end as a result of his sagacious judgement.
 
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