What type of Guitar finish.

[Bucksnort101]

So, I'm having a guitar built and would like feedback on what finish you prefer.
First picture is of the unfinished guitar, the next two are for the type of finish I"m thinking of. Let me know what you think.

 

[pbehn]

Nice, back in the 1980s a friend of mine had one just like it Gibson Les Paul.

 

[Marcel]

Isn't tobacco sunburst a little ordinary? My LP had a sapphire blue finish. I think that would look good with the wood shining through ( mine doesn't)

 

[Bucksnort101]

Call me ordinary, I told him to finish it like the top picture. Kinda a Billy Gibbons Pearly Gates Les Paul look.
Hope to have it in my grubby hands at the end of this month or early next month. Then I need to starts getting the electrics, pickups, and other hardware ordered.
Looking at some Throbak pickups right now. A little more money than I was originally going to spend on pickups.

 

[Marcel]

You're not ordinary ( the top one is not tobacco btw). You will have a custom made Les Paul. Probably of better quality then Gibson pours out nowadays

Did you ever try the Seymour Duncan P-rail pickups? They say you can get P90 and humbucker sounds from those . Never played on then, but it sounds interesting.

 

[Bucksnort101]

Top picture was taken from the thread labeled "Show me your faded tobacco Les Pauls" on the My Les Paul web-site. I think the guy said it was a Gibson R9 Les Paul with a fadded tobacco finish if I remember correctly. I just liked the look, but I told them not to get it too red, more orange at the edges. I just want some contrast and for all the curl in the maple top to show through.
From what I've seen faded tobacco has a wide range of color variations. Will have to wait to see what it looks like.

I've been considering several different pups for this guitar, but over the weekend listened to some of the Throbaks and liked them, plus it's kinda cool he is making them on some of the original pickup winders that Gibson used in the late 50's (hence the extra price).

One thing I really learned to hate about guitar players doing demos of their new pickups is they have them running through about a half dozen stomp boxes or a big pedalboard and you get to hear everything but what they sound like clean through a strait amplifier/guitar setup.

 

[Elvis]

I always liked that sunburst on a Les Paul.
Excellent choice!

 

[bdefen]

The finish on my LP Standard Plus was call Honeyburst

 

[Marcel]

The finish on my LP Standard Plus was call Honeyburst

That's slightly lighter, isn't it?

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

I like some 'bacco bursts -- when done right they can be beautiful. I'm more fan of plaintops but that's just personal taste. A well-done finish will make any grain pop. At that point it's more about layering and sanding back finish coats in order to accentuate the natural chatoyancy of the wood. If the grain doesn't have depth no amount of finish will pop it, though.

My 73 clownburst was a dog for looks, but I didn't care, because it had tone for days. I wish I still had it. Seen on the left here, it was my #1 guitar for 12 years, including all my gigging (through the rig shown):

 

[bdefen]

That's slightly lighter, isn't it?

It was a 2001 or 2002 LP Standard Plus - Nicer top, Grover Tuners, inlaid "Gibson" headstock logo, fat neck, and either Burstbucker or Classic '59 pickups - I can't recall. Can't find the specs. Got it new at then dealer-cost of @ $1,700, as the shop had had it in stock for about 18 mo. Wonderful instrument. Had my best playing moments with it. I mainly used a Laney VC-30, 2x12 with it, or a Fender Reissue Deluxe Reverb.

The "Honeyburst" finish was described as having the appearance of a '59 LP Cherry Sunburst that had faded over the years.

And yes, it appears a bit lighter than the finishes you're considering.

Have fun!

 

[bdefen]

It was a 2001 or 2002 LP Standard Plus - Nicer top, Grover Tuners, inlaid "Gibson" headstock logo, fat neck, and either Burstbucker or Classic '59 pickups - I can't recall. Can't find the specs. Got it new at then dealer-cost of @ $1,700, as the shop had had it in stock for about 18 mo. Wonderful instrument. Had my best playing moments with it. I mainly used a Laney VC-30, 2x12 with it, or a Fender Reissue Deluxe Reverb.

The "Honeyburst" finish was described as having the appearance of a '59 LP Cherry Sunburst that had faded over the years.

And yes, it appears a bit lighter than the finishes you're considering.

Have fun!

Top was described as "AA" And the pickups may have been 498T/R humbuckers. Found a location of older Gibson catalogs here:

Gibson Catalog

Wide selection of Gibson catalogs, brochures and price lists. Keep turning back for more information on Gibson guitars.

guitar-compare.com

 

[John Vasco]

I think this top on a 2009 '08 LP Standard that I gigged with is just fine for a LP top.

But my favourite is the top on the 1991 LP Custom that I still have...

And gigging with it...

 

[Snautzer01]

They fit you well i think. Broad neck, more acoustic. Hows the sound like?

 

[John Vasco]

They fit you well i think. Broad neck, more acoustic. Hows the sound like?

The Standard had a slightly sweeter tone. The Custom pickups were more powerful and a bit more aggressive.