What type of Guitar finish.

[Bucksnort101]

OK, here goes. Not the best pictures in the world, but will give you an idea. Headstock has my initials in "Gibson" style lettering. Back also has a sunburst type finish. Back of neck has no finish on surface your hand would run along, I may add some Tru-oil to that unfinished surface, but it sure is smooth to the touch the way it is.

 

[Elvis]

Wow, that's a beautiful guitar.
Us drummers might call the "G" on the headstock a "Drop G", as it is similar to styled lettering Gretsch once used and the "G" was written similarly.

 

[SaparotRob]

That's a beautiful work of art.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Your finish guy did a good job on the cherry sunburst. No clownburst there.

I love that fretboard. It's not rosewood -- what is it?

 

[Bucksnort101]

Your finish guy did a good job on the cherry sunburst. No clownburst there.

I love that fretboard. It's not rosewood -- what is it?

Thanks to all for the comments. I told the builder of the guitar to finish it in a Tobacco burst finish, not too red (don't like Clown Burst much either). He sent it from Canada to California to have it finished. In bright sunlight it appears more red, but under room lighting it has a more brown tone.
I actually have a second set of book matched Curly Maple boards that are a twin of this top. Bought them both of EBay for $35 a set. Not sure what I want to do with the 2nd set.

Fretboard is actually Pao Ferro. Seeing it more and more on less expensive guitars, even some Gibson guitars have it now.



Comments: Pau ferro is a wood of many names, and is sometimes called morado—and because the wood is so similar in appearance and working properties to rosewood, it is also sometimes referred to as Bolivian or Santos rosewood. The wood has been used in various capacities as a substitute for the endangered Brazilian rosewood (Dalbergia nigra).

Although the wood is not technically in the Dalbergia genus, pau ferro (Machaerium species) is botanically very closely related to true rosewoods, both being subdivided within the Fabaceae family into the tribe Dalbergieae and even further into the subclade Dalbergia.[2]​ Additionally, the pau ferro contains the same sensitizing compounds found in rosewoods[3]​—it's about as close to a true rosewood as a species can get without actually being a Dalbergia species. (copied from wood-database.com)

 

[Marcel]

Is the top a veneer or really flamed maple?

 

[Bucksnort101]

Is the top a veneer or really flamed maple?

It's a thick flamed maple cap. Picture of the unfinished guitar was sent to me by the builder (Precision Guitar Kits in Canada) before they sent it to the finisher. You can see in the pickup cavities where the maple cap and mahogany mate together. Nice thick cap. Like I said I also have a twin set of maple boards to the ones used for this guitar. Seems to me they are just under an inch thick.

 

[special ed]

What kind of adhesives are used making guitars?

 

[Bucksnort101]

What kind of adhesives are used making guitars?

Some still use old fashioned Hide glue. Any good wood glue will work for mating wood, many just use yellow Titebond glue. Super glue is used for other things, like gluing frets into fingerboard, but not necessarily needed.

 

[Marcel]

It's a thick flamed maple cap. Picture of the unfinished guitar was sent to my by the builder (Precision Guitar Kits in Canada) before they sent it to the finisher. You can see in the pickup cavities where the maple cap and mahogany mate together. Nice thick cap. Like I said I also have a twin set of maple boards to the ones used for this guitar. Seems to me they are just under an inch thick.

View attachment 837659

Oh wow. Nice!

 

[Bucksnort101]

Been sidetracked lately, major bout with vertigo in August and been helping put in a walk in shower for my father who broke his hip this spring so time has been limited for my projects. Hoping to order new Bumblebee capacitors, reverse taper audio pots, and bus wire next week so I can build a true lefty wiring harness. Need to open up the control cavity holes for my hardware as the holes were drilled for smaller diameter parts. Need to be careful as not to damage the finish when opening these up.

Also debating whether or not to add a pickguard to the guitar, while I like the look of a pickguard it would be a shame to cover up any of that curly maple.

 

[Marcel]

Been sidetracked lately, major bout with vertigo in August and been helping put in a walk in shower for my father who broke his hip this spring so time has been limited for my projects. Hoping to order new Bumblebee capacitors, reverse taper audio pots, and bus wire next week so I can build a true lefty wiring harness. Need to open up the control cavity holes for my hardware as the holes were drilled for smaller diameter parts. Need to be careful as not to damage the finish when opening these up.

Also debating whether or not to add a pickguard to the guitar, while I like the look of a pickguard it would be a shame to cover up any of that curly maple.

I like my LPs with pickguard, but I would indeed be hesitant putting one on this.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

I bought my 73 used, and the pickguard was not on it. Over the years I owned it, I came to prefer the naked look, but when I took the pickguard off my Ibanez after purchase, I noticed within about a week that I was scratching the top with my vigorous strumming, so I put it back on. I can go either way, but I'd hate to mar that beautiful top with scratches.