Semi matching headstock
Rob Schuh
Sunburst body. It is nice and light and really gorgeous. I'm thinking
of painting the headstock as I've never seen it done on a Sunburst.
I'm thinking black nitro or Red Nitro. Which do you guys thing would
look better? The only thing I don't like about the body is that Poly
type finish. I far prefer Nitro. It just looks, feels and sounds
better to me. That is why I like to repaint those Highway One bodies.
I know they come in nitro, but none of the colors do a thing for me.
BTW, if you ever need to strip anything with a nitro finish, that non
toxic stripper, Citrusstriper is AMAZING for removing nitro. I picked
up of the red Highway One bodies about a month ago and put that stuff
on. I only let it sit for 5 min tops and all I needed to do was take a
clean paper towel and it wiped off like it was fresh mud. IT took me
15 min tops to strip the entire body and then clean it with denatured
alcohol. I'm on the fence on this one. I think both Red or black would
look cool, but I may be leaning slightly towards black as you just
never see it. I'm putting on an Allparts maple with Rosewood
fingerboard that I have already sprayed with Reranch tinted nitro to
get that aged look.
--D-y
AFAIC, the appeal of a "painted" headstock is the match between body
and headstock. I've recently seen a black headstock (actually the
whole neck!) on a green metallic Fender bass, made in Japan.
Not my cup of tea.
In for a dime, in for a dollar, as they say-- put the color or 'burst
you want on both 'stock and body, make them really match in that good
nitro fiinish, and you'll have another nice piece of work roll out of
your shop.
Just my $.02 worth.
--D-y
Brian Running
> The only thing I don't like about the body is that Poly
> type finish. I far prefer Nitro. It just looks, feels and sounds
> better to me. That is why I like to repaint those Highway One bodies.
> I know they come in nitro, but none of the colors do a thing for me.
So the only thing you don't like about the body is not the poly-type
finish. It's the color. If I were you, I'd spray it sea foam green!
Benj
I'll tell ya. I just bought a Gibson robot SG guitar that came in red
nitro. It's giving me fits. It looks great no question. And people say
it sounds great compared to poly, and maybe because of the thinner
finish I could go along with that. But "feels" better? NO WAY! Damn!
That new nitro is so damn sticky on the neck you can hardly play the
thing. I've searched the net and grilled guitar players and they
pretty much they agree that this is a typical nitro problem. The
guitarists I've asked pretty much agree that the "fix" is either
waiting a bunch of years for the finish to settle down or to take
sandpaper to the guitar neck! Yikes! Just what I want to do to that
brand new expensive instrument! "Relic" it! Other suggestions include
lemon Pledge, wax, lemon oil, rubbing alcohol, and talcum power. I've
tried these and they all sort of work to a degree. But I'm afraid that
the sandpaper suggestion really is the true fix. <sigh>
Maybe I should just spray the whole thing with sea foam green poly?
--D-y
There's nitro, and then there's the other nitro <g>.
I'd try sun exposure if I were going to keep this, in hopes of
bringing the curing of that finish to a more rapid "conclusion".
--D-y
--D-y
Or Shell Pink.
(I really need to get off the dime and get that Shell Pink Fender I've
wanted since I learned they exist) <g>
--D-y
Rob Schuh
I'm finishing up a Highway One with a 60s Reissue neck that I painted
in Sea Foam Green, so already beat you to it! :-) I ended up going
with Black. I still have some Fiesta and Dakota red Nitro here, so I
could always go back. I originally painted the head stock in Coral as
I have a nice Ash body I painted in Coral Nitro, but I lucked up and
found a Warmoth solid Bubinga Neck with a thick slab Ebony
fingerboard. I painted the head stock of the Bubinga in Coral, so I
just sot 3 coats of Black Nitro. I'll let that sit for a week and then
start up with the clear coat. The only negative to Nitro is the amount
of time you have to let it cure, but it just feels great, smells great
and just has vibe that the Polys don't have. Really shiny finishes
don't do a thing for me. I never did a single high gloss on any of my
Hard Bop kits either. I used to get guys who would want a kit in a
gorgeous wood like Bubinga, padauk, Cocoblo, Cherry etc., then want to
put a thick coat of horrible high gloss garbage on them. I turned down
making at least 10 kits because I refused to ruin those beautiful
woods.
Rob Schuh
I've never had a problem with my nitro finishes feeling sticky. My
guess is that who ever did it, did not give each stage long enough to
dry. It takes about 3-4 weeks to do a good job. You can do a poly in
one day.
Rob Schuh
Here's your Shell Pink! :-)
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view¤t=1aashellpink.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view¤t=1aashellpink3.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view¤t=1aashellpink4.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view¤t=1aashellpink5.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view¤t=1aashellpink6.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view¤t=1aashellpink7.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view¤t=1aashellpink8.jpg
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view¤t=1aashellpink9.jpg
Benj
> Here's your Shell Pink! :-)
>
> http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view&cur...
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view&cur...
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view&cur...
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view&cur...
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view&cur...
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view&cur...
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view&cur...
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v434/rschuh/album5/?action=view&cur...
Hey, for a minute there I thought you were really onto something! The
photos looked like the bass was shell pink with flat black ashtray
etc. Man, that looked SO good! But then looking carefully I found out
it was just the lighting. Pink with black hardware would be choice!
Benj
> > I'd try sun exposure if I were going to keep this, in hopes of
> > bringing the curing of that finish to a more rapid "conclusion".
> > --D-y
>
> I've never had a problem with my nitro finishes feeling sticky. My
> guess is that who ever did it, did not give each stage long enough to
> dry. It takes about 3-4 weeks to do a good job. You can do a poly in
> one day.
You'd think Gibson would know what they are doing. And everybody I've
talked to is familiar with the problem. I sort of hate the idea of sun
exposure on a new expensive instrument. But it does get getter as time
goes on. I'm told it usually takes about a year before it's finally
settled in.
--D-y
No, I don't think Gibson or any other person or corporate entity
necessarily "knows what they are doing".
Especially when "everyone knows about the problem"-- IOW, you don't
have the only sticky Gibson <g>.
Well, you don't have to leave it out all day for the first dose <g>,
and it doesn't have to sit for hours in the strongest sun you can
find-- you don't want "melty", after all.
In my completely non-expert opinion, this is a matter of sending some
"curing" (not disease-style) energy into the poor little molecules
that got covered over before they could finish out-gassing. Maybe some
fresh air and sunshine could help?
--D-y
--D-y
> Rob Schuh wrote:
>
> > Here's your Shell Pink! :-)
At the very least, this is similar to what I have in mind. Like
everything else, seeing in person tells the tale.
The pics look very promising. But, that's what pink is supposed to do,
right? Look promising? <g>
(Benj):
> Hey, for a minute there I thought you were really onto something! The
> photos looked like the bass was shell pink with flat black ashtray
> etc. Man, that looked SO good! But then looking carefully I found out
> it was just the lighting. Pink with black hardware would be choice!
Pink, black, a little abalone here and there, maybe some pearls...
--D-y
Derek Tearne
> But then looking carefully I found out
> it was just the lighting. Pink with black hardware would be choice!
They have some of these in the local bass shop - couldn't bring myself
to try one out though.
--- Derek
--
Derek Tearne - de...@url.co.nz
Vitamin S - improvisation from Aotearoa/New Zealand
http://www.vitamin-s.co.nz/
RichL
Some people seem to react to it, others don't. I'm one of the ones that
does.
I've got a 43-year-old SG that still bugs me. A little talcum powder on
the hands helps but it accelerates string degradation.
RichL
> On Oct 2, 11:22 pm, Benj <bjac...@iwaynet.net> wrote:
>> On Oct 2, 5:37 pm, Rob Schuh <robschu...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>> I'd try sun exposure if I were going to keep this, in hopes of
>>>> bringing the curing of that finish to a more rapid "conclusion".
>>>> --D-y
>>
>>> I've never had a problem with my nitro finishes feeling sticky. My
>>> guess is that who ever did it, did not give each stage long enough
>>> to dry. It takes about 3-4 weeks to do a good job. You can do a
>>> poly in one day.
>>
>> You'd think Gibson would know what they are doing. And everybody I've
>> talked to is familiar with the problem. I sort of hate the idea of
>> sun exposure on a new expensive instrument. But it does get getter
>> as time goes on. I'm told it usually takes about a year before it's
>> finally settled in.
>
> No, I don't think Gibson or any other person or corporate entity
> necessarily "knows what they are doing".
> Especially when "everyone knows about the problem"-- IOW, you don't
> have the only sticky Gibson <g>.
It's not a Gibson problem, in my opinion. It's a body chemistry issue,
one that's been hashed to death on alt.guitar on various occasions.
Some folks seem not to react to nitro at all and regard those of us who
do as nut cases, and vice-versa. All my nitro-finished guitars and
basses turn sticky on me (that includes Gibson, Gretsch, and
Rickenbacker), and other people who play my guitars don't have the same
issue.
Benj
> It's not a Gibson problem, in my opinion. It's a body chemistry issue,
> one that's been hashed to death on alt.guitar on various occasions.
> Some folks seem not to react to nitro at all and regard those of us who
> do as nut cases, and vice-versa. All my nitro-finished guitars and
> basses turn sticky on me (that includes Gibson, Gretsch, and
> Rickenbacker), and other people who play my guitars don't have the same
> issue.
I think you may be right. I was rooting around some other bass forum
and there was a big bitch going on among some guys about the "sticky"
necks on Highway One basses which have the "special" thin nitro
lacquer finish.
--D-y
Thanks, haven't seen it 'splained like that and since I don't seem to
have that "problem"...
Funny world, huh? The ONLY finish (for some) doesn't work for
everyone-- well, that's why you see naked or 'other' um, aftermarket
solutions.
One thing about the "plastic" finishes, they don't seem to do that.
--D-y
RichL
My favorite neck finish is tung oil. I've got a custom-made guitar with
that finish. If I were more capable with woodworking, I'd be tempted to
strip the finish from a few other instruments and use tung oil on those.
Tim
crow
if you're going to sand it, start with 1200 grit or, better yet, scrub
it gently for 15 minutes with 0000 steel wool. All you really need to
do is degloss it & it'll feel perfect..for the record, I've done this
hundreds of times & gotten raves everytime!
jepp
if it sounds good...IT IS GOOD!
Benj
> if you're going to sand it, start with 1200 grit or, better yet, scrub
> it gently for 15 minutes with 0000 steel wool. All you really need to
> do is degloss it & it'll feel perfect..for the record, I've done this
> hundreds of times & gotten raves everytime!
I've got some 0000 steel wool, but that's the trouble with buying
expensive instruments, isn't it? I get real reluctant to start sanding
on some high end gear to fix it. And it irks me because in my heart I
know the rule is that instruments are meant to be played and a true
player thinks about the MUSIC and doesn't give a hang about what the
instrument cost. So if he decides a big notch carved with a pen knife
in the side of his Gibson gives the tone he wants, he does it. Me, my
wallet starts giving me unartistic thoughts when the price gets too
high. OK. I have taken 0000 steel wool to several necks and it did
work great. But my $600 Tribute was about my limit for mods without
getting a brown streak in my wallet!
Maybe once I get some nice dings or belt buckle rash on it I won't be
so scared. Which brings up another irk which is why do some high-end
makers never seem to actually TRY the stuff before they start selling
it? I mean if you are asking a grand or more for something you'd have
had someone play it who gave you a report that the neck feels like ass
and then they made an effort to degloss it or whatever it took BEFORE
they started shipping them out. I see that SO much. And oh yeah, the
grain wasn't straight either! [just kidding, the grain actually is
straight and looks like a million...the UP side of nitro!]