refinishing

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nicole_Rose
  • Start date Start date
Nicole_Rose said:
i have an ebony les paul goddess and that's not the colour i'd have preferred. but the stores supplier had only this one in stock and i loved the way it felt in my hands. how much would it cost me to send my baby to gibson and have them entirely redo the paint job? this is my preferred colour...

http://www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/Divisions/Gibson%20USA/Guitars/LesPaul/Les%20Paul%20Goddess/
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Too much. If they would even do it. Their custom shop is not all that anymore. Look around for the look you want and get that one or stick with the guitar you llike to play best. Your choice.
 
Refinishing is usually a bad idea. It's extremely expensive for what is, frankly, a purely cosmetic issue. Having a Fender body done by a good shop can easily run you in the $600+++ range (depending on the color), and a Les Paul will be much more as it is a lot more work. If Gibson would do it (which is highly questionable), they would be charging you a rate which will be noticeably higher than another shop.

You will probably be hearing shortly from some people saying to just do it yourself. Don't listen to them. Getting the finish on a guitar right is a lot of work, and unless you are looking to do it as a learning experience, you will almost certainly be unhappy with the results. Getting it right takes practice, time, and frankly a lot of equipment.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
so there are other shops that could do the repainting then? i love the guitar. and there's no way i'm buying another just like it just for the cosmetic issue when this one plays so well. i'd much rather have it repainted, even if it's expensive, in order to have the guitar that plays like i want it to, and looks like i want it to.

and i've read a little about the les paul finish and paint job. there's no way i'd even think about attempting it myself.
 
Nicole

I have painted numerous guitars. I have stuff in Warmoth's gallery just to let you know I have some understanding and creditability. I would NEVER refinish a set neck guitar. I have only seen one set neck guitar redone that looks right. I did an SG a number of years ago that looks good but not perfect by any means.To be honest I think you'll kick yourself in the pants if you let someone repaint your guitar. If Gibson will do it (which I doubt) that would be your best bet. My guess is you could buy another guitar with what it would cost you.
 
Nicole_Rose said:
so there are other shops that could do the repainting then? i love the guitar. and there's no way i'm buying another just like it just for the cosmetic issue when this one plays so well. i'd much rather have it repainted, even if it's expensive, in order to have the guitar that plays like i want it to, and looks like i want it to.

and i've read a little about the les paul finish and paint job. there's no way i'd even think about attempting it myself.
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If you really want to get it done, give the guys at Lay's Guitars in Ohio a call. I'm not even sure they will do Les Pauls (the specialize in Fender stuff), but they are as reasonably priced as you are going to find for a shop which will do a good job.

For what it's worth, I've done refinishing on Les Pauls before (when people brought in guitars which had already been striped), and it is possible to do the job right. It's just very time consuming.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I say refinish it yourself and if you fuck it up, let the finish wear away and it'll look good in thirty years.

The only thing I've ever managed to get right are oil finishes.
 
Light said:
Refinishing is usually a bad idea. It's extremely expensive for what is, frankly, a purely cosmetic issue. Having a Fender body done by a good shop can easily run you in the $600+++ range (depending on the color), and a Les Paul will be much more as it is a lot more work. If Gibson would do it (which is highly questionable), they would be charging you a rate which will be noticeably higher than another shop.

You will probably be hearing shortly from some people saying to just do it yourself. Don't listen to them. Getting the finish on a guitar right is a lot of work, and unless you are looking to do it as a learning experience, you will almost certainly be unhappy with the results. Getting it right takes practice, time, and frankly a lot of equipment.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
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Light is spot on with this one. While I recently refinished a guitar and managed excellent results, I've dabbled (practiced) at this before. I also worked over a beat up Ibanez RG that I scored for way cheap. The neck was a bolt on and no binding. I wouldn't EVEN think about doing this to an LP. You'll never get the same quality of finish unless you really know what you're doing.
 
I say refinish it yourself if you have a good place to do it.

Get the aresol can nitro paints from reranch.com. They have complete tutorials tfor the novice to get great results.

It's not that hard...no matter what others may tell you.
It just takes alot of wet block sanding to get the final finish smooth and glossy. Don't try to learn by trial and error...follow the tutorial to start with and get pro results THE FIRST TIME.
Once you do one yourself you'll never pay someone 6 bills to do it for you again IMO.

Normally the ones who tell you that you can't do it yourself...do it themselves for profit.

I've been wanting to find a les paul (preferably flametop) that has a damaged finish so I can try my hand at a cherryburst.

I found a les paul for $500 that had a near perfect finish...with the exception of a big ding that was about an inch wide and down to the wood. If was a fireburst and I really liked the color so instead of refinishing it I fixed the ding. You can't tell that it has ever been dinged now. It's like brand new.

All the stuff you need to do a les paul (even a burst) is less than $100.
 
Nicole -

I just had a quote from the Gibson repair & restoration shop a few weeks ago. I can't recall the exact number, but I think they quoted $1,300 for refinishing, in any color you want.

That exceeds the value of your guitar, if I'm not mistaken.
 
Light said:
...You will probably be hearing shortly from some people saying to just do it yourself. Don't listen to them. Getting the finish on a guitar right is a lot of work, and unless you are looking to do it as a learning experience, you will almost certainly be unhappy with the results. Getting it right takes practice, time, and frankly a lot of equipment...
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And BLACK, and particularly any kind of BLACK sunburst,
is without a doubt the most difficult kind of finish/refinish.

Add to that, LPs are likely the most difficult body shape/style
to finish/refinish.

Lumpy

In Your Ears for 40 Years
www.lumpymusic.com
 
Zaphod B said:
Nicole -

I just had a quote from the Gibson repair & restoration shop a few weeks ago. I can't recall the exact number, but I think they quoted $1,300 for refinishing, in any color you want.

That exceeds the value of your guitar, if I'm not mistaken.
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well, i know how much to save :) and no, it does not exceed the value of the guitar. the guitar cost 2300. it is cheaper to have it repainted than to buy another. (if Gibson will do it. that remains to be seen.) can you pm me the contact details of the shop?

thanks Zaph :)
 
Lumpy said:
And BLACK, and particularly any kind of BLACK sunburst,
is without a doubt the most difficult kind of finish/refinish.

Add to that, LPs are likely the most difficult body shape/style
to finish/refinish.

Lumpy

In Your Ears for 40 Years
www.lumpymusic.com
Click to expand...

I don't think black is any harder to finish/refinish that any other color. You either refinish it right...which means it is smooth as glass with no imperfections, or you don't finish it right.
Now, if you are not going to rub the finish to perfection I will say that some colors hide the imperfections better than black.

If you are not going to wet sand it to perfection I would suggest flat black or primer grey....those 2 colors hide alot of imperfetion.
 
Nicole_Rose said:
well, i know how much to save :) and no, it does not exceed the value of the guitar. the guitar cost 2300. it is cheaper to have it repainted than to buy another. (if Gibson will do it. that remains to be seen.) can you pm me the contact details of the shop?

thanks Zaph :)
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Hey Nicole, trying ones hand at a guitar finish on an archtop like a Les Paul is not everyones cup of tea. There is nothing wrong with paying someone who can do it right. That being said, why would you pay Gibson twice as much as the job is worth to do it?

There are many people that can shoot a quality nitro laquar finish on that LP.

Not being a smart ass here I'm just curious as to why you would dish out that kind of money to them.
 
jimistone said:
Hey Nicole, trying ones hand at a guitar finish on an archtop like a Les Paul is not everyones cup of tea. There is nothing wrong with paying someone who can do it right. That being said, why would you pay Gibson twice as much as the job is worth to do it?

There are many people that can shoot a quality nitro laquar finish on that LP.

Not being a smart ass here I'm just curious as to why you would dish out that kind of money to them.
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because i want it absolutely done right. no fuckups allowed. this guitar means a lot to me and if it were fucked up, i would simply have to have it redone again--and again, and again, until it were perfect. if there are other reputable shops no one has mentioned one except Light-- and the shop he mentioned does mainly fenders. until Light mentioned the fender shop i was under the impression that gibson would be the only one who could do the job. but if anyone has a shop that will guarantee their work i'll certainly look into them. :) i don't mind saving money in the least. :)
 
jimistone said:
I say refinish it yourself if you have a good place to do it.

Get the aresol can nitro paints from reranch.com. They have complete tutorials tfor the novice to get great results.

It's not that hard...no matter what others may tell you.
It just takes alot of wet block sanding to get the final finish smooth and glossy. Don't try to learn by trial and error...follow the tutorial to start with and get pro results THE FIRST TIME.
Once you do one yourself you'll never pay someone 6 bills to do it for you again IMO.
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We've had this out a few times now and it is becoming tiresome.

I'll just start with some FACTS...

The reraunch rattle can nitro is NOT the same as the nitro that is used on any high end nitro finished guitar.

You cannot get a "professional" finish with rattle cans despite what anyone says. You may be able to get an acceptable finish but not a professional finish. You might not be able to tell the difference but I and many others in the trade will be able to spot it from across the room.

Some reasons why rattle cans are inferior, You cannot control the flow, even if you warm them they spit. You can not add any fisheye or flow out additives to it, let alone the fact that you cannot shoot flat wet coats with a spray can because you cannot adjust the nozzle or spray pattern. You cannot adjust the flow or build to account for the meniscus build at the neck and fingerboard join. You cannot have several guns with different tips on hand for those tricky bits. An acceptable finish yes. A finish to match a top end guitar, a Les Paul for example, never going to happen.

Black is the hardest finish to get right. The only thing harder is a good burst. With this you would attempting both. Even if Gibson did the job it would not be as the good as a guitar finished to that spec from the white. They use different ground prep for different finishes. Some of which would be bound to the grain after it is stripped. There would also likely be issues with the binding.

You would be unlikely to be able to match the colour in the picture on Gibson's website. Matching the colour of any finish is an art that takes a lifetime to master on its own.

If you are not going to wet sand it to perfection I would suggest flat black or primer grey....those 2 colors hide alot of imperfetion.
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What are you suggesting here?? Neither have a part in a professional guitar finish let alone a specialised burst.
There are many people that can shoot a quality nitro laquar finish on that LP.
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Not unless they are practiced and competent when it comes to shooting bursts. I Know one person here in the UK. He does most of mine because he's better than me and in the long run that saves me money and gives peace of mind. A good burst is a joy an average one just looks well... bad.

Normally the ones who tell you that you can't do it yourself...do it themselves for profit.
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Nope, It's normally myself or Light advising people not to get involved in refinishing without serious and I mean serious research and consideration. As I understand from Light he doesn't do refinishing for profit or otherwise, neither do I. There is a reason for that. I finish guitars all the time but not refinishing. We both hand out plenty of tips on how to do stuff yourself and I will continue to do so despite the fact that I do it for profit. Just as a matter of interest Jimistone, what do you do for your living??

I know we've been over this in the past but I will continue advise extreme caution to those that think refinishing is a viable proposition just as long as you keep telling everyone it's a breeze with Reraunch rattle cans.

For anyone that really wants to do it I'll just offer this advice. Do some serious research, practice on junkers, familiarise yourself with health and safety issues. If you still up for it I'd be happy to advise on specifics.

Nicole_Rose, I would seriously live with the guitar you have and start saving for that lovely looking burst on your next LP. You will not regret it.
 
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Nicole_Rose said:
i have an ebony les paul goddess and that's not the colour i'd have preferred. but the stores supplier had only this one in stock and i loved the way it felt in my hands*. how much would it cost me to send my baby to gibson and have them entirely redo the paint job? this is my preferred colour...

http://www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/Divisions/Gibson%20USA/Guitars/LesPaul/Les%20Paul%20Goddess/
Click to expand...

*Here is the key statement-unlike a Fender style bolt on the Gibson would have to be totally stripped down and that great feeling neck might not have the same feel to it afterwards.
 
Look, I fall in the middle of this debate. If it's a cheap git or even a medium value git, I'm all for trying it yourself as long as you understand that you might make it look shitty.

But this is a relatively high price git and there's no way at all that I would personally refinish a git of that value myself and I actually know a fair amount about it and have some experience at it.
So, though I don't always say this, in this case you should have a pro do it. If you really don't care about the cost, then take Lights' recommendation or have him and muttley help you track down someone good to do it for you.
And don't miss muttleys' point that it's not gonna come out like that pic anyway because since it's finished black, there's no way that there's not at least a bit of colored something in the grain.
 
Lt. Bob said:
Look, I fall in the middle of this debate. If it's a cheap git or even a medium value git, I'm all for trying it yourself as long as you understand that you might make it look shitty.

But this is a relatively high price git and there's no way at all that I would personally refinish a git of that value myself and I actually know a fair amount about it and have some experience at it.
So, though I don't always say this, in this case you should have a pro do it. If you really don't care about the cost, then take Lights' recommendation or have him and muttley help you track down someone good to do it for you.
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I'm in the UK so I can't help with a recommendation. I would seriously save my pennies and just buy a lovely new one. Wheres the harm in having two and if you like the new one best you can get most of your money back by selling the old one.
 
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