Dumb goldtop question

Tex Mexico

Okay, maybe not dumb but I'm wondering: I'm seeing some goldtops advertised as just that, "goldtop", but I'm also seeing some listed as having an "antique gold" finish.

I honestly can't tell the difference. Are they just two ways of referring to the same finish, or is "antique gold" different from the gold you get on a regular goldtop?

Phil_aka_Pip

Maybe the difference is not obvious now, but with time the finish may degrade differently? Some Gibson goldtop finishes go a bit green ...

chrisj1602

There probably isn't much difference!  I think Antique is the description for the re-issues, where they have tried to recreate the 50s look. Then just Goldtop is used on the new models.  I remember seeing Bullion Gold too in the past.  

mcsdan

Gibson changed the paint on 2013 historics to "antique gold". They also did some special runs with a similar colour.  It is very slightly darker than previous years and in some light a slight hint of green. If you want a goldtop buy the one that plays the best. The colour will change under different lighting conditions anyway.

mcsdan

This link shows the colours quite well IMHO

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/historics-reissues/271565-new-gold-2013-vs-2012-a.html

ThePrettyDamned

mcsdan;138175" said:

This link shows the colours quite well IMHO



http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/historics-reissues/271565-new-gold-2013-vs-2012-a.html

Gimme the one on the right!

jd0272

mcsdan;138171" said:

Gibson changed the paint on 2013 historics to "antique gold". They also did some special runs with a similar colour.  It is very slightly darker than previous years and in some light a slight hint of green. If you want a goldtop buy the one that plays the best. The colour will change under different lighting conditions anyway.

Yeah the lighting conditions will do that. There are quite a lot of variations within Gibson finishes even in the same model line, I prefer the darker gold in the flesh as find the lighter too anaemic. Fender do some lovely gold finishes esp on the higher end stuff.

mcsdan

jd0272 said:

mcsdan;138171" said:

Gibson changed the paint on 2013 historics to "antique gold". They also did some special runs with a similar colour.  It is very slightly darker than previous years and in some light a slight hint of green. If you want a goldtop buy the one that plays the best. The colour will change under different lighting conditions anyway.

Yeah the lighting conditions will do that. There are quite a lot of variations within Gibson finishes even in the same model line, I prefer the darker gold in the flesh as find the lighter too anaemic. Fender do some lovely gold finishes esp on the higher end stuff.

Likewise, in the flesh the newer gold (antique) looks more realistic. I compared the 2013 with an original 52 LP and the colour was spot on.  Just like bursts, the colour is very light dependent and can be difficult to photograph.

I'd take the one that plays and sounds the best ;-)

jd0272

Indeed, look should be secondary.

xSkarloey

ThePrettyDamned said:

mcsdan;138175" said:

This link shows the colours quite well IMHO



http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/historics-reissues/271565-new-gold-2013-vs-2012-a.html

Gimme the one on the right!

I ain't fussy. Just give me both. 

Tex Mexico

Ah, established. I'm looking at a 2012 advertised as a Goltop and a 2013 advertised as "antique gold", it would appear that the colour is different, as in it's still referred to as antique gold but they've changed the recipe to include some green tone to make it more "period-correct" (whatever the fuck that means, I've seen four or five real '57s and they were four completely different colours ranging from really brassy orange to a pale greenish yellow. I guess it depends on what conditions they were kept in, but I also reckon that in the fifties the paint recipe changed every day.)

I was just wondering anyway, I wouldn't let something like a slight difference in colour affect my decision, certainly not more than which plays better. I have a mild preference for the '13 gold so if there's no difference in feel or tone then I might be swayed.

fretfinder

ThePrettyDamned said:

mcsdan;138175" said:

This link shows the colours quite well IMHO



http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/historics-reissues/271565-new-gold-2013-vs-2012-a.html

Gimme the one on the right!

That's the 'wrong' one - you're supposed to choose the new, more authentic colour on the left! Although it looks a bit too greeny to me...  

ThePrettyDamned

fretfinder;138424" said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

mcsdan;138175" said:This link shows the colours quite well IMHO







http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/historics-reissues/271565-new-gold-2013-vs-2012-a.html

Gimme the one on the right!





That's the 'wrong' one - you're supposed to choose the new, more authentic colour on the left! Although it looks a bit too greeny to me...  

Psh, it looks better.

ESchap

"Guitar Tech" in Manchester has been doing the "vintage correct" gold top for years.  JXG refinished this '69 for me a few years back and sent it to him to do the gold top.  The thing about that version of the gold finish is that it depends on the ambient light and in which direction you look at it as to whether it looks lemon/gold, green/gold or bronze/gold (the photos were all taken in the same room with natural light at the same time of day).  If you see old (50's) gold top finishes in the flesh, as it were, they tend to be more bronze looking but that's because of the degree of ambering in the lacquer topcoats which you can gauge by the colour of the Gibson logo.  I suspect that may be where Gibson got the "old" colour from.

NB This beauty is now the property of Mr. Shugz!

jd0272

John sent it to Steve? That's what you call professional integrity then. Steve's spray can nitro is v nice btw for us partsa folk. His shipping is dear tho, but meh. Both nice blokes as it goes.

jonnyburgo

Yeah I'm getting some butterscotch blonde off him for my Tele refin. Luckily he's only ten minutes away so no postage

ESchap

jd0272 said:

John sent it to Steve? That's what you call professional integrity then. Steve's spray can nitro is v nice btw for us partsa folk. His shipping is dear tho, but meh. Both nice blokes as it goes.

According to John, at the time he didn't want to do it as you really need separate spray kit to do gold.  Reason being that the bronze particles are very difficult to remove completely and then is likely to contaminate future jobs.  Hence he sent it to Steve to spray the top.  Steve did this with full spray, not cans.  

Cracking guitar, late 68, early '69 spec. (i.e. one piece neck, transition tenon,  no pancake, no volute, etc.)  unfortunately when I got it someone had refinished the top (badly) with Fender shoreline gold which, whatever you think of the Gibson Gold's .... is just plain wrong on an LP!

jd0272

Yes the Shoreline's wouldn't really suit. Has some good tutorials on his MGT site and always email able for advice too. I'll be after his white blonde shortly.

p90fool

My 2012 Goldtop looks at times like every picture in this thread so far in various lighting conditions.
I suppose daylight is the most accurate way of telling the difference, but I do very few gigs in daylight.