Converting a Lemon Drop into a Lucy - PICS!

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DannyPDannyP Frets: 1667
edited February 2014 in Making & Modding

I have a Vintage V100MRPGM  Lemon Drop and I love it.

I'd like to play it more live, but as my main job is as a 'George' in a Beatles tribute, the best way of spending more time with it would be to convert it to a Lucy.

This would mean sanding the top back and staining it trans red.

My question really is about whether to try to lightly sand off the stain, or whether to go all out and sand the entire figured veneer from off the top? The original Lucy is quite a shonky looking 2-piece plain top anyway, so the latter would be more accurate.

I'm favouring the option of trying to sand off the entire veneer. I have a rotary sander to do the donkey work, then obvs I'll sand it finely to get a nice surface for the stain.

Any ideas or tips? Anyone know how thick the figured veneer is likely to be?

 

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Comments

  • impmannimpmann Frets: 12645
    Could you not sand it back to bare wood and then apply something like a Wudtone finish to it? Not sure they do a dark Cherry but perhaps Andy could concoct something for you to suit...
    Never Ever Bloody Anything Ever.

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  • DannyPDannyP Frets: 1667

    Yeah course, that's the plan.

    But what 'bare wood' am I sanding back to? The veneer which I don't care for? Or the unknown maple beneath which might be a PITA to get to?

    This is my dilemma.

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  • here  is someone who went down to the veneer on one:

    http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/2012/04/23/vintage-lemondrop-refinish/


    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • and this is one where the veneer was stripped off as well, came out a lot nicer than I would have imagined:

    http://lauder.ca/vintage_peter_green_lemon_drop.htm
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • DannyPDannyP Frets: 1667

    The one WITHOUT veneer looks spectacular!

    I suppose I could always TRY to sand back to the veneer, and when I inevitably fuck it up and go through it, I can crack on with taking it off completely.

    Let's face it, that's probably what's going to happen.

    Any ideas on how thick the veneer actually is?

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  • Just buy one of the recent Gibson "Lucy" models, save yourself the bother.




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  • DannyPDannyP Frets: 1667
    If you could just spot me the £11,999.00, Dave, I'll see if I can pick one up at the weekend ;)
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  • DannyP said:

    The one WITHOUT veneer looks spectacular!

    Imagine that with a clear red lacquer.
    DannyP said:

    Any ideas on how thick the veneer actually is?

    Less than 1mm, about as thick as cartridge paper.
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  • impmannimpmann Frets: 12645
    Another thought... could you not just rout one of these out for full sized 'buckers and be done with it?

    Never Ever Bloody Anything Ever.

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  • By the way, T-Cut is a cutting agent (hence the name) - it polishes, doesn't stay on the finish.

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  • DannyPDannyP Frets: 1667
    DannyP said:

    The one WITHOUT veneer looks spectacular!

    Imagine that with a clear red lacquer.
    DannyP said:

    Any ideas on how thick the veneer actually is?

    Less than 1mm, about as thick as cartridge paper.

     

     

    Fuck yeah! That's is, I think I'm going to go for it!

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  • Over-thinking this probably, but what about using a darker stain on the top section to replicate the off centre seam?

    image
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  • DannyPDannyP Frets: 1667
    impmann said:
    Another thought... could you not just rout one of these out for full sized 'buckers and be done with it?

    But I don't have one on those, I've got a V100PGM that I really like. And the routing is nearly as much hassle as the sanding. And it's too glossy. And the colour's a bit too dark. And it doesn't have a maple top.

     

    Other than that, yeah...

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  • We needs pics, including the good, the bad and the beautiful (hopefully!).

    If you do fuck it up beyond all reason, a fella named Andy does refin work by gluing on a new veneer. A mm of raw veneer will take dye, wudtone, anything. So keep that backup in mind!
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16543
    the one with the veneer removed obviously shows they don't have a plain maple top under the veneer.. but thats not really an issue for what you want to do.  The mahogany will take a nice red colour anyway.  if you wanted the two tone look i would use wood bleach on the top first to get it as light as possible.  spray it all over cherry red then mask 3/4 of the top and spray a slightly darker tint on the bass side

    if you are happy with a darker cherry red just go straight onto the mahogany 
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  • DannyP said:
    If you could just spot me the £11,999.00, Dave, I'll see if I can pick one up at the weekend ;)
    :)

    I have a picture of "Lucy" on my wall at home. It's all I can do not to dribble sometimes. Remembering the cost of the Gibson sig model is usually enough to cure me of that.

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  • DannyPDannyP Frets: 1667
    WezV said:
    the one with the veneer removed obviously shows they don't have a plain maple top under the veneer.. but thats not really an issue for what you want to do.  The mahogany will take a nice red colour anyway.  if you wanted the two tone look i would use wood bleach on the top first to get it as light as possible.  spray it all over cherry red then mask 3/4 of the top and spray a slightly darker tint on the bass side

    if you are happy with a darker cherry red just go straight onto the mahogany 

    The V100MRPGM is one of the few V100s that actually does have a maple cap on the mahogany with the veneer on top of that. From the JHS site:

    Vintage®V100MRPGM 'Lemon Drop' Series
    Body: Mahogany with Maple Cap
    Top: Flame Maple Veneer

    http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageiconguitars.html

     


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  • DannyPDannyP Frets: 1667
    Although the grain looks quite open and dark on the sanded example you posted. Hmmmm......
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  • Yes this certainly doesn't look like maple. 

    image
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16543
    exactly.   it clearly isn't any relative to anything that can be called maple ;)

    doesn't actually matter if you like the sound of it anyway, and it won't stop you getting close to the look you want
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