Gold Top SG, how would you do it?

paulnb57

Graham (GSP) is finishing a b-stock SG for me, it's all mahogany.....Id like it to be a gold top with natural sides and back...how would you achieve this finish?
There is obviously no binding top separate the top from the sides....
Im thinking (using Nitro) build up several coats of clear all over, mask the sides and back, spray the gold, seal with more clear.....will I be able to mask a nice crisp edge?
I could just spray the whole thing gold, or just the body, but I would really like just the top to be gold....
A slightly off the wall idea is an aluminium top plate, to cover the whole top, sprayed gold nitro....I have some 1.5mm aluminium.....the rest natural...
Budget dictates I’ll have to do it myself....

Thoughts?

WezV

I would do the bevels gold too, then it should be simple to mask and scrape a clean line onto the sides

But yeah, lay down your sealer coats and its just a case of masking and the scraping a clean line.    I did just do it on my blackburst fanned frets with a bevelled top.... I left the bevels natural on that 


Tape type makes a bit difference to how much you will need to scrape 

ICBM

I wouldn't, I would do it all gold. It will just look much better.

The aluminium top plate idea is quite interesting - a bit Zematis-like. I would definitely not paint it gold, it will wear through in no time. If you could get gold-anodized aluminium sheet that would work though.

Funkfingers

paulnb57 said:

natural sides

An SG doesn't have much "side" to it. 

IMHO, a Goldtop finish looks naff without binding between the gold and the natural. 

Better to follow ICBM's suggestion to paint the body gold all over. Unfortunately, a gold body and a natural neck is likely to look wrong too.

In the words of Steve Marriot, all or nothing.

WezV

You can always add more gold  sections,   no harm in trying just the top first 

Winny_Pooh

Other option is to just do the body in gold and have the neck natural.

I did my junior like this:

IvisonGuitars

I'd go all gold too. I've always loved the look of this 1961 refin:

paulnb57

Some good suggestions , thanks!
Initial plan was to include the bevels too..
I might do that and sand/scrape back and see how it goes, as said I can always go further....

Just need the guitar and paint now!

ICBM

I definitely think you can leave the neck natural if the joint is like a vintage Gibson, with a step all round it. Not quite so easy if the back of the heel is flush with the body.

paulnb57

ICBM said:

I definitely think you can leave the neck natural if the joint is like a vintage Gibson, with a step all round it. Not quite so easy if the back of the heel is flush with the body.

Good point!


https://i.imgur.com/8YaSL35.jpg

Edit
I can see it being all gold!

stickyfiddle

I would go all gold, as said, or if you really want a natural back, I'd put a cream pinstripe around the middle of the sides, separating the front and back into 2 equal-depth portions.

But all gold ftw.