Replica Les Paul rebuild

WezV

Thanks @SteveRobinson, I will message you 

WezV

Thanks to Steve we have some binding which is much closer to the right colour.

I also need some torty side dots, so have punched a load from some plectrums

SteveRobinson

WezV said:

I also need some torty side dots, so have punched a load from some plectrums

Are you going to paint the back of each dot white to brighten them up as Damien Probett does? I thought about doing that on my current build but decided it would be just too fiddly.

WezV

I probably would if I was drilling through to rosewood, but since the binding is thicker than the plectrums I will just keep the holes shallow.

usedtobe

WezV said:

Tenon is cut, just some final fitting around the heel to do.

That looks fabulous!

Andyjr1515

That shows off the really nice carve.

WezV

Back to this now, neck has been on and fretted for a couple of months.

I mixed up a really nice 2:1 tobacco/red analine mix for the back of this, but it left the top burst i had done previously looking a bit anemic in comparison, so I shot a little extra there too. The plan is to fade it out a bit if I have time.





Onto clear.

PhilKing

It's looking great Wez.  I always liked the chevron flame on this top.  I think it is Sycamore, not maple, but it really comes out well in this shade.  Originally it was a faded cherry finish, more of a tan really.  With the back taken off to lighten it, the tobacco burst was an effort to hide the rear joint.

WezV

Yeah  I've kept a certain amount of tobacco to make sure the mahogany is a consistent colour all over, but not necessarily hide joins, or wood flaws on the edge of the top.  Not hidden, but doesn't jump out either.

PhilKing

it is looking good, not too obvious, unless you know it is there.  I hadn't realised that there is a bit of flame in the back!

WezV

Exactly.  Just like the burst on top, the dark finish was hiding a lot of good stuff.

WezV

this has now had most of its clear coats and it cured enough to handle. It will cure for a week for most of the sinking in to happen, then get levelled before received a final few light coats.  Then another few weeks curing before its finally buffed out.

I decided to put parts on as it cures to help with colour fade, ended up putting them all on and stringing it up

Start point

Now

davros

That's a lovely burst!

PhilKing

That's looking amazing Wez.  The flame really comes out in the new finish.  The darker fingerboard also sets it off nicely.

Winny_Pooh

Finish faded fast. Specific non-colourfast dyes?

WezV

Yeah,  red analine.   I've not even put it in direct sunlight

LastMantra

PhilKing said:

It's looking great Wez.  I always liked the chevron flame on this top.  I think it is Sycamore, not maple, but it really comes out well in this shade.  Originally it was a faded cherry finish, more of a tan really.  With the back taken off to lighten it, the tobacco burst was an effort to hide the rear joint.

I always thought sycamore was maple?

Gassage

LastMantra said:

PhilKing said:

It's looking great Wez.  I always liked the chevron flame on this top.  I think it is Sycamore, not maple, but it really comes out well in this shade.  Originally it was a faded cherry finish, more of a tan really.  With the back taken off to lighten it, the tobacco burst was an effort to hide the rear joint.

I always thought sycamore was maple?

Sycamore and Maple are both part of the Soapberry family of trees. Sycamore is a fair bit softer than maple.

LastMantra

Gassage said:

LastMantra said:

PhilKing said:

It's looking great Wez.  I always liked the chevron flame on this top.  I think it is Sycamore, not maple, but it really comes out well in this shade.  Originally it was a faded cherry finish, more of a tan really.  With the back taken off to lighten it, the tobacco burst was an effort to hide the rear joint.

I always thought sycamore was maple?

Sycamore and Maple are both part of the Soapberry family of trees. Sycamore is a fair bit softer than maple.

Ah, thanks. There doesn't seem to be a lot of logic in how they name these things.

WezV

The confusion comes because sycamore in America is not any relation to maple. 

In the US sycamore is a plane tree.  They call the tree we call sycamore European Maple, which is exactly the wood used on all those old classical instruments that Gibson copied when using flamed maple on their instruments.

Its a little softer than rock maple, but not that soft really.  Pretty comparable to quilted/big leaf maple.