@ I doubt it. It’s a 3 grand guitar. I’d understand doing that on an SG Special or something but not this. And it’s supposed to be a replica of a guitar that was lacquered with gloss. It just seems weird.
Your Greeny by far has the best top I’ve seen. Pretty close to the type of flame the original has. And honestly, your relic turned out quite nice. I dig it.
For aging the metal parts you should use ferric chloride. It’s used for etching copper. Works very well for nickel, chrome a lot more difficult. Not nearly as hazardous as the acid you used and safe on plastic. For aging the finish I‘ve over sprayed with lacquer then used the heat gun and canned air checking with good results. YMMV
Love it except the pickup covers being off. I think a les paul looks SO much better with them on and tarnished 😅 Wouldve been a nice touch to find double whites though haha
I totally agree in 99% of the cases, I really like pickup covers being on. And these actually aged beautifully, but it was the 'still got the blues' Les Paul that swayed me in the end aha!
I think it actually turned out well and gave me inspiration for a future project. Get a used Les Paul on reverb and "relic" it yourself for a fraction of the price of a Murphy Lab reissue.
Top wrap lengthens the stretchable string length, so for the same tightness (pitch) your bends travel (easier, yes, but) farther across the radiused fretboard and thusly require more action to prevent bottoming out. If this is difficult to picture, just imagine bending a note all the way around a 24” diameter fretted tube.
8 Bomb Custom (luthier dude in Russia or Belarus) has shown that the regular Gibson "nitro" doesn't react the same to some of the usual relic'ing methods.
As a friend of mine likes to say: "So you did all that to your guitar, but does it speed up your arpeggios?". I like how the hardware turned out. Looks great.
Nice job!! That's not an easy thing to just "do"... Muriatic acid is what I used to age the parts on relic Telecaster build last year. Here's how... Get two containers with lids, one big enough that the smaller one could sit inside of it. I used the plastic containers you store leftover food in. Pour the muriatic acid into the larger container and put a cover on it. Put all the parts you want to age into the smaller container and float that container in the acid and put the cover back on it. Don't let the acid itself actually touch the parts, the fumes from the muriatic acid will do the job easily. Some parts will be affected quicker than others, just check every 20 minutes or so. I ended up leaving the chrome plate that a telecaster's volume and tone knobs and switch are on overnight, for some reason it took longer. Worked amazingly. I also used the trick with the canned air, except you need a heat gun, looks similar to a hair dryer but gets hot way faster and you don't need to hold it that close to the finish. I can send you pics of the Telecaster replica and the Stratocaster replica I built if you like, let me know. I'll post them here if I can
Ohh man. Great result but I couldn’t do it to my guitar no chance. This is my dream come through axe and if even will be lucky to have it it’ll be cherished and well looked after. Thanks for sharing this video;) Can we have more of this kind of videos please. Relicing new marshall reissue pedals??
Ive checked a couple of my strats didn't even need the hairdryer or to heat it up, just went berserk with the air stuff haha. Also it only really works on nitro I think, don't quote me on that. Looks great man 👍
It's -21°F where i live right now and -31 with the windchill. While watching your video i decided to put my lp standard outside for a while and see if i can't get some checking started on it when i bring it back in. It's a 60s style bourbon burst.
Nice job! I did the same sort of thing to mine. I used 6k grit micromesh on the top with some polish, then 8k. Came out really nice. Not full gloss, but like the VOS custom shop look. I did the neck with a piece of leather and some polish, just to get it slick. It's so much better. I wish Gibson thought this one out a bit more, but it's a great guitar with a little effort.
Great job. I’m going to do something similar. I had to scrape the binding to round it off a bit cuz it was very sharp. The satin finish on this one is better than on the epiphones but agree it needs some shine and the headstock def needs some shine. I’ve aged tons of hardware in muriatic acid and works great. No direct contact with the acid- Tupperware in Tupperware like you did.
Exactly how did you "scrape the binding"???? Did that solve the problem???? Does it look funky now??? Any collateral damage caused by rounding it off???? I just bought one of these and I have the same sharp edged binding issue.... I'd appreciate any advice bro....
@@jdmoney1000 I just use a utility blade and scrape it and do it so that I create a more rounded edge. Then sand it progressively to get some shine. Then can use actual polish to shine it a bit more. I did it on the binding on the fretboard edges so they felt more rolled and along the body. Takes a little practice but the shavings are thin and you aren’t going to ruin the binding. I do this all the time with rosewood fretboards if they need a more rolled edge feel. Plastic isn’t going to wear down on its own. I used the binding on my R8 and traditional model as reference how much I wanted it rounded. Really just trying to soften the edge of binding so it’s not sharp. I can post a short video on my TH-cam channel showing how I do it if you’d like.
So as far as top vs not top wrapped. The only benifits I can tell is string tension. So if you like your strings to feel extra slinky without going down to 9s 8s or 7s even. Top wrapping is a great way to do that. Joe Bonamassa plays 11-52 top wrapped. Also it allows you to pin the bridge to the body, which some say it creates better sustain. I personally don't do top wrapping. I like the extra tension. I also am not afraid to use 8s. What it really comes down to is personal preference.
The guitar looks fantastic. Its always a gamble modding your guitar but its even more worth it the project is successful. You should try Monty's PAFs. They nail the vintage tele on steroids tone. I swapped the magnet in the neck pickup to an A2 and flipped it. Nails the PG tone.
Much nicer guitar now! New guitars are boring and many guitarists, including myself are actually afraid to play them. I got 61' Vintage II Strat in November and was extremely disappointed with the quality of finish straight from Fender factory. My plan was to refinish it with way thinner nitro so I did relic it heavily just for fun. It turned out this guitar might actually stay as it is now, I started to love it and got many thumbs up from those who seen it. You did amazing job with this dull looking Gibson. I want one myself now 😂and would absolutely go the same way!
I think I looks brilliant Chris I love the worn in look think especially on les pauls it makes it look really old like the real 59's I got the top wrap on the bridge off a joe bonamassa video a couple of years ago have a lovely weekend mate
I believe the reason why is didn’t check is because they used Nitrocellulose Lacquer basically gloss and put it on the finish and when using extreme cold and heat it will crack due to the quick change of temperatures. Hope this helps ❤ edit: So I did some research on the Gibson Greeny and it turns out it is also a Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish, but I think you might need to hold the compressed air upside down
weird, I bought a law suit era Matsumoku Japanese LP copy which had been sanded to bare wood. I used Home Depot Watco gloss Lacquer to refinish as a burst using leather dye to tint the lacquer. After leveling, polishing I just used a can of duster upside down without the hairdryer an it easily checked in seconds.
Just a couple days ago I went from topwrapped strings to regular and I coudn't tell a difference at all in feel. And you could probably achieve the same shallow break angle at the saddles just by raising the tailpiece.
Badass video. Definitely one of the more natural looking relic, from the finish on the guitar itself, to the hardware. Nice job! Btw how long did you end up going for the hardware fume bath? ☣️👨🔬 Lol
My Gibson Les Paul standard from 2009 looks even 'worse', but that's after 14 years of heavy use. I use it as a 'beater' guitar. I also have a 1961 custom shop es-335, but I try to keep it in pristine condition.
fair play but it scared me when you were doin the temprauture method and also tom murphy at gibson custom shop never uses the temp methodonly the razor blade thats why its so expensive
So did I. Don't use acetone on a nitro finish to get glue off of your guitar that the luthier left there after fixing you broken headstock. No, you don't need a heat gun or a hair dryer to get checking on your finish.
Get a ton of reference photos, study them well and then use an X-acto knife to cut in the checking. not deep. Then get an acrylic paint, something like Burnt Umber works good, get it into some of the cracks. wipe it off.
Nitro need uv cure before the heat cold process, protect fretboard , take out pickguard , exposé 200 hrs direct sunlight, then after do the heat cold process , perfect line crack will epear
I remember when I accidentally reliced a Fender neck years ago when i was 12. My headstock was dirty so i decided to use some rubbing alcohol and I ended up removing the waterslide logo, I was heartbroken!
I love relic guitars; I own two! But man I could not do this! If I did it myself I'd constantly be second guessing over how it looked. Plus the thought of "damaging" something I'd paid a fortune for would kill me! I do love the look that you've achieved though Chris. Don't think I could myself
In the same way, I enjoy a good relic but i relived a neck and body once and every time I looked at it I just second guessed it even though when I posted pics others thought it was genuine wear it still was always in my head and I didn’t like it, from now on if I get a relic done it’s by someone else lol
Personally I think that looks mint ,but if you wanted to go one step further for a more worn in feel on the neck you could use the belt buckle and round the edges of the neck down
Interesting it didn’t check… as the new Gibson’s will definitely check… quite a bit. My 2019/2020 Standard… just extreme cold alone… like a sheet of glass just shattering.
My Goldtop is checking on its own in a 65 degree basement where my rig is setup. I’m not happy about it I guess it adds character it’s probably not going to be worth as much if I ever go to sell it.
You could have saved a bunch of money buying a regular 50s faded standard and installing the neck pickup upside down. They were overstocked and I got one of those in a factory sealed box for 2/3 what they are charging for the greeny.
I have a satin finish Les Paul Special which has never developed checking in years. But I have a newer junior and SG which both started checking within weeks. I think the satin finish is too thin to check rather than having too many plastics in the lacquer
![Gibson Les Paul R9 refinish. PART 1 [How to remove Gibson factory lacquer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yks_xVrv3y4/mqdefault.jpg)
Absolutely love this! I want this seen on the new Epiphone Inspired by Gibson line!😊
This actually looks very well done. Most relic jobs are too over done and look like they tried too hard to get the look.
This actually turned out surprisingly good!
Raising the tail piece will give the same vibe as a top wrap. But a lot of people like it decked for added sustain I believe.
Exactly that... all it does is make the strings slinkier on the bends.
I love that u made this your own.
I love the end result. Thanks for sharing the project.
I don’t understand why the guitar was made matte in the first place. Always struck me as a weird decision by Gibson.
Cost?
@ I doubt it. It’s a 3 grand guitar. I’d understand doing that on an SG Special or something but not this. And it’s supposed to be a replica of a guitar that was lacquered with gloss. It just seems weird.
That’s actually an awesome job! Some serious balls to go through it as well
Ha ha, thanks a lot mate
@@PedalPawnwhat type of polish did you use? I’m attempting this next week . Thanks
Your Greeny by far has the best top I’ve seen. Pretty close to the type of flame the original has. And honestly, your relic turned out quite nice. I dig it.
For aging the metal parts you should use ferric chloride. It’s used for etching copper. Works very well for nickel, chrome a lot more difficult. Not nearly as hazardous as the acid you used and safe on plastic.
For aging the finish I‘ve over sprayed with lacquer then used the heat gun and canned air checking with good results.
YMMV
i love mine the way it is. And i let the time do the job...But i really like and i share your passion. Good work. Greetings from France.
Rip Gary.
That virtuoso cleaner is awesome, and actually has a slight abrasive in it, and can polish out scratches and slight nicks.
well done. it looks so much better
I'm not a fan normally of relic guitars but that turned out nice in the end. 🔥
That's ace mate, thanks a lot
Wow. I think that turned out great! Quit giving me ideas 😊
Don’t know why it took so long but just discovered your channel. Great content.
Subbed!
My LPC from 2001 is reliced from 23 years of just using it. It looks amazing!
Love it except the pickup covers being off. I think a les paul looks SO much better with them on and tarnished 😅
Wouldve been a nice touch to find double whites though haha
I totally agree in 99% of the cases, I really like pickup covers being on. And these actually aged beautifully, but it was the 'still got the blues' Les Paul that swayed me in the end aha!
Cold then hot might work better. Like bring a guitar inside after being in a cold vehicle.
I've tried molten lava to Antarctica with this finish, and it just won't budge 🤣
I think it actually turned out well and gave me inspiration for a future project. Get a used Les Paul on reverb and "relic" it yourself for a fraction of the price of a Murphy Lab reissue.
you make it even better!
i dig it! good job
Top wrap lengthens the stretchable string length, so for the same tightness (pitch) your bends travel (easier, yes, but) farther across the radiused fretboard and thusly require more action to prevent bottoming out.
If this is difficult to picture, just imagine bending a note all the way around a 24” diameter fretted tube.
This was unhinged but I’m here for it - turned out great too! 👊
🤣🙌 thanks a lot mate
8 Bomb Custom (luthier dude in Russia or Belarus) has shown that the regular Gibson "nitro" doesn't react the same to some of the usual relic'ing methods.
Awesome job. Looks great. I love relic'd guitars! Greetings from Bali, Indonesia! 😃🎸
Thanks so much mate, really appreciate that. Greetings right back from the UK ❤️🎸
Nice job, now I want to buy it when I see your results:)
Ha ha, thanks a lot mate
As a friend of mine likes to say: "So you did all that to your guitar, but does it speed up your arpeggios?".
I like how the hardware turned out. Looks great.
Nice job!! That's not an easy thing to just "do"... Muriatic acid is what I used to age the parts on relic Telecaster build last year. Here's how... Get two containers with lids, one big enough that the smaller one could sit inside of it. I used the plastic containers you store leftover food in. Pour the muriatic acid into the larger container and put a cover on it. Put all the parts you want to age into the smaller container and float that container in the acid and put the cover back on it. Don't let the acid itself actually touch the parts, the fumes from the muriatic acid will do the job easily. Some parts will be affected quicker than others, just check every 20 minutes or so. I ended up leaving the chrome plate that a telecaster's volume and tone knobs and switch are on overnight, for some reason it took longer. Worked amazingly. I also used the trick with the canned air, except you need a heat gun, looks similar to a hair dryer but gets hot way faster and you don't need to hold it that close to the finish. I can send you pics of the Telecaster replica and the Stratocaster replica I built if you like, let me know. I'll post them here if I can
it looks wonderful, nice job , i was amazed by the result.
Ohh man. Great result but I couldn’t do it to my guitar no chance. This is my dream come through axe and if even will be lucky to have it it’ll be cherished and well looked after. Thanks for sharing this video;)
Can we have more of this kind of videos please.
Relicing new marshall reissue pedals??
I think it's a great result, you are a braver man than me!
Thanks a lot mate, ha ha
Ive checked a couple of my strats didn't even need the hairdryer or to heat it up, just went berserk with the air stuff haha. Also it only really works on nitro I think, don't quote me on that. Looks great man 👍
That's awesome, my strats have a lot of checking on as well and you're definitely right about the nitro 🚀
You have to stop yourself going too far, the first strat I done, just wanted a little bit wear, now it looks about 300 years old haha 👍
The top wound string method had been tested and it’s actually harder to bend them. I’m relicing mine just by playing it.
Personally, I would age it myself through use but it looks sick with your process anyway 🔥
Thanks a lot mate 🚀🤗
It's -21°F where i live right now and -31 with the windchill. While watching your video i decided to put my lp standard outside for a while and see if i can't get some checking started on it when i bring it back in. It's a 60s style bourbon burst.
Nice job! I did the same sort of thing to mine. I used 6k grit micromesh on the top with some polish, then 8k. Came out really nice. Not full gloss, but like the VOS custom shop look. I did the neck with a piece of leather and some polish, just to get it slick. It's so much better. I wish Gibson thought this one out a bit more, but it's a great guitar with a little effort.
Great job. I’m going to do something similar. I had to scrape the binding to round it off a bit cuz it was very sharp. The satin finish on this one is better than on the epiphones but agree it needs some shine and the headstock def needs some shine. I’ve aged tons of hardware in muriatic acid and works great. No direct contact with the acid- Tupperware in Tupperware like you did.
Exactly how did you "scrape the binding"???? Did that solve the problem???? Does it look funky now??? Any collateral damage caused by rounding it off???? I just bought one of these and I have the same sharp edged binding issue.... I'd appreciate any advice bro....
@@jdmoney1000 I just use a utility blade and scrape it and do it so that I create a more rounded edge. Then sand it progressively to get some shine. Then can use actual polish to shine it a bit more. I did it on the binding on the fretboard edges so they felt more rolled and along the body. Takes a little practice but the shavings are thin and you aren’t going to ruin the binding. I do this all the time with rosewood fretboards if they need a more rolled edge feel. Plastic isn’t going to wear down on its own. I used the binding on my R8 and traditional model as reference how much I wanted it rounded. Really just trying to soften the edge of binding so it’s not sharp. I can post a short video on my TH-cam channel showing how I do it if you’d like.
So as far as top vs not top wrapped. The only benifits I can tell is string tension. So if you like your strings to feel extra slinky without going down to 9s 8s or 7s even. Top wrapping is a great way to do that. Joe Bonamassa plays 11-52 top wrapped. Also it allows you to pin the bridge to the body, which some say it creates better sustain. I personally don't do top wrapping. I like the extra tension. I also am not afraid to use 8s. What it really comes down to is personal preference.
For content…why not!? For the 9-5 work week player I am nervous. But thanks for doing it and showing me how if I want to try it!
You are a brave man -
I like what you did to it. But I actually love the satin finish on mine the whole reason I got one
The guitar looks fantastic. Its always a gamble modding your guitar but its even more worth it the project is successful.
You should try Monty's PAFs. They nail the vintage tele on steroids tone. I swapped the magnet in the neck pickup to an A2 and flipped it. Nails the PG tone.
Much nicer guitar now!
New guitars are boring and many guitarists, including myself are actually afraid to play them.
I got 61' Vintage II Strat in November and was extremely disappointed with the quality of finish straight from Fender factory.
My plan was to refinish it with way thinner nitro so I did relic it heavily just for fun. It turned out this guitar might actually stay as it is now, I started to love it and got many thumbs up from those who seen it.
You did amazing job with this dull looking Gibson.
I want one myself now 😂and would absolutely go the same way!
Looks much better!
I think I looks brilliant Chris I love the worn in look think especially on les pauls it makes it look really old like the real 59's I got the top wrap on the bridge off a joe bonamassa video a couple of years ago have a lovely weekend mate
I believe the reason why is didn’t check is because they used Nitrocellulose Lacquer basically gloss and put it on the finish and when using extreme cold and heat it will crack due to the quick change of temperatures. Hope this helps ❤ edit: So I did some research on the Gibson Greeny and it turns out it is also a Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish, but I think you might need to hold the compressed air upside down
Modern Gibsons have a high plasticizer content in the lacquer. It’s more durable and shrinks less so less checking.
Legendary video.
🤣🙌 thanks so much for watching mate ❤️
Would you mind leaving all the products used in the process in the description box or right here por favor
Good playing . Hate Wrecked Guitars !
Cheers mate, and yes, definitely acquired taste
weird, I bought a law suit era Matsumoku Japanese LP copy which had been sanded to bare wood. I used Home Depot Watco gloss Lacquer to refinish as a burst using leather dye to tint the lacquer. After leveling, polishing I just used a can of duster upside down without the hairdryer an it easily checked in seconds.
Wow! You’re a brave soul. It came out great in the end.🍻🤙
🤣🙌 it was very scary 🍋
Just a couple days ago I went from topwrapped strings to regular and I coudn't tell a difference at all in feel. And you could probably achieve the same shallow break angle at the saddles just by raising the tailpiece.
Title should be “nearly ruining a f expensive guitar, but it turned well because God loves me”
having steel wool that close to pickups can get particles on the magnets, and eventually they'll screw up your pickups/electronics.
Badass video. Definitely one of the more natural looking relic, from the finish on the guitar itself, to the hardware. Nice job! Btw how long did you end up going for the hardware fume bath? ☣️👨🔬 Lol
I was like NooOoOOooooOo!!!!! But it actually looks better. Good work.
🤣🤣 thanks a lot mate
Now you have a copy of Moore's Stripe :D
My Gibson Les Paul standard from 2009 looks even 'worse', but that's after 14 years of heavy use. I use it as a 'beater' guitar. I also have a 1961 custom shop es-335, but I try to keep it in pristine condition.
I'm so jealous! you got the best top! close to the real greeny! mine is a bigger flame
Haha such a great entertaining video I laughed ! The guitar looks amazing now! Definitely looks like Gary’s stripe
fair play but it scared me when you were doin the temprauture method and also tom murphy at gibson custom shop never uses the temp methodonly the razor blade thats why its so expensive
So did I. Don't use acetone on a nitro finish to get glue off of your guitar that the luthier left there after fixing you broken headstock. No, you don't need a heat gun or a hair dryer to get checking on your finish.
great job mate
Thanks a lot mate
Get a ton of reference photos, study them well and then use an X-acto knife to cut in the checking. not deep.
Then get an acrylic paint, something like Burnt Umber works good, get it into some of the cracks. wipe it off.
good job! i reliced my gibson too! remove some gloss, sounds better
Nitro need uv cure before the heat cold process, protect fretboard , take out pickguard , exposé 200 hrs direct sunlight, then after do the heat cold process , perfect line crack will epear
Looks good, I like a nicely relic guitar
I would recommend a refin with Nitrolac relic lacquer over using a scalpel.
Do you think taking the covers off changed the sound?
You can actually use white vinegar to age the parts. It takes about 24 hours.
look way better, nice job!
Thanks a lot mate
did you turn the pickups the correct way around?
I didn't. Ha ha
@@PedalPawn it looks great, youre a braver man than me, get some Monty’s Bethnal Greens in there
Turn the compressed air can upside down. It then creates more frost.
looks good. please open a relic service shop.
Thanks a lot mate, ha ha
Looks and sounds great! What gear did you use for the music?
What a fantastic video have a good weekend also happy mother's day I did not had a good week
Virtuoso polish is great for a deep gloss. Good call, really not a fan of the satin finish, made it look like an Epiphone.
A Gary Moore ‘Greeny-Stripe’ combo - what a great idea!
I remember when I accidentally reliced a Fender neck years ago when i was 12. My headstock was dirty so i decided to use some rubbing alcohol and I ended up removing the waterslide logo, I was heartbroken!
I love relic guitars; I own two! But man I could not do this!
If I did it myself I'd constantly be second guessing over how it looked. Plus the thought of "damaging" something I'd paid a fortune for would kill me!
I do love the look that you've achieved though Chris. Don't think I could myself
Yes, you are right mate! They were all of my emotions ha ha, but I'm glad I went for it in the end 🎸 thanks a lot for watching
In the same way, I enjoy a good relic but i relived a neck and body once and every time I looked at it I just second guessed it even though when I posted pics others thought it was genuine wear it still was always in my head and I didn’t like it, from now on if I get a relic done it’s by someone else lol
Did you expose the entire tuner to the acid? Gears and all!?
Beautiful Slash AFD relic :D
Personally I think that looks mint ,but if you wanted to go one step further for a more worn in feel on the neck you could use the belt buckle and round the edges of the neck down
I have a question, didn't any of the steel wool dust get into the pickups being that they are magnetic?
Reverse relic....i like it!!
Interesting it didn’t check… as the new Gibson’s will definitely check… quite a bit. My 2019/2020 Standard… just extreme cold alone… like a sheet of glass just shattering.
My Goldtop is checking on its own in a 65 degree basement where my rig is setup. I’m not happy about it I guess it adds character it’s probably not going to be worth as much if I ever go to sell it.
On your bridge, it looks like the A string bridge saddle may have come out of place. Or did you do that for intonation purposes?
I’d get a 3000 grit sand paper on a soft pad, not as much of a chance of leaving deeper scratches
Even if I could afford a new Gibson, my gonads just ain't big enough to try that man! Fair play to you😂
You could have saved a bunch of money buying a regular 50s faded standard and installing the neck pickup upside down. They were overstocked and I got one of those in a factory sealed box for 2/3 what they are charging for the greeny.
I reeeeeeaaaaally want to do this to my satin prs but I’m so scared I’ll balls it up lol
I was wincing incase the binding on the body or neck came away 😬
Good job
respect 💯
looks ace
Thanks a lot mate
my stress levels went up when I saw you just had the pickups hanging by their lead 💀 them mfs heavy I could never trust it
Because the nitro has plasticisers in it?
I have a satin finish Les Paul Special which has never developed checking in years. But I have a newer junior and SG which both started checking within weeks. I think the satin finish is too thin to check rather than having too many plastics in the lacquer
This was gut wrenching to watch. I was screaming internally when you had the hair dryer do close to the guitar.
Why did you watch?
Are you sure it's not a poly finish... which can't be checked?