Shadow Puppets Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I've read contrasting reports of how Gibson achieve their VOS finishes. Some people say they simply miss out the final buffing stage...others say (with photo evidence) that they actually add a compound over a fully polished guitar to achieve the dulled look. Anyone know for sure? And if it's the latter, any idea what the compound is? It appears stickier and "grubbier" on some instruments, particularly new Memphis historics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 This is one of those things that, Gibson being Gibson, it seems inconceivable that it isn't constantly changing. That said,I've not heard of changes and there was an article on gibson.com a while ago that specifically said the final buffing stage was omitted. It was about the same time that the VOS suddenly went from being slightly more expensive to slightly less, almost over night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WC58 Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 The VOS treatment is a topical application. My 2014 R8 is a gloss finish so I don't know about very recent guitars, but my 2009 R7 was a VOS. It was disgusting. That stuff they slop on there is sticky, captures dirt and ( to me) feels dirty. So, what I did was wipe the whole guitar down with Naptha. I removed the TOM, tail piece, pots (to expose the holes), pick up covers etc...... That by itself removed a lot of the "schputz". I then took Virtuoso polish and really went over every inch of the guitar. From start to finish, I spent maybe 75 minutes. In the end, the guitar was shining like a gloss Les Paul. It really did not take much elbow grease to remove the VOS stuff. Afterward, it felt great, the neck was smooth and fast and it looked great, There are a million ways to artificially age your guitar. The one sure way is to just play it as you normally would. The benefit is, every little nick and dent and "war wound" is a testemant to your hours of blood, sweat and tears, as you played. I firmly believe that the guitar "breathes" better and has the ability to age quicker, without the VOS treatment. But that, of course, is only my opinion. Have fun and enjoy your guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim B Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 The VOS treatment is a topical application. My 2014 R8 is a gloss finish so I don't know about very recent guitars, but my 2009 R7 was a VOS. It was disgusting. That stuff they slop on there is sticky, captures dirt and ( to me) feels dirty. So, what I did was wipe the whole guitar down with Naptha. I removed the TOM, tail piece, pots (to expose the holes), pick up covers etc...... That by itself removed a lot of the "schputz". I then took Virtuoso polish and really went over every inch of the guitar. From start to finish, I spent maybe 75 minutes. In the end, the guitar was shining like a gloss Les Paul. It really did not take much elbow grease to remove the VOS stuff. Afterward, it felt great, the neck was smooth and fast and it looked great, There are a million ways to artificially age your guitar. The one sure way is to just play it as you normally would. The benefit is, every little nick and dent and "war wound" is a testemant to your hours of blood, sweat and tears, as you played. I firmly believe that the guitar "breathes" better and has the ability to age quicker, without the VOS treatment. But that, of course, is only my opinion. Have fun and enjoy your guitar I love the VOS finish since I'm not a fan of gloss. Everyone is different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watersilk Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 The VOS treatment is a topical application. My 2014 R8 is a gloss finish so I don't know about very recent guitars, but my 2009 R7 was a VOS. It was disgusting. That stuff they slop on there is sticky, captures dirt and ( to me) feels dirty. So, what I did was wipe the whole guitar down with Naptha. I removed the TOM, tail piece, pots (to expose the holes), pick up covers etc...... That by itself removed a lot of the "schputz". I then took Virtuoso polish and really went over every inch of the guitar. From start to finish, I spent maybe 75 minutes. In the end, the guitar was shining like a gloss Les Paul. It really did not take much elbow grease to remove the VOS stuff. Afterward, it felt great, the neck was smooth and fast and it looked great, There are a million ways to artificially age your guitar. The one sure way is to just play it as you normally would. The benefit is, every little nick and dent and "war wound" is a testemant to your hours of blood, sweat and tears, as you played. I firmly believe that the guitar "breathes" better and has the ability to age quicker, without the VOS treatment. But that, of course, is only my opinion. Have fun and enjoy your guitar Oh I so agree with this! My VOS was also sticky, and like you I also thought that it can't be beneficial for the sound to have a sticky gooey finish. I used a polishing compound to produce a glossy finish which I much prefer. As you have said, in time the finish will age by itself. The neck in particular really improved with a gloss finish, much smoother for playing. The thing I would like to know is, as a guitar ages, does the finish become dull and sticky? I would have thought it just wears away, particularly the neck and the top front of the body where your arm rests. I do love the smell though, or is that just the lacquer of both gloss and VOS finishes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pesh Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 I'm very much of the position of disliking aged or VOS guitars. I mean; some look amazing, and it suits the model (especially with some of the CC series), but I wouldn't buy one, certainly not as a first-choice. I would much rather buy a gloss and let it age naturally. Sadly, at least over here in the UK; finding my ideal R8 gloss doesn't seem to be achievable; even more so now that Gibson decided that all reissues are VOS and the True Historic get the gloss finish exclusively. Fearing I might have to bite the Made-to-Measure bullet. Just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 Oh I so agree with this! My VOS was also sticky, and like you I also thought that it can't be beneficial for the sound to have a sticky gooey finish. I used a polishing compound to produce a glossy finish which I much prefer. As you have said, in time the finish will age by itself. The neck in particular really improved with a gloss finish, much smoother for playing. The thing I would like to know is, as a guitar ages, does the finish become dull and sticky? I would have thought it just wears away, particularly the neck and the top front of the body where your arm rests. I do love the smell though, or is that just the lacquer of both gloss and VOS finishes? Due to the larger surface, the volatile components obviously evaporate faster from VOS/satin/worn/vintage gloss nitro finishes than from high-glossy ones, so the satin etc. nitro finishes smell stronger. At least this is the behaviour of my Gibson guitars and basses. Whereas next to all other finishes tend to becoming slippery with sweat, nitro finishes tend to getting sticky. Since I lift my thumb when changing position and don't slide along the neck's back, this is not a trouble for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watersilk Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Due to the larger surface, the volatile components obviously evaporate faster from VOS/satin/worn/vintage gloss nitro finishes than from high-glossy ones, so the satin etc. nitro finishes smell stronger. At least this is the behaviour of my Gibson guitars and basses. Whereas next to all other finishes tend to becoming slippery with sweat, nitro finishes tend to getting sticky. Since I lift my thumb when changing position and don't slide along the neck's back, this is not a trouble for me. I have to admit, I love the smell of nitro! I have partially restored my 2009 VOS; what a concept, I think Gibson are unique not just in the guitar world, but I cant think of any other product that's produced to look dull and generally uncared for, and becomes shiny and new with use and love! So we buy an old looking guitar, and it looks newer and newer the longer we have it... ; that has to be peculiarly unique! Is the nitro finish good for the sound? I would have thought a harder finish would be better for vibrations? The finish on mine feels rubbery... much less sticky now that I have used D'addario Planet Waves Restore Detailer on the lacquer. The pickups were covered with a yellow, gooey gunk, which surely can't help the sound, but this came off very easily with a little Brasso. When I change the strings I'm taking all the hardware off so I can finish the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watersilk Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 The VOS treatment is a topical application. My 2014 R8 is a gloss finish so I don't know about very recent guitars, but my 2009 R7 was a VOS. It was disgusting. That stuff they slop on there is sticky, captures dirt and ( to me) feels dirty. So, what I did was wipe the whole guitar down with Naptha. I removed the TOM, tail piece, pots (to expose the holes), pick up covers etc...... That by itself removed a lot of the "schputz". I then took Virtuoso polish and really went over every inch of the guitar. From start to finish, I spent maybe 75 minutes. In the end, the guitar was shining like a gloss Les Paul. It really did not take much elbow grease to remove the VOS stuff. Afterward, it felt great, the neck was smooth and fast and it looked great, There are a million ways to artificially age your guitar. The one sure way is to just play it as you normally would. The benefit is, every little nick and dent and "war wound" is a testemant to your hours of blood, sweat and tears, as you played. I firmly believe that the guitar "breathes" better and has the ability to age quicker, without the VOS treatment. But that, of course, is only my opinion. Have fun and enjoy your guitar I recently had the real honour of playing a Les Paul Junior, with P90's, it was a '59, but not a reissue, a REAL 1959! Now, the strange thing was that it was not at all gooey, not at all sticky. It just felt like a well used guitar, which of course is what it was, the wear, dents and scratches were part of its natural life, testament to the accidents that occasionally happen in normal use. I did actually like the less glossy look of my VOS, but not the sticky, gooey feel, which of course feels at its worse on the neck. Because of this, I just couldn't connect with my VOS, until that is, I removed the gunk, suddenly I fell in love with her, and realised, what a fabulous guitar she is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmendoza Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Old guitar finishes don't look anything like what they do to a VOS. Guitars get dings, scratches, but not dull all over, as the wear areas tend to stay shiny. The artificially aged look may appeal to posers, but it's quite pretentious compared to an actual vintage instrument. Satin finishes have their place, but my preference is for gloss because it enhances the depth and beauty of the figuring in the wood. The dulled finishes detract from the depth and make it one dimensional, less character. The other thing is a dull or satin finish can have some pretty bad flaws, and not be very level, but they will not show up. By contrast, it takes much more careful preparation and sanding to get a dead level gloss finish, because the high gloss shows every little imperfection. So, in my opinion, the VOS guitars, or ones with satin finishes are a perfect way to cycle through instruments that had a problem in the painting process. That means the guitars with finish problems get earmarked for a satin, or aged finish, rather than the expensive process of repairing and touching up a finish flaw. In the old days, guitars with unattractive wood grain, or a finish problem would often get a second coat of a solid color to cover the problem up. Now, voila, it's a VOS, or whatever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 I have a 2012 ES-330 VOS in natural finish. Imho, the VOS effect is perfect on this instrument. The appearance is that of a guitar from 1959 that has spent much of it's life in it's case, cared for by someone who lovingly babied it. I believe the natural finish is key to how well it works on an ES-330. The sunburst version does not appeal to me in quite the same way. And mine does not have a hint of stickiness to the finish. This model has received very high praise from many players. The overall execution is beautiful, and as close to vintage as I've seen in looks, tone, and feel - without actually being vintage. Can't speak for VOS applied by Nashville or Bozeman, but this Memphis example is stellar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Posted November 3, 2016 Share Posted November 3, 2016 I just bought a VOS 57 Goldtop Historic and the body and neck are as glossy as a glossy thing! The hardware all has a dulled aged look to it but nothing extreme. Seems like I might have got the best possible compromise that suits me anyway! Oh, and it sounds and plays beautifully! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted November 6, 2016 Share Posted November 6, 2016 A nice video, narrated by Duane Eddy. Look to time-stamp 2:15 thru 3:00 to see just a glimpse of the finish and paint process. Sadly, not much detail is offered. But it is cool. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.