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Respraying a Gibson headstock with aerosol nitro


duane v

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A little advice

 

I just purchased .15mm thick MOP Gibson headstock logo and the dual flowerpot thingy as well. Both have adhesive but the site states to spray clear over them once installed.

 

This is for my 12 string because I don't like the gold script one. I was on the STEWMAC site and they have this spray aerosol nitro and was wondering if I could just spray that on top of the already nitro laquered headstock without screwing things up

 

Thanks

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Well, few things:

 

Firstly, wondering how you plan on doing it in the first place. Don't you have to router the space to set it inside? Then you have to fill the edges, so on and such.

 

Next thing, is that I think the specific question as to the compatibility of the Stew-Mac stuff to the existing is a question for Stew-Mac. And I think that question is simply is does it blend and adhere well to the Gibson finish.

 

Besides those questions, I have done more than a couple Strat headstocks with spray cans, even full necks. Back then the regular "Varithane" was nitro type, and the new (at the time) "Diamond" Varithane was a poly or water based or something. I used both, and a few others, but those two were the only ones I could get to work at the time.

 

With both, one issue I had was with the spray cans, I always had orange peel more than I wanted, with was easily sanded off and polished smooth at the end, and the oil based was easier to do that with. On just a headstock, it was no big deal, such a small area. But basically, the stuff just don't spray out of the can as well as a sprayer.

 

Another, was sometimes, it was just a lot more "yellow" than I wanted, but that was also on "white" or new maple necks I wanted to stay that way, or trying to match the rest.

 

Lastly, in the great So Cal late night air, it was easy to get moisture under it, especially when trying to apply coats, sand, and let dry. The finish would cloud, but, lacquer thinner wiped on would get rid of it. Then, it would have to dry at least a day before another coat, or else it would just cloud again.

 

Hopefully, there's a few tips in there for ya, but the real moral of the story is that the stuff in the can from Stew-Mac is likely better, cause a lot of the problems or challenges I had was because the actual formulation in the can and the spray is kinda a limiting thing...it's made to spray a coat or two and look good, but not so much a "guitar quality" so to speak. But the blending, sanding and buffing, once it dries and enough is on, real good results.

 

Which is back to the first question- you really want a flat smooth surface, as close to "finish" as you can be, cause if you are using it for filler, even little grain lines, it's just way too much work.

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Your Gibson logo is .15mm? Where does one obtain one of these? Irregardless, .15mm converts to .0059 in., less than half of an average light gauge high E string, so not much need for a whole lotta routing going on. Bigger question might be how you're going to get the old logo off of the headstock(?). But once it's off (are the tuners coming off of the 12 string for the re-spray [that sounds like fun]?), you could prep the surface with a little wet sanding, maybe 1000 to 2000 grit, then spray that Stew Mac lacquer over the new logo/ flower pot . . . letting each coat flash dry, then knock down any irregularities with super light wet sanding, or just polish/compound if you're nervous about getting into the logo. Let each coat flash or dry as long as patience will allow.

 

Nitro is so workable after the application, you could almost shoot a great looking finish using a cleaned out spray bottle of Windex window cleaner. Almost.

 

Have fun.

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...was wondering if I could just spray that on top of the already nitro laquered headstock without screwing things up

 

 

Duane, the short answer is 'yes'.

 

I've used Stewart-MacDonald rattle can nitro in clear, tinted and color coats on several refinish projects, and it is both forgiving and straightforward to use.

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Thanks guys

 

My luthier told me he would do it for $200 and install the leather PG👍👍

That's what I THOUGHT you might do.

 

But for a bit there, I thought you might be really, really bored for some reason.

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Well my Luthier is backed up for three weeks, so I moved forward with doing the mods myself.

 

Well I removed the old boring PG and installed the new leather PG.... As a side note googone is your best friend.

 

I added some j200 inlay decals. Still on the fence about this mod. This is temporary until my Luthier is free to add real MOP inlays.

 

I added the real MOP headstock logo, the dual flowerpot is next... Wet sanding and black ColorTone touch up marker is a good friend on this mod... Patience is important ...

 

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768EB09B-7118-41E7-A7F1-45556C7345B0_zps4t8waofb.jpg

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Looks good so far. Did you spray black lacquer as well as clear (no black overspray in the tuner holes)? Have you wet sanded/polished it out yet? Nice gloss from the photos.

 

. . . So where did you get the MOP block logo?

 

Leaving the original logo in place and then respraying the headstock and installing the new logo, slightly offset, over top of it would've been so Gibson.

 

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Looks good so far. Did you spray black lacquer as well as clear (no black overspray in the tuner holes)? Have you wet sanded/polished it out yet? Nice gloss from the photos.

 

. . . So where did you get the MOP block logo?

 

Leaving the original logo in place and then respraying the headstock and installing the new logo, slightly offset, over top of it would've been so Gibson.

 

 

Actually I used the ColorTone Black Opaque Lacquer marker from StewMac to cover the original Gibson logo (traced)... I applied 3 coats then wet sanded with 1200 grit to smooth, then polish.... then placed the MOP logo over the painted area. I cleaned then used the ColorTone Clear Gloss Lacquer marker to apply a clear... I only needed to apply two coats, then I wet sanded and buffed.... It came out good..... Now for the dual crown logos next.

 

Be very careful with the MOP block logo.... I purchased two and I'm glad I did, because I cracked the first one.

 

See below for where I purchased the MOP block logo

 

My link

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.

Great looking job.

 

So, you're going to have the J-200 fretboard inlays done. Curious - if you don't mind sharing - your luthiers price on that job?

 

 

.

 

$500 for the inlay work

$150 for fret job

$75 set-up

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Very good before/after shots. But that bridge is feeling neglected, it's a bit Plain Jane- have you had any thoughts to have your luth inlay, or ? to that? Seen George H's SJ-200? Just a thought. . .

 

Notice any finger noise on that nicely tooled leather 'guard? Satin finishes do it to me 'til they get a bit of a shine to them.

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