stevet Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 I have a 1990 Les Paul Studio in Wine Red. Pretty quickly after I bought it, I noticed the headstock lettering ("Les Paul" in script, then "Model" in block) was fading. It started gold, and now it's merely an outline you can see in a bright light, but it's all faded to black. I'm pretty sure it's a real Gibson. Serial number is valid format, and the logo looked good when I got it. Also the truss rod cover is 2-screw. Any thoughts on why the logo faded? Is this common? What can I do about it? People that see it think my guitar is a fake, and I don't like that. I have 3 real American Gibsons (ES-335, Songwriter, Les Paul Studio) and I like to "brag" about that a bit! Here are a few pictures: Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwfelton Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 you use lemon oil on your headstock? lemon oil has an astringent type quality to it. many types of furniture polish aren't exactly good for guitars.... lemon oil is good for the body if you have a sealed finish. many people put it on their fretboards as well. i have heard stories of inlays falling out due to it. use guitar polish instead. there are tons of brands. you also may be scrubbing too hard when cleaning. these are just what i could find and what i have heard through my 25+ years of playing but there should be tons of opinions headed your way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwfelton Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 gotta say though. she is pretty. its nice seeing a studio with the inlayed gibson on the headstock. not like all the printed ones they have now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 ...lemon oil is good for the body if you have a sealed finish... Excuse for intruding into Your discussion, but I have to correct the above statement, before someone does a serious damage to an expensive instrument - following it. Lemon oil under no circumstance should be used on a laquer finish!!! It will destroy it! It can be used only on unfinished wooden parts of the instrument, like the fretboard. However, it shouldn't be used very often. Once or twice a year is enough. Never use polishing compound on a raw (unfinished) fretboard! For cleaning use naphta, or - if the instrument is not that dirty - distilled water, with a pure cotton rag. For polishing use Gibson's products or Virtuoso (or anything that is formulated for nitrocellulose finish). Best wishes... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwfelton Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Excuse for intruding into Your discussion, but I have to correct the above statement, before someone does a serious damage to an expensive instrument - following it. Lemon oil under no circumstance should be used on a laquer finish!!! It will destroy it! It can be used only on unfinished wooden parts of the instrument, like the fretboard. However, it shouldn't be used very often. Once or twice a year is enough. Never use polishing compound on a raw (unfinished) fretboard! For cleaning use naphta, or - if the instrument is not that dirty - distilled water, with a pure cotton rag. For polishing use Gibson's products or Virtuoso (or anything that is formulated for nitrocellulose finish). Best wishes... Bence thanks, man. i wish i would have gotten into this forum thing a long time ago.... i'm new and i am learning so much. i had heard that lemon oil was good on finished woods and linseed oil on unfinished to kind of seal in the pores. but to only use like 3 or 4 drops of each. but i will gladly take this into consideration. thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Hello! You are welcome! Lemon oil is basically lemon-scented mineral oil, it is used for hydratating fretboards. The alternative to this is linseed oil. That will seal the pores and also darken the fretboard. Both should be only used on unfinished wooden surfaces. Lemon oil has solvent in it, that`s why when used too excessively, it can dissolve the glue that holds the fretboard inlays. A couple of drops shall be enough on rag. Always wipe off all the remains. Even though, these oils are meant to be used on fretboards, I have used lemon oil on the body of my Ibanez RGA32-MOL guitar. That guitar had and oiled, non-laquered finish. I`d never use it on the fragile nitro finish of my Gibsons. Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwfelton Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Hello! You are welcome! Lemon oil is basically lemon-scented mineral oil, it is used for hydratating fretboards. The alternative to this is linseed oil. That will seal the pores and also darken the fretboard. Both should be only used on unfinished wooden surfaces. Lemon oil has solvent in it, that`s why when used too excessively, it can dissolve the glue that holds the fretboard inlays. A couple of drops shall be enough on rag. Always wipe off all the remains. Even though, these oils are meant to be used on fretboards, I have used lemon oil on the body of my Ibanez RGA32-MOL guitar. That guitar had and oiled, non-laquered finish. I`d never use it on the fragile nitro finish of my Gibsons. Cheers... Bence thanks for all the info and assistance. been playing on gibsons for over 25 years now and still learn something new. sorry to bother but i have so many questions... is it ok, to say, switch between the oils. to go from lemon to linseed or linseed to lemon? once again, thanks for any help you can offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Hello! Good question! I don`t know what kind of long-term effects the mixing of those compounds might have. If You consider that linseed oil is also used to stain furniture, it gets deep into the wood and also seals it's pores. It is also used to make a water-proof surface on wooden houses. Once it's applied, it going to stay there forever (in traces at least). Another unknown factor is that how much the oil content is of the products we call "lemon oil"... Personally, I would not mix those, or I would consult with a luthier with decades of experience first. Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevet Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 And from all the pictures does it look for sure it's a real Gibson Les Paul Studio? From everything I've read it looks real. But with the headstock faded that doesn't look like gibson quality. It's not lemon oil. I've only cleaned it with Gibson guitar polish. And I don't clean it all that often. For the last few years it's been in the house in a closet in it's case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Hello! It is a genuine Gibson. Unlike me (and obviously You), people usually do not polish the black (painted or veneer-covered) part of the instrument. They dust it off with a very soft, mild brush. Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwfelton Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 And from all the pictures does it look for sure it's a real Gibson Les Paul Studio? From everything I've read it looks real. But with the headstock faded that doesn't look like gibson quality. It's not lemon oil. I've only cleaned it with Gibson guitar polish. And I don't clean it all that often. For the last few years it's been in the house in a closet in it's case. send the pics that you have to gibson and they will email you back with all the info on the axe. they are very helpful and friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevet Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 And I really haven't polished it more than twice in the 24 years I've had it! So I'm still puzzled why it faded. It wasn't in the sun, hasn't been abused, and really hasn't been polished or even dusted off too much. I'm mostly an acoustic guitar player, and I'll be in 24 years It's been played maybe 30 times. It just mostly sat in it's case, in a closet in a climate controlled-house, and faded away! I thought maybe Gibson would just fix it, since it's obviously some sort of defect. But they say it's about $300 to fix, so I guess it'll stay as it is! Thanks all for helping me out with this. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwfelton Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 And I really haven't polished it more than twice in the 24 years I've had it! So I'm still puzzled why it faded. It wasn't in the sun, hasn't been abused, and really hasn't been polished or even dusted off too much. I'm mostly an acoustic guitar player, and I'll be in 24 years It's been played maybe 30 times. It just mostly sat in it's case, in a closet in a climate controlled-house, and faded away! I thought maybe Gibson would just fix it, since it's obviously some sort of defect. But they say it's about $300 to fix, so I guess it'll stay as it is! Thanks all for helping me out with this. Steve i found a youtube video where a guy converted his epiphone LP headstock into a gibson headstack. he was able to get something that worked for him... i don't know if i can post it on the forum or not but just do a google or youtube search for epiphone headstock conversion. he mentions in there what he did to get it on there. $300 bucks is a little steep for having to print something on a headstock. especially since they already have everything they need. i am guessing it is screen printed. i make vinyl decals but those wouldn't last you very long... and who wants to put a decal on a gibson? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHTom Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 I've seen a few studios over the years that the "Les Paul" is faded. Not sure what causes it. My LP Gem is lighter on the logo than I'd like. I don't think its a sign of fake, maybe as mentioned above a question of chemicals used or something. NHTom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 That guitar is 100% genuine. Any company that works in the field of graphic design can recover that silk-screening for You. Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevet Posted May 7, 2014 Author Share Posted May 7, 2014 Bence, what would the graphics design people do to recover the headstock? I'd really like it recovered, but not for $300. IF you look closely at the headstock photo, you'll see the outline is still there, and I can sort of see it and I can feel it. It appears like it might be a decal. Is it possible they paint the headstock, then put down the decal, then lacquer over it with clear laquer? That might explain the cost, having to refinish the headstock and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwfelton Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 i'm sure the Les Paul is screen printed on there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btoth76 Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Bence, what would the graphics design people do to recover the headstock? I'd really like it recovered, but not for $300. IF you look closely at the headstock photo, you'll see the outline is still there, and I can sort of see it and I can feel it. It appears like it might be a decal. Is it possible they paint the headstock, then put down the decal, then lacquer over it with clear laquer? That might explain the cost, having to refinish the headstock and all. Hello Steve! Hence this outrageously high price, I`ve suggested You a graphics design shop. They did a lot of amp logos and scales for me, using silk-screening technique - for pennies. Yes, that`s silk-screening on the headstock - not air-brush or something. :) Cheers... Bence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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