GDTRFB Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Seriously, why does Epiphone do this? It just makes the guitars look cheap and weird, particularly since they often do a sloppy job. It has to be the most common finish defect. It is my only complaint with my new 335 Pro. Fortunately, they seem to paint them after they finish the guitar, so you can scratch off the sloppy paint spots with a little effort. Why not just leave the F holes unpainted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burchster Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 My 62 reissue Sherry has the f holes painted red...but poorly with wood showing in spots...the bound ones on my sherry 2 look the best..they should just bind them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burchster Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ESDPCHNH-13 It appears Gibson also paints them.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomse Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 Well you should just buy guitars with bound f holes . those F in holes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I have three Epi elec's. An Elitist Casino, Dot and Wildkat. The only one with bound F holes is the least expensive: Either way, Epi's are great values. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordy01 Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Masking the edges is one of the hardest things to do while finishing a guitar. There is almost inevitably run-through. Painting them afterward is likely the easiest way to deal with any run-through, or spillover. I've been trying to finish some guitars with a natural masked binding effect, and it is very difficult. Even using high quality automotive tape doesn't work very well. I don't know how PRS does it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinlander Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 2 things I don't like on a guitar: 1 - Absence of binding on a neck 2 - Absence of Binding in F-holes That is why I love so much my Gibson Les Paul Standard and my 3 Epis all properly bound where they should Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 My favorite is no paint & no binding on the F-holes, as seen on many Terada-made Epiphones, and Gibson's recent ES-330 VOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayyj Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 My guess is cheap plywood plus router bit is a recipe for tear out and sloppy looking F holes. Filling the voids with dust and glue then painting over them is probably the most cost effective way of making it look passable. The F holes in my Fuji Gen Casino and '65 330 are unpainted and look very neat and tidy though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Black painted F-holes can look okay if they are cleanly done. All but one of my Gibsons with blackened f-holes are virtually perfect, and at Gibson prices, they darn well should be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diverden Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Moisture over time could possibly make exposed plywood edges separate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearhead88 Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Moisture over time could possibly make exposed plywood edges separate. Good point. Sloppy work with painted F holes has been a deal breaker more than once , I've seen examples that looked horrible , I'd have to say too , I've seen plenty that were well done . My ES 339 Pro has painted edges , they did it right , it's cleanly done , the whole guitar is very well done . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 The F holes in my Dot Studio were painted black but the finish wasn't great. Took all of a couple of minutes with a bit of fine sand paper and a good quality permanent marker to fix the problem. Look just fine now and perfectly matches the painted 'binding' on the rest of the guitar If it had been a custom built guitar then yes I'd have refused delivery until it was done correctly, if it had been a £3000 production line Gibson and the guitar felt and played right then I'd have done the same thing as I did to the Dot Studio (then again I probably wouldn't, even if I could afford it, pay £3000 for a modern mass produced, production line guitar*) *Other than an R8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parabar Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Naahhh … they just play the Rolling Stones in the factory: "I see an F-Hole and I want to paint it black Those edges don't look good, I want them to turn black I see the new guitars all gleaming in the light But when the plywood splits it makes me scream with fright Those figured maple tops in sunburst, red and black --- The quality inspectors will not send them back To bind the F-Hole edges would not cost a ton But we'd have to raise the prices --- that would not be fun! Semi-hollow F-holes, F-holes, F-holes --- paint them black! Hollow body F-holes, F-holes, F-holes --- paint them black!" (Sorry about that, Mick and Keith!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crust Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Naahhh … they just play the Rolling Stones in the factory: "I see an F-Hole and I want to paint it black Those edges don't look good, I want them to turn black I see the new guitars all gleaming in the light But when the plywood splits it makes me scream with fright Those figured maple tops in sunburst, red and black --- The quality inspectors will not send them back To bind the F-Hole edges would not cost a ton But we'd have to raise the prices --- that would not be fun! Semi-hollow F-holes, F-holes, F-holes --- paint them black! Hollow body F-holes, F-holes, F-holes --- paint them black!" (Sorry about that, Mick and Keith!) lol Dennis G, your Wildkat looks great http://forum.gibson....aul-special-ii/ I dig the orange tint and flame, looks cool along with painted "F" holes (painted white). I have some guitars with white painted and bound "F" holes, is that bad ? lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleeko Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Though two of mine have binding (Elitist Epi's) and two don't (painted black - Guild and Gibson) I think either looks fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crust Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I do like those 4 guitars, they look super nice. I bet they sound as good as they look. I like those type of guitars, nice (Elitist) Epiphones (you got a couple of really nice ones) and the Guild and Gibson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleeko Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I do like those 4 guitars, they look super nice. I bet they sound as good as they look. I like those type of guitars, nice (Elitist) Epiphones (you got a couple of really nice ones) and the Guild and Gibson. Thank you kind Sir. I will say that I'm a bit more careful polishing the unbound guitars around the f holes. I had a Hofner violin a while back and while polishing the top, my rag caught a rough spot on the edge of the f hole. The finish chipped in the top. The bound f holes are nice and smooth from edge to top. No worries there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclecticsynergy Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I have a pearl white Wildkat with gold sparkle binding, f-holes bound in gold too. The axe looks good in person, not as gaudy as it sounds. What annoys me is the black paint behind the f-holes. I see the same thing on DennisG's orange one pictured above. It seems pretty thick and I think it may be rubberized sound damping. Not sure about that- does anybody here know? I do like the binding on 'em but to me black f-holes look a little stark, especially on a white guitar. I'm fairly happy with this Wildkat; it plays very well, better than one I had previously. No dead spots or rough fret edges and mechanically the guitar is fine. There are a couple of sound issues though. The tone control doesn't appear to work at all; I'm hoping it will be operable once I replace the cheap pots and crummy wire. Several folks have commented that better wire can open up the tone quite a bit in these guitars; word is that because of the master volume setup a Wildkat has nearly nine feet of wire inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Seriously, why does Epiphone do this? It just makes the guitars look cheap and weird, particularly since they often do a sloppy job. It has to be the most common finish defect. Absolutely. The black paint job around the f-holes of my Epi ES345 is disgusting and sloppy. I asked my luthier if he could take it off but he was reluctant to try in fear of spoiling the cherry finish which is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Dennis G, your Wildkat looks great Thanks, I think it's not only one of my most attractive guitars, but one of the most fun to play as well. What a bargain these things are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I have a pearl white Wildkat with gold sparkle binding, f-holes bound in gold too. The axe looks good in person, not as gaudy as it sounds. What annoys me is the black paint behind the f-holes. I see the same thing on DennisG's orange one pictured above. It seems pretty thick and I think it may be rubberized sound damping. Not sure about that- does anybody here know? I do like the binding on 'em but to me black f-holes look a little stark, especially on a white guitar. I was seriously considering the white one until I spotted the Orange. As for the black paint, thanks a lot LOL. I'd never paid attention to it 'till you mentioned it. I'm wondering if it maybe isn't a "shielding" type of finish??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 My 62 reissue Sherry has the f holes painted red...but poorly with wood showing in spots...the bound ones on my sherry 2 look the best..they should just bind them all. strange.....the F's on my 'Cherry '62/50 are nice clean wood, as are the Fs on my newish Korean Guild Savoy w/solid spruce top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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