Trying to love the unlovable

[Greg_L]

I was just talking about this tonight with a friend of mine who was working on a black LP Custom. Naturally almost all LP Customs have gold hardware. He didn't like it. I don't really like gold hardware either, but I make an exception for Customs because that's just how they are. White Falcons too. I just like those guitars and they have gold hardware so I accept it. But anything else and I'm a hard no on gold hardware.

[JD01]

I don't like gold hardware at all. On anything

[Greg_L]

One entire can of clear on...glitter still isn't totally buried. Lol. It's not bad though. A few more coats should do it for the first wet sand.

[Lt. Bob]

I don't like gold hardware at all. On anything

I like it on some things BUT it quickly starts looking like shit ..... because it's fake gold.
Like gold trim on motorcycles ..... just doesn't wear well.

But I had a bass player friend that took his hardware to a jeweler and had it actually gold-plated .... looked great and kept looking great

[WhiskeyJack]

One entire can of clear on...glitter still isn't totally buried. Lol. It's not bad though. A few more coats should do it for the first wet sand.

Pile it on man.

Good luck with the wet sand. I'll be interested to see how you make out with it. I did my very best to plug up the screw holes and other areas where water could get inside and i still had some divits around them (holes / openings) when all was done and everything dried out. My body was basswood also which is hella soft. But yea good luck.

Also pile the clear on there. even when you think you are done just keep adding a few layers. I went completely crazy with my clear coat and while everyone told me it was crazy and unnecessary it ended up saving the entire build. I was able to sand out that horrible alligator skin crackling effect and still have enough clear left on there to give it a hint of depth.

Can't wait to see this!!

[Greg_L]

Pile it on man.

Good luck with the wet sand. I'll be interested to see how you make out with it. I did my very best to plug up the screw holes and other areas where water could get inside and i still had some divits around them (holes / openings) when all was done and everything dried out. My body was basswood also which is hella soft. But yea good luck.

Also pile the clear on there. even when you think you are done just keep adding a few layers. I went completely crazy with my clear coat and while everyone told me it was crazy and unnecessary it ended up saving the entire build. I was able to sand out that horrible alligator skin crackling effect and still have enough clear left on there to give it a hint of depth.

Can't wait to see this!!

Yeah my problem is weather. It's either too hot and humid or too cold and windy. Finding a just right day to paint outside has been more shitty than usual. Today was good so I piled some on. The rest of the week should be good too. I need to give it a day or so between sessions. But I'm just now starting to see a thick gloss layer starting.

[WhiskeyJack]

Pile it on man.

Good luck with the wet sand. I'll be interested to see how you make out with it. I did my very best to plug up the screw holes and other areas where water could get inside and i still had some divits around them (holes / openings) when all was done and everything dried out. My body was basswood also which is hella soft. But yea good luck.

Also pile the clear on there. even when you think you are done just keep adding a few layers. I went completely crazy with my clear coat and while everyone told me it was crazy and unnecessary it ended up saving the entire build. I was able to sand out that horrible alligator skin crackling effect and still have enough clear left on there to give it a hint of depth.

Can't wait to see this!!

Yeah my problem is weather. It's either too hot and humid or too cold and windy. Finding a just right day to paint outside has been more shitty than usual. Today was good so I piled some on. The rest of the week should be good too. I need to give it a day or so between sessions. But I'm just now starting to see a thick gloss layer starting.

Amen to all of that.

Godspeed.

[Greg_L]

This is a full can of clearcoat. The glitter is set and buried. I can almost level sand it now. Still needs a little more clear in the cutouts.

[vomitHatSteve]

That's a lot of glitter!

[Greg_L]

That's a lot of glitter!

It's a real bitch burying all that glitter flake.

[JD01]

That looks really good, mate. You've gotta be pleased with that.

[WhiskeyJack]

This is a full can of clearcoat. The glitter is set and buried. I can almost level sand it now. Still needs a little more clear in the cutouts.

Slick buddy! Looks awesome!!!!!!

[Lt. Bob]

That's a lot of glitter!

that's the proper amount ..... well even more would be proper but I suppose that'll do.

[Greg_L]

Thanks yall. I'm still far from home but it's getting there. I sanded a tiny little area that would be hidden by the pickguard and it's smoothing out nicely so I'm hopeful that it will turn out okay.

[Tadpui]

Looks great, man! That'll be the sparkliest guitar in town!

[rayc]

The Haysi Fantayzee of guitars.

[vomitHatSteve]

That's a lot of glitter!

that's the proper amount ..... well even more would be proper but I suppose that'll do.

Could he have saved time by just buying one large glitter flake and carving it into a guitar shape.

Maybe coat it with a ton of epoxy to hold the form. #Woodworking.

[Greg_L]

Could he have saved time by just buying one large glitter flake and carving it into a guitar shape.

Maybe coat it with a ton of epoxy to hold the form. #Woodworking.

I'm not a painter by any means, and certainly have never metal flaked anything like this.

I'm surprised by how much clear it takes to bury this stuff. Or it's entirely possible that I just don't know what the fuck I'm doing and a pro would have finished this thing weeks ago.

This spray can flake is more like standard glitter and not really like the big nice metal flake you'd see on nice car/motorcycle custom paint jobs. This will totally suffice for my needs and it looks pretty good, but I'd prefer a bigger flake through a proper paint gun if I could do it all over again.

[WhiskeyJack]

that's the proper amount ..... well even more would be proper but I suppose that'll do.

Could he have saved time by just buying one large glitter flake and carving it into a guitar shape.

Maybe coat it with a ton of epoxy to hold the form. #Woodworking.

Get out. Just get out.

[WhiskeyJack]

I'm surprised by how much clear it takes to bury this stuff.

It is entirely possible your climate could have something to do with how that glaze went on? Maybe? Like it could have thinned it out a little bit? Did you have many issues with runs in the clear coat at all?

It was also marketed as extra thick too which kind of made me raise an eyebrow. When i see stuff like that it just screams "we've modified something to make it more convenient and faster" and history shows sometimes those modifications don't work as desired. But you are always so well researched before you kick anything off i didn't really feel I would add those 2 cents. But the "glaze" and the "extra thick" had me thinking it wouldn't work as well as say a generic run of the mill automotive clear coat rattle can application. Mix that with your steamy hot muggy climate it could have thinned it out a bit from it's desired working consistency.

Now, all that said, i did use a generic run of the mill automotive clear coat enamel on my guitar and all the test scraps and it took upwards of 18 light coats or more to get it the bare minimum of what i would have called acceptable for a deep clear.

regardless, It's going to turn out better than your own expectations and you'll have the satisfaction of saying you turned a POS Strat into not at all a POS Surf Factory Strat!!!!! I can't wait to see hear it!!!

How is the neck coming along? I can't recall but are you putting some muttpups or putting new pick ups in this bitch or what ?

Also i am really curious to see how the wet sand goes around all the screw holes and other entry points into the body. Be sure to document that after everything is dry!!