I don't think I ever posted a NGD thread about this one but I've been playing it a lot recently and fallen in love with it all over again.
I bought it as a project last year, a 1957 Les Paul TV Special. Unfortunately it had lost it's TV Yellow to a Poly Silver/Gold refin somewhere down the road.
I actually really liked the Silver/Gold as it was a little unusual but, as i've hankered after a TV Yellow Special for YEARS, it had to go.
Stripping commenced...
Burn marks suggest the original finish was removed with a blow torch...
Found a little bit of original TV Yellow in the cavity and also in the lower horn - obviously the previous 'stripper' got bored and left it!
Anyway, 2 days with chemical stripper and an evening with some acetone and a short bristled brush revealed some beautiful, deep grained one piece Honduran Mahogany, 59 years since it was first painted.
Now I was fully expecting to uncover all manner of horrors given the thick poly refin, a headstock crack at least, perhaps a heel break too....Nothing, not a single blemish! Result!
There was a ding on the back of the neck and a couple on the body which I steamed out and I did find a repair on the wood around the pickup selector switch but that was it. On to the TV Yellow finish.....
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Ready for the white mist coat:
White on:
Clear Grain Filler on:
Then the fun part, building up the amber/yellow coats. I must thank @Trotter & @woody_89 who put up with many emails and pictures at this point in the restoration so I could get some opinions on how the TV yellow was looking. Fine gents indeed!
Also re-did the headstock face and got a new restoration quality decal from Crox Guitars - I know the originals were silk screened but making up a silk screen and applying it was just too much faff, I wanted to get it done and played! ;-)
After a lonnnnng 3 weeks, I got it back together and with a little ageing it was done.
Plays and sounds absolutely killer. I was never a neck pickup guy at all....but that neck pickup.....exquisite! :-)
(formerly miserneil)
(formerly miserneil)
Fantastic work.
(formerly customkits)
Stunning stuff.
I was was convinced I wanted a Jr in a proper sunburst. I'm now thinking TV yellow would be perfectly acceptable...
Dibs!