Les Paul Project: inspiration sought....

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Hi
I have just bought a LP standard 2012 goldtop. However, the gold paint finish is peeling away/falling off! There is also some checking to the back of the neck but its a great guitar and plays very well,etc.
I bought this with the idea of re-finishing it myself in a nitro colour and doing a bit of ageing to the finish. My thoughts initially are for a Fender sage green finish, like this strat in the classifieds
or maybe a similar thing in heather poly or aged ice blue.
I think that doing a gold top myself might be a bit tricky with bronze powder,etc as I plan only to use aerosols plus I want something a bit more unusual.
I also need to have a good look at the figure or lack of on the top when its stripped as some sort of burst might be a fun idea.

What I really wanted to ask for here is a bit of inspiration please:). I.e.  if anyone has done or has thought about any re-fin colours for a LP standard. I've seen the pale sonic blues and surf greens and for me they dont really work on an LP despite looking fab on a fender.. I'd also like to do something that Gibson havent done any/many of. I think there was a very limited release Heather poly that looks good.
As for the back sides and neck, I could either do a full body paint or a grain fill and laquer tint, maybe even a dark back.
So any thoughts or pics,ideas,etc would be most gratefully received.
Cheers
Will



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Comments

  • ...or..heavily aged candy apple green with a bigsby? that sort of thing could be nice. Unless it looked cr@p.  Strats and Teles seem to somehow lend themselves to colors much more than LPs I think.
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  • DanielsguitarsDanielsguitars Frets: 3260
    tFB Trader
    I always thought car would look really good and a natural back
    www.danielsguitars.co.uk
    (formerly customkits)
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  • KalimnaKalimna Frets: 1534

    Two colour flip-flop nitro? Not sure if you can buy it in rattle cans though.

    Go all Ibanez and bright neon yellow, or chrome?

    if you know anyone good at pyrography, burn in a design on the stripped-back top then coat in clear of your choice. A brown burst of some sort would look nice that way.

    Horizontal burst rather than concentric?

    Depends how whacky/traditional you want the colour scheme?


    Adam

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  • Kalimna said:

    Two colour flip-flop nitro? Not sure if you can buy it in rattle cans though.

    Go all Ibanez and bright neon yellow, or chrome?

    if you know anyone good at pyrography, burn in a design on the stripped-back top then coat in clear of your choice. A brown burst of some sort would look nice that way.

    Horizontal burst rather than concentric?

    Depends how whacky/traditional you want the colour scheme?


    Adam

    I dont want to go too wacky. I think i'm going to try and get hold of some fender sage green paint with teh idea of doing an aged all body finish with zebras and maybe a bigsby.
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  • Give a man a fire and he's warm for the day. But set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life
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  • ooh yes, I've seen that one and its a great idea. I was actually speaking to @SteveRobinson this afternoon exactly about candy apple green. I figure its either that or sage green. Reliced,etc. But...what about the candy apple green all over rather than just on the top as in the pic? Would that be too much? Can anything ever be too much? 
    err...or candy apple tangerine....
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  • scalino65scalino65 Frets: 261
    A follow up thread...
    So, after deciding that I really liked the look of the LP that Aidan posted, I decided to go down that route. I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to do the full body, or keep the back and neck unpainted.
    Anyway, this is where I'm upto as of this morning after removing the masking tape.  whenever I paint a guitar I always seem to think that it looks crap..I'm not sure here that I shouldnt have put on the last coat of green and should have retained more of the gold underneath. Also, I'm in two minds whether to attempt a "relic" like the one above,but dont really know the techniques to get that right.  I have some of the light amber "ageing" spray so i might have a crack but am worried about getting a consistent finish that isnt blotchy.Also, I'd need to find a bloomin big freezer.
    When this thing goes back together it'll have OX4 zebras in it and it sounded that absolute business before i took it apart. I hope it sounds like than when its finished and i havent buggered it up somehow. So, here's afew pics...whaddayareckon?






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  • scalino65scalino65 Frets: 261
    this was what i was inspired by:

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  • KalimnaKalimna Frets: 1534
    That is looking truly awesome :)
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  • scalino65scalino65 Frets: 261
    edited May 2019
    .


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  • poopotpoopot Frets: 9098
    I like that a lot!... good work!... and yes, age it!!!!
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  • scalino65scalino65 Frets: 261
    ok. so i've aged it and i hate it...i have resolved never to paint a guitar again, apart from this one, which i will have to paint again, again...it seems to simultaneously be orange and green...




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