Sunburst

[ruby@magpage.com]

Thanks all - Plenty of meat to chew on here.

I have seen Nick Lucas guitars that look like the old round-bout L-1, like the later one, with 12, 13, and 14 frets clear, and with all manner of different sunbursts. I can't find a picture of a natural top except for the one Dylan played with the 13 frets, and I understand that one was refinished. Anybody have a shot of a natural top Nick Lucas?

Ed Minch
Just finishing a 12 fret 000 with a deep body.

[Darryl Young]

Brian, would you mind sharing a brief description of how you apply the colors for a burst? Or make it detailed if you have the time. Curious what you seal with if not shellac. Then do you go light to dark color or dark to light?

I'm intrigued by burst but haven't had the nerve to try one. I have a few good tops that have a small cosmetic flaw that would work great for a burst.

[B. Howard]

Darryl, I always recommend to work within a finish system for best results. So if you are using Behlin's lacquer for example use their sealer that they recommend for your chosen topcoat. I use industrial products that are not available to most, but the process is the same. Apply the sealer to wood that has been prep sanded to about 180, sanding to fine can lead to adhesion problems and film failures. I follow that with my oil based pore filler and apply another coat of sealer. I level sand this at 320, dry, and tape off my bindings and mask my rims. Next I apply an amber shaded lacquer to get the base color. Then I do the dark shading, I generally shoot a pass around the edge from the center out to get good solid coverage at the edge and then do a pass from the outside toward the center to achieve the fade. With my materials I can do this in very few coats, generally one for the amber and then the two mentioned for the burst. With the materials available to most, you may need to spray 2-3 coats of each to get the proper film build and shading. I wait for this to flash pretty good but not dry to much. I pull the tape down and away from the top so I do not lift the fresh lacquer from the top and then burnish down the edge with a hooked razor blade at an extreme angle, hook up, oposite of using it as a scraper. I let this dry a spell and then wetsand with 600 to help soften the ridge left by the tape a bit more, remove any dry spray that may have collected on the center of the top and even out the shading if needed. Then I shot my clear, in my case 3 coats, in yours maybe 6-8 depending. At the end I shoot one pass of clear with a tight pattern only around the edge to make sure I have enough build over my bindings so I don't burn into my toners when I sand and buff.

[ruby@magpage.com]

Brian:

Sounds like a winner.

Can you sand a little overspray off between colors? Can you blend colors a little by sanding?
How do you keep the color off of your rosette?

Thanks

Ed Minch

[B. Howard]

Ed, yes you can sand off over spray or dry spray between coats. I generally just brush off the dry spray. I usually will do any inter coat sanding on lacquer with a 320 grit dry. You may blend colors as well, for that I use a 600 wet. Some Rosettes I do not mask like the one I just pictured earlier. When I want them clean I mask them with tape like I do the bindings.

[ruby@magpage.com]

Brian

Thanks - I am trying to picture how to tape off the rosette - I have some 1/4" pinstriping tape I used on a boat model last year - very expensive stuff - but I can't imagine making a smooth enough curve that it would not be noticeable.

Ed Minch

[B. Howard]

I have some 1/8 inch stuff, but I can do a rosette with the 1/4. I use 3M tape that I get at my local auto body supply house. It flexes around real nice with a bit of practice.

[B. Howard]

I should also add that if I am doing a burst with the amber base I will sometimes shoot it before masking the rosette, depends on what I want as a final look. There are so many subtle things that one can do while finishing to change the look of the guitar. From the tint used in the pore fill to the final coat there are many opportunities to do something slightly unique.

[Darryl Young]

Thanks for the detail Brian!

Aren't some bursts 3 color? I guess it wouldn't change the process a lot.

[ruby@magpage.com]

Those are very nice! I have a cuban Hog L-00/Nick Lucas in the early stages (working 2 guitars ahead of it), and want to do a sunburst. I was going to try to do a hand rubbed sunburst as found on those early gibsons - i think they look real nice. The issue is the stain goes on the bare wood, so if you don't like it, oh well.

Glenn

Hey Glenn

I will be building a Nick Lucas based on the earlier round bout L-1. Do you have specs or photos you can share? I am looking for bracing patterns, scalloped or no, close up of a rosette, etc.

Ed Minch