Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm finally to the "in the white" stage of my resonator, and would like advice on what color you think would look good on this thing. I'm tempted to do a vintage maple burst, which is a sort-of medium golden brown, to an amber in the center, transparent enough to not hide any of the flame in the maple. I've also thought about just staining it a medium vintage maple. I've also thought about other colored bursts, but would like your opinions as to wht you think would look good. Please think about how the birdseye center wedge will look in either case.
Thanks!


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Had to sneak that last one in...he's my QA inspector.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Don

I love it just the way it is, clear finish me says, but then I would say that, I just love wood natural.

I've got a QA inspector like that one, well when he is awake anyway, he sleeps while the saw covers him in saw dust sometimes.

Gee wiz Don, it would be a much easier decision if you had`nt put the beautiful birdseye in there.

I say go for the vintage tobacco burst!

Matt

I think an "amber burst" would be nice. Off the beaten path, but still has a kind of vintage "old-timey" look.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Brock...do you have a picture or a link to something with an "aber burst"??? Sounds interesting...

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

This is probably a tad darker than what I am thinking... but it should give you an idea of what I am thinking.

(Not one of my gutiars... nice though)

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Don take a look at John Greven's web site. He has some beautiful bursts as well as James Burkett http://www.guitarjtb.com/ They both have the sunburst mastered. IMHO

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

OOoooooo....brock that's exactly what I was thinking about....it's gorgeous! Is that a Gibson, or someone's version of Les Paul?

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

With that maple in the center I think just a solid stain with no burst would look very nice.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

I'd do it like this I did this one:

www.proulxguitars.com/clients/photo_test/images/IMG_0341.JPG


Mostly amber, the bring out the best of the figure, then medium and tobacco browns at the edges. Not quite opaque at the edges, to not hide the figure.

I rub the amber into the maple, to really bring out the figure, then seal with a coat of shellac(sprayed), then shoot the medium and tobacco browns(mixed into thin shellac as a binder). These are the StewMac liquid dyes. Very colorfast, and strong.

Don't know if anyone's said it yet, bot the real "secret" to a good burst is tio spray from the center towards the edge, not from the edge, and definately not with the gun pointed at the guitar. Very shallow angle, from the center to the edges will give you the most gradual blend.Mario38620.6676388889

It looks like there is red in there???? Or is that the medium brown? BTW, your link is broken...you have a space between the 0 and 3. Thanks Mario.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I've tried and tried to do the live link, but the forum's formating insists on putting a break between the zero and the one. Stupid software....

There's red in the browns....

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Don,
I posted some pictures in a separate thread above. It is figured sapele with a burst. I completed it this weekend. It shows my attempt at letting the figure show through.

Great burst, Mario. I like the colors and the transparency. Is that quilted maple?

      link to whole page

Let's see if this works better. If it does, then that is a link to a photo test page I made up while learning my new camera last winter; lots of photos opf bursts(hard to photograph)

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Hey Don,
IMHO, because you put so much work into the 3-piece plates, you don't
want to hide what's going on visually. Maybe just a subtle burst, even
lighter at the edges than the Gibson (?) electric. A very light reddish
brown into the amber? Looking at the pics, I think it's a shame to hide any
of the impeccable workmanship. Go slow because the color always comes
up stronger after you hit it with finish. Are you thinking of covering the
binding with the burst as well? Again, IMHO, it would look best if you did.
Craig
ps. the only problem with QC like that is the fine hairs in the finish.

I'm leaning toward just spraying with the honey amber tint in the finish. I'm planning on leaving the bindings natural. I threw a coat of shellac on the thing last night, and it looks so good I'm tempted to not stain at all. I never thought I'd ever want to own a maple guitar, but now I think I need a round-neck resonator to accompany this one. I'll probably do the same 3-piece construction on that one too.

I don't mind the QC inspector hairs in the finish. Not at all. It's my guitar, after all.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I am with you Craig. I think if you do the amber burst like the LP pic above it should end up in a dark honey color at the edges... not quite brown.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

You can advertise that every instrumnet receives a CAT scan before shipping.

No comment on the 'burst. I don't care for 'em.

Don,
I don't know if you remember this mando...it was a realy beatup one sprayed black (looked like from a can) and needed new everything. I put this burst on it which in person is much lighter than the camera makes it look. I tinted the clear with amber to "age" the binding etc.

BEFORE:

...

.


After:




.


If the box had the flame like yours I think I would have left it with just amberDave-SKG38623.4230671296

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I did this one, I like a burst that still shows how nice the wood is.

Just beautiful Adam...
...do you mind me asking what you used for that amberish yellow?

Is that the Zeidler Project guitar?

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I love the trasparancy of this Don

Me too.....

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."