Luthier Tips du Jour - The Sunburst finish

[coil311]

Please dear god tell me that Benny Hill theme music is NOT in your DVD. Terrible terrible TERRIBLE choice for a guitar building video. I don't know... maybe.... a song with a GUITAR would have been a superior choice? 

[seasonedtoker]

he may be a good tech but that guy sucks at spraying. you start spraying a couple of inches aways from your object so when you pass your desired spot the paint is atomized 100%. he did that with the yellow coat too.

you should be able to clear-coat that guitar with a single push on the trigger

[andeegreen]

LOVELY LOVELY WORK FELLAS!



[JgHaverty]

Obviously he's a pro, and his results speak for himself, but I was always under the VERY distinct impression that level sanding by hand was a big no-no....

[EvanLouKy]

@JgHaverty Could be dicey to hand sand. Then again he's just scuffing to give the next layer of shellac something to grab on to. Not a big deal as you as you don't keeping digging hard in the same spot too long. No different than scuffing your living room wall a tiny bit before painting.

[msbj10]

how much time do u wait before u sand between coats?

[OBrienGuitars]

@msbj10 The shellac? As soon as I can sand it. The lacquer? Spray a few coats and then sand the next day.

[galegregory97comcast]

are you made in the usa to ??

Uploaded by GibsonGuitarCorp on Aug 26, 2011

Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar Corp., has responded to the August 24 raid of Gibson facilities in Nashville and Memphis by the Federal Government. In a press release, Juszkiewicz said: "Gibson is innocent and will fight to protect its rights. Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of ANY wrong doing. We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence."

[jujucaster]

nice video! good stuff!

[howycwap]

how do you get rid of orange peeling?

[OBrienGuitars]

@howycwap Better spray technique or elbow grease

[howycwap]

@OBrienGuitars what do you mean by elbow grease? would buffing or somehing like that work? also i feel like the laquer im using is getting jammed in the gun, is there a way to make it a little less viscous without comprising the smoothness and gloss

[OBrienGuitars]

@howycwap elbow grease means sanding. Your elbow will hurt by the time you are done. haha I reocmmend thinning the product so it is less viscous but there are other factors that cause orange peel.

[howycwap]

@OBrienGuitars thought it meant sanding, can you sand the very last coat? how do you get it back to the smooth finish though

[OBrienGuitars]

@howycwap You wet sand it up to at least 100 grit and then use a buffing wheel to get it to a high gloss. Check out my online acoustic guitar building course to learn how.

[LiamSization]

looks like a thick finish, will the body breath

[OBrienGuitars]

@LiamSization looks can be deceiving. The finish is actually very thin.

[LiamSization]

@OBrienGuitars ah good, so fascinating to watch

[MadSpectro7]

@OBrienGuitars I know what you mean. Modern polyurethane finishes look like they're 5mm thick.

[Fenner1976]

Really nicely done, and very true on the fine sanding between coats, essential. Another totally beautiful clear lacquer to use is Rustins Plastic Coating. Again sanded flat between coats with very fine paper, around 1200 to 1500 grade, and then burnished with a mild cream and glossed-up with wax when it's fully cured, it produces a mirror finish, which is incredibly abrasion resistant and very tough. I've used it myself several times, with unbelievable results.

[frankiev1231]

Too bad The guitar ugly '

[TerminalDucky]

Beautiful guitar!

[BassPlayerBedwell]

I want that music to play in the background every time I finish a guitar :)

[stringslinger88]

wow so much simpler than i thought...but doesnt there have to be sanding between every coat? or is that a common misconception?

[OBrienGuitars]

@stringslinger88 sanding between coats serves two purposes, leveling and roughing up the surface so the next coat will adhere. Since lacquer is an evaporative finish the adhesion problem goes away. I therefore level every few coats. It also depends on yur spray technique. Happy Finishing!

[motorhead9999]

Now we know the secret to how you guys make such nice guitars:

Everclear ;-)

Seriously though, awesome videos. I've thoroughly enjoyed watching them all, and they're very enlightening.

[OBrienGuitars]

@motorhead9999 Thanks! I am glad you are enjoying the videos. Happy Building!

Robbie

[wedontknowone1]

@OBrienGuitars hello, i know you make these great videos and dvds but i was wondering if there was actually any SCHOOLS that teach you how to do work like this?! my friends and i are all 17 and very interested in this line of work! oh yea, if not schools where else would we get hands on like this? thank you Mr. Obrien!

[OBrienGuitars]

@wedontknowone1 Red Rocks Community College in Colorado has an excellent lutherie program. I also offer private classes in my shop and also have online courses available via my website. They are just like being with me in my shop as I work.

[1952Telecaster]

3 more coats with sanding and you'd be getting close but the video was well done none the less

[alvin10388]

thanks for the feedback ,and if am not asking too much please help me with this question,For your long experience what is the best sanding sealer works with polyurathane lacquer.?

[OBrienGuitars]

@alvin10388 If the topcoat is lacquer based then any lacquer based sealer will work.

[alvin10388]

thanks so much showing us how to do it,i have question if you kindly help me a bit .i am try to finish my solid body with water base transtint dye from LMI and final clear coat with poly.but am not sure if i have to use sanding sealer first or not.you feedback is highly appriciate.

[OBrienGuitars]

@alvin10388 I always like to seal the wood first before adding color. This way it is reversible if something happens.

[tibothenr]

hello me again lol what is the type of lacquer you use and how long did you wait between couts and was the sandin g between couts wet or dry sanding ?

[OBrienGuitars]

@tibothenr I used instrument lacquer from LMI. I only wet sanded after the final coat.

[tibothenr]

hello sir nice work i really like it but i have some questions i'm building a electric solid body electric ukulele its almost done , so what was that stuff couldnt ive never heard of it shelll.....

shelltac ? (sorry i dont speak english that good )

and also i'm going to build a les paul ukulele and i would like to use the woods like the one you used to demosntrate i asume the top piece is flamed maple but if i may ask what is the wood used for the bottom ? and does it have any stains on ?

[OBrienGuitars]

@tibothenr The product is called shellac but you could also use colored lacquer. The top wood is flamed maple and the body is mahogany.

Happy Building!

[tibothenr]

are there any stains on the mahogany i really like the colour of it ?

[OBrienGuitars]

@tibothenr NO stain or color, just lacquer

[panhead1219]

Everclear? Wise choice! That way, if you fuck up, you can drink away yer sorrows! Right?

[gewoonbobber]

witch song is the end song?

[OBrienGuitars]

@gewoonbobber Yakety Sax

[gewoonbobber]

@OBrienGuitars I meant the start and end song:P

[OBrienGuitars]

@gewoonbobber That is a song written by a friend of mine specifically for the Tips du Jour videos

[guitarslf132]

When i sand my clear coats and it goes white how do it make the white colour go away before i continue spraying??

[OBrienGuitars]

@guitarslf132 Wipe or blow off the sanding dust and spray over the top again.

[DurtyHarrys]

@OBrienGuitars

now thats what i call art

guys you are AMAZING !

big fan of your job,god bless ya all there !

[xilent234]

I danced the whole time when the benny hill song was on XD

[MaidenFan24568]

The sunburst finish im trying to achieve is simular to a 79 Dean V.

[vonmelville]

@OBrienGuitars what grit do you sand the top to before applying the black? its giving me troubles

[OBrienGuitars]

@vonmelville usually 180 or 220 is good enough.

[RocketQueenBand201]

@OBrienGuitars Do I have to do the exact same stuff for an Amber flamed top like the 1959 Sunburst

[OBrienGuitars]

@RocketQueenBand201 The steps are the same, just change the colors you use. Remember there are many ways to do a burst. Here I show just one way.

[RocketQueenBand201]

@OBrienGuitars What is that thing used to spray the guitar called ?

[OBrienGuitars]

@RocketQueenBand201 are you refering to the spray gun?

[RocketQueenBand201]

@OBrienGuitars Ok Cheers mate and what colours do I need to spray an Amber Flamedtop ??

[OBrienGuitars]

@RocketQueenBand201 You can mix your own colors to get the desired result or purchase the pre-mixed stuff already in the color you want. Whatever you do I suggest doing some sample boards first. You will be happier with the end result.

[OBrienGuitars]

@supersentz I use Transtint

[TheBaobass]

So, the shellac sealer will resist to the solvent of the finish?

[OBrienGuitars]

@TheBaobass yes, unless it is a catalyzed finish you should be fine.

[TheBaobass]

@OBrienGuitars I'll use a non catalyzed ( monocomponent) poly finish.

Thanks for answer!

[foath1]

Is it possible to achieve such a fantastic finish without using a spray gun?

[OBrienGuitars]

@foath1 Yes, it is a bit more work. Since lacquer makes one uniform layer it is possible to brush it or use aerosol cans to apply it. You will not be able to get it as level as using a high quality spray gun which means more work to level before buffing to a high gloss.

[foath1]

@OBrienGuitars Thanks very much.

[arkaedra]

Is the gun of this video a HVLP gun? or a traditional gun?

Thanks!

[OBrienGuitars]

@arkaedra It's an HVLP gun.

[projekt92]

i just put a flamed maple veneer top on a guitar that i have been working on, just wondering if the black dye trick will still work on a veneered top instead of a solid carved top?

[OBrienGuitars]

@projekt92 yep, should work fine.

[NickedBlade]

It looks like there is alot of orange peal at 6:05 for a flawless spray job... LOL!!!

[OBrienGuitars]

@NickedBlade yep, that was just one of the many coats applied. I just happened to have the camera rolling for that one.

[PlatypusVomit]

I've never tried to do a burst before, since they've always seemed intimidating, but your video made them seem fairly easy. I'm going to have to try it on the one I'm doing now. Thanks

[Jagenar]

Hi Robert!

I'm going to buy a spray gun to finish my guitars and I wanted to know what kind do you use, in particular if the first gun used in this video (the one for the colors) is an HVLP type like the second one (the 2nd one should be a DeVilbliss right?), and if you use the turbine or the compressor to run those guns.

Where I live none can tell me if is better to use an hvlp or an hplv to paint guitars..

Many thanks!!

Best regards!

[OBrienGuitars]

@Jagenar

I prefer the HVLP guns and these were run from a compressor. The second gun is a Devilbiss and I don't remember what the first one was. Check out my video on spray guns to learn more

[Jagenar]

@OBrienGuitars

I already saw that video and I was a bit messed when you talk about turbine...but you use compressor, so that's fine!Any compressor would work right?Or you needs a 50lt at least?

Definitively I think I'm gonna buy an HVLP, should I need more than one, so one for basecoats, one for stains and one for clearcoats, or is possible to spray all those things with the same gun?

Sorry for me to being boring, but I really don't know who to ask for!

best regards!

[OBrienGuitars]

@Jagenar Small compressors will work for spraying guitars but you may need to wait for it to catch up from time to time. You can also use the same gun for stains and clearcoats. Just dial in the right amount of pressure to product flow. You can also just purchase two dedicated guns with different needle sizes. .

[Jagenar]

@OBrienGuitars Thank you very much Robert you really helped me!

[gibsonlespaul915]

how would i go about finishing my les paul to a goltop????

[OBrienGuitars]

@gibsonlespaul915 send it to a professional

[thespacesauce88]

I am currently clear coating a guitar and got some runs on about the second coat. Do I need to continue to add coats or wait until it dries with the current two coats on and sand?

[OBrienGuitars]

@thespacesauce88 You failed to mention what product you are using for the clear coat. In general, I like to let it dry and sand back before continuing with the topcoats.

[Campbell88guitar]

Once you finish this step - that's when you go on to buffing right? It looked pretty shiny already though. I'm planning on building a home made les paul style guitar - but i'm worried about the paint part of it. Is it possible to buffer it to a good quality by hand? I don't think for 1 guitar I want to create or invest in buying a buffing wheel. Is such a good finish possible just by hand using different cloths?

[OBrienGuitars]

@Campbell88guitar Yes, after spraying then you level and buff to a high gloss. It is possible to do by hand without a buffing wheel but you will need a lot of elbow grease.

[OBrienGuitars]

no, it is a high gloss lacquer

[xxsin7xx]

to give it the shiny coat at the end you have to use oil?

[rskid23]

@xxsin7xx he uses laquer thinner (or at leaset thats what it looks like) to put on clear coats to make it shiny

[broodyart]

I've done many custom guitars, & I'd NEVER follow this! [sorry guys] First bring out grain with a thin liner brush & wipe w/ rag.hdpe to lighten DETAIL! ALL laq. NEVER WATER! most alchohol has water, & makes fuzz. First, perfectly clear laq. Double action airbrush's. Big to put the burst on.Small to add detail to grain. Jam gun, like shown, ONLY to put whole finish on. Hone down finish, until you see eyelash's in reflection. art or pins. under top coats.House of color has best transparent laq.

[OBrienGuitars]

That is a regular spray gun and the everclear is to dissolve the shellac.

[JYZProductions]

probably a dumb question but is that an air brush to apply the finish and paints? was kind of shocked to see everclear as when I think everclear I think an alcoholic drink.

[broodyart]

@JYZProductions It's called a jam gun. for doing small areas on a car, like inside door jams.

[6XstringXsamurai]

that guitar looks nice. kinda makes be wanna flash off.

[scbrooster]

Does anyone know what song is playing at the intro and at the end?

[justjoe032]

hey i just painted my guitar solid white (nitrocellulose laquer). im thinking of doing some hand painting on top. what kind of paint do i need so that it sticks on the nitro? i havent done clear coats yet. thanks!

[OBrienGuitars]

@justjoe032 use a lacquer based product.

[broodyart]

@OBrienGuitars If you use a lac. based product, and make one mistake...your in deep extra work to correct it. use enamel! than it can be taken off & corrected. never laq. on enamel, always enamel on laq. Base coat w/ hardener in it works good. But be careful if you make a mistake, the solvents can eat laq., mineral spirits won't.

[OoDarkVoicesoO]

when that song started playing ..i imagined him dropping the guitar and the boss getting mad at him and hes like oh crap..and the boss starts chasing himm.lol..kinda like silent film sorta thing..haha

[0adireita]

@OoDarkVoicesoO lol

[followfornothing]

Very nice video!

[ForceofHabitMusic]

What song is playing at the very end?

[OBrienGuitars]

@ForceofHabitMusic That is Yakety Sax by Boots randolph

[ForceofHabitMusic]

@OBrienGuitars I meant at the very end, so the last thing you hear. Thanks anyway, though.

[bd79831]

@OBrienGuitars Benny Hill!!!

[kalixtox]

que tipo de acabamento vc indicaria tou reformando uma les paul deixei o tampo na cor gold top ,laterais e fundo na madeira mesmo somente envernizada

[OBrienGuitars]

@kalixtox Eu prefiro um acabamento de oleo no braço. Tru oil ou gun stock oil vai em no braço, Também poderia usar verniz normal no braço.

[kalixtox]

En face very good the video looked exactly the same enjoyed a video lesson of these because I am doing the finish of a les paul and to my surprise something you talk about Brazil, I'm Salto-SP-BRAZIL around here has a great company in this segment " GIANNINI "well worth it for video, I wonder if you have any tips for finishing in the arm using beeswax

[OBrienGuitars]

@kalixtox Fico feliz que você gostou do video. Cera de abelha é muito mole para acabamento do braço. Eu não usaria.

[HarryHopkinson]

Hey just want to say a big thank you for this video. Been the most helpfull iv seen from the start. Im looking at spraying my bass guitar with the wood grain coming through

i have one question though. When you mix the black dye and alcohol, what kind of alcohol is it? will surgical spirit do the job?

if not what kind of shop do i need to go to and what to ask for?

Thanks again

Harry

[OBrienGuitars]

@HarryHopkinson Thanks Harry. I like to use denatured alcohol or grain alcohol but the surgical variety would also work. The transtint dyes I use are soluble in water, alcohol or solvent based products. I have even used leather dye before and it works great for the black step of the process. Do some sample pieces before attempting it on your guitar.

[rancidhotmail]

@OBrienGuitars

Hi, can you also use alcohol other than grain/denatured, in Aus (as far as Ive been told) you cant buy grain alcohol. can i use methanol (actually some fancy named alcohol but its basically ethanol) and mix it with tints instead of dye? would you know if this works

thanks for the help!

[OBrienGuitars]

@rancidhotmail Use the alcohol with the least amount of water content possible. Do some testing on scrap before attempting it on your guitar.

[OBrienGuitars]

@batrango I don't remember waht size it was. It was not a very small one like 1.0mm It was probably around 1.3mm-1.6mm I had the product flow dialed way down so that only a "skoshe" would come out with each pull of the trigger.

[NilsSjoq]

beautiful :)

[OBrienGuitars]

The dyes used in this video are transtint universal dyes available at lmii dot com

[rocketking1000]

i learned ''very light coats'' the hard way-.-

[motorolaflex]

question: can buffing get rid of that eggshell texture at the end of the video? Nice vid, btw.

[OBrienGuitars]

@motorolaflex yes, in the video I only show how to apply the finish. If you want to learn how to level and buff then you can watch my video about buffing high gloss finishes.

[motorolaflex]

@OBrienGuitars I just watched that video. Awesome! Thank you.

[OBrienGuitars]

You can spray the next coat as soon as the prior one is dry to the touch. This is usually a half hour hour so

[nestron3030]

how long did you wait in between spraying coats and then in between spraying coats after the light sanding?

[geoff1121]

wow that looks fkin amazing

[makeroud]

how do u mix lacquer and thinner ratio

[OBrienGuitars]

@makeroud I spray full strength for the first few coats and then thin around 60/40 or even 50/50 for the final coats.

[makeroud]

What is the name of 2 spray gun you are use

[OBrienGuitars]

@makeroud I don't remember. It really doesn't matter either. Any spray gun will work.

[nestron3030]

did you guys just use lacquer for the clear on the guitar or did you guys thin in out since i can see some lacquer thinner? oh and did you guys use lacquer retarder at all

[OBrienGuitars]

@nestron3030 It is lacquer. I usually spray at full strength and then dilute it for the final coats.

[OBrienGuitars]

@OBrienGuitars oh, and no retarder was used

[syndgr834]

When will your dvds be available?plzz let me know....btw what kind of dye is used here?

[akaThaJordan]

may i ask what type of mahogany was used for the back of the guitar?

[OBrienGuitars]

@akaThaJordan

I believe that was Honduran that was used on that guitar.

[akaThaJordan]

@OBrienGuitars thanks. i'm planning on making a mahogany bodied guitar soon and i thought this looked absolutely stunning! also, did you also use the black dye technique on the back to accentuate the grain? or did you just use regular grain filler?

[OBrienGuitars]

@akaThaJordan

I didn't use black dye on he mahogany. The filler I used was epoxy.

[DaveBorn2Rock]

Hey I was planning on doing something like this for a quilted maple top and I was wondering if the process works exactly the same for quilted maple as it does for tiger/flamed maple.

My main question is if the step with the black dye has the same effect and is just as necessary for quilted as it is for flame maple?

[OBrienGuitars]

@DaveBorn2Rock

Yes, this process will work just as well for quilted maple. The black dye really pops the grain for quilted maple too.

Good luck!

[sonicboom1970]

In my build, I am using Sapele mahogany for the body, How do I get it to look like this colour in the video? Walnut dye? Many thanks!!

[OBrienGuitars]

@sonicboom1970

There is no color coat on that mahogany, just a clear top coat

[Artist334]

What grid is that sand paper at level sanding?

[OBrienGuitars]

@Artist334  On this guitar ir was 320 or 400 but i have been known to use even 180 to level.

[OBrienGuitars]

It is solvent based lacquer.

[Jerry11606]

why did he start sanding off the finish at 5:15

[OBrienGuitars]

I am not sanding off the finish but just leveling between coats.

[hogwild6161]

Giblets, just remember, it's YOUR guitar!!!! You can do whatever you want to it, and if it's not to your liking, sand away.

[Giblets12]

I havnt gotten to painting yet, but i intend on doing green in the center and black on the outside. i know ill probably fuck it up.

[xADEAN4DIMEx]

@Giblets12 that will look so sick though

[Kal99]

Love the Benny Hill music!

Just missing teh chase scenes with scantily-clad women!

[samkev84]

what do you mean flash off and what name braands shlack you use

[OBrienGuitars]

Flash off means the solvent evaporates and leaves behind the resin.

I don't remember the brande name for the shellac. It was just regular blonde shellac.

[OBrienGuitars]

The advanced DVD is several months out yet. I have too many irons in the fire and some have taken a priority. Sorry for the delay.

[krazycid32]

when does the "advanced guitar building" dvd come out? I have been looking for some word on it but have found nothing

[OBrienGuitars]

It depends on what you want the end result to look like.

[OBrienGuitars]

It sounds as though your lacquer has not fully cured yet.

[guitcrzy]

I found the problem, I went to my D.T teacher and he said that I did not use grain filler so what happened is that the nitrocellulose finish seeped into the grain and filled it. Is this ok or is it bad and I have to restart the finish?

[guitcrzy]

Hey I have a problem, on the guitar i'm building the finish lacquer is feeling kind of grippy and the lacquer I used was nitrocellulose. I sanded between the coats of lacquer and everything. What do I do???

[OBrienGuitars]

Yes, you can use lacquer to finish your neck. The guitar in the video has an oil neck finish.

[xxsladedethxx]

lacquer can be used to make a normal wood neck feel smooth like a painted finish neck right?