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Topic: Lacquer guitars |
Bill Miller
From:
Gaspe, Quebec, Canada
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Posted 14 Nov 2011 12:11 pm |
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| Just wondering if any improvements have been implemented with modern lacquer guitars in terms of retaining the original color? We've all seen what direct sunlight will do to the color of lacquer finishes over time...especially with blue or green guitars. I assume this fading or tinting is caused by UV light. These days all sorts of products have built in UV protection. Two that come to mind are automotive glass and glass available for picture frames to preserve valuable photos. Is any additive used in modern day lacquer to protect against UV damage? The lacquer finishes are often stunning when new but some of the older ones look just horrendous. ( The green Sho~Bud LDGs that turn sort of a sewage color for example ) |
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Lane Gray
From:
Topeka, KS
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Posted 14 Nov 2011 2:08 pm
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I can't help you with names of finishes, but a woods guy told me they have some finishes that he'd feel comfortable making a hedge wood Tele without it turning into a faux-walnut Tele (now if only the guy who offered to make it hadn't given up Tele-making)
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 14 Nov 2011 2:21 pm
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So, if the guy that did the Tele-making was to sell his guitars, would that be Tele-marketing?
Sorry, not feeling well and need to go lie down. 
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Jason Hull
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Posted 14 Nov 2011 4:45 pm
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Last edited by Jason Hull on 22 Apr 2012 3:28 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Bill Miller
From:
Gaspe, Quebec, Canada
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Posted 14 Nov 2011 6:28 pm
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| Thanks Jason. I'm not looking for such a product for my own use, I'd just be interested to know if today's builders of lacquer body pedal steels are using something to solve the problem. It would be reassuring to know that the expensive lacquer finish guitar you are buying will look as good in twenty years as it does new. ( well apart from a few nicks and dings obviously ) |
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Kevin Hatton
From:
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted 14 Nov 2011 7:35 pm
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| The answer is yes. Most all the builders today use some form of automotive polyurethane. Highly UV resistant. The dyes today are also more stable and resist fading. Vast improvements. |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 14 Nov 2011 8:31 pm
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| Richard Sinkler wrote: |
So, if the guy that did the Tele-making was to sell his guitars, would that be Tele-marketing?
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now THAT was funny...... |
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Bill Miller
From:
Gaspe, Quebec, Canada
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Posted 15 Nov 2011 8:50 am
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| Thanks Kevin, I figured someone would have addessed the problem by now. With lacquer guitars being much more expensive than mica, protection against fading or discoloring is a big plus. |
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Bill Ford
From:
Graniteville SC Aiken
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Posted 17 Nov 2011 5:01 pm
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Bill,
In another thread, it was stated that Dekley had used leather dye to color their guitars with good fade resistant results. I have a CLR S12 that I used red leather dye on, about 10 years old, still as red as ever, no fading at all, clearcoated with automotive lacquer. It is transparent,and looks like a piece of pretty birdseye with red saranwrap over it.
_________________
Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!! |
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Mike Wheeler
From:
Delaware, Ohio, USA
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Posted 17 Nov 2011 5:12 pm
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That is a stunning color, Bill. Very nice job!
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Best regards,
Mike |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 17 Nov 2011 5:50 pm
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| Most of the hit that is seen with uv fading is due to the earlier aniline dyes that were used primarily in the 60's and 70's and, to my knowledge, are no longer being used as a coloring agent in steel guitars. When aniline is used these days the top clear coat generally has a uv protectant in it to protect the dye from fading. |
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Mike Christensen
From:
Cook Minnesota
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Posted 20 Nov 2011 4:33 am
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| I would have to ask,How long do you plan on leaving your guitar sit out in the sun? I would bellieve that the discoloring comes from sitting in a shop window with a "For Sale" sign on lit for an extended period of time. What guitar or piece of furniture doesn't fade just sitting in the sun. For the length of time it may be in the sun at an outdoor gig for instance,I can't see any damage being done. Also at an outdoor gig if it is going to have to be set up all day I would surely cover it to also keep dust out of it. It seems to me the majority of old guitars I have seen over the years have not gotten damaged in this way to make me believe it is not a huge problem. |
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Bill Miller
From:
Gaspe, Quebec, Canada
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Posted 20 Nov 2011 5:41 am
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| Mike, I don't think a guitar needs to sit in the direct sun to be damaged by UV light. And as to whether it is a huge problem, well it depends. Fading and discoloration won't affect playability or tone but it does affect resale value for one thing. Also, most people who buy lacquer finish guitars buy them for their beauty and there a lot of old lacquer guitars out there that are anything but beautiful. For example, how many Sho~Bud LDGs have you seen that are still the beautiful green they were when built? The only real green ones left seem to have been refinished. A lacquer finish steel is not cheap and I especially wouldn't buy a green or blue one without knowing if it was UV resistant. |
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