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Topic: Achieving lacquer look with mica |
Drew Howard
From:
48854
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Posted 27 Aug 2006 7:49 am |
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Above photo is Jimmy Roy's Sho-Bud, middle is my mica Derby, below is Jimmy Day and his Sho-Bud.
Could you get the lacquer or natural finish "look" with mica and not use the trim strips to cover the seams??
thanks,
Drew
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Drew Howard - website - Fessenden, Derby and Fender guitars, 70's Fender Twin, etc.
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Scott Denniston
From:
Hahns Peak, Colorado, USA
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Posted 27 Aug 2006 9:22 am
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| I think a mica guitar looks just great but when it has a "picture" of wood on it the mica looks kind of stupid or phoney except maybe from a distance. Like it's wishing to be wood. I don't see the point. The term "rosewood mica" has always given me a chuckle. I think a mica could be done without the frame around it but it wouldn't make it look like a lacquer. Just more like a kitchen counter. Don't get me wrong, I think some mica guitars are just beautiful. |
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Marc Weller
From:
Upland, Ca. 91784
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Posted 27 Aug 2006 9:48 am
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I only have lacquer guitars and I am ignorant about the construction of mica guitars. Please educate me. Are the mica guitars constructed of wood with mica overlays and aluminum trim, or are they solid aluminum bodies with mica inserts. I always assumed the latter.
thanks in advance
Marc Weller |
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Micky Byrne
From:
United Kingdom (deceased)
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Posted 27 Aug 2006 11:12 am
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Hi Marc. I think 99% of Mica guitars are wood, usually Maple and "then" covered with Mica. As far as I know only the Sierra guitars were solid Aluminum, but they had a wooden neck. Mica covered guitars do tend to have a brighter tone.
Micky Byrne www.mickybyrne.com |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 27 Aug 2006 11:51 am
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I think wood is pretty; too bad it doesn't stay that way! It shrinks, cracks, splits, fades, stains, dents and it scratches very easily, too. Also, fancy wood cabinets are sometimes just a thin veneer, and as such, have much the same "cheap" aura of other mica-like laminates.
So, what do you do? You choose between the ultimate durability and practicality of mica, or the warmth and somewhat fragile beauty of wood. Keep in mind that wood does have the singular advantage of being refinishable, wheras...once the mica's surface is gone, it requires replacement.
To answer your question, mica can be laminated much the same as wood veneers, and when done properly, is hard to tell from real wood without a close inspection.[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 27 August 2006 at 12:56 PM.] |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 27 Aug 2006 9:28 pm
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| One of the things that sets mica and lacquer guitars apart is the edges- mica guitars having the obvious 90 degree sharp angles and lacquer guitars having more relaxed, bull-nose edging. One way that I've used in the past to marry the top and aprons is to use quarter round material as an insert at the edging. A very good material for this is pakawood (ala Dekley's). It can be obtained in rods of varying diameters and quartered by anyone reasonably competent with a band saw. In the past I've only attempted this with dark mica as the pakawood that I've ordered has always been dark as well but it really softens the look of a mica guitar and is extremely durable as well. |
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Russ Tkac
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 3:58 pm
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This was posted on the forum back in March and is a mica finish. Looks very good.
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Ernie Renn
From:
Brainerd, Minnesota USA
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Posted 4 Sep 2006 6:49 pm
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Off-Topic: Check out Paycheck on bass... 
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My best,
Ernie
www.BuddyEmmons.com |
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