J_Euphoria
Senior Member
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2013
- Messages
- 105
- Reaction score
- 146
Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a great Winter season so far!
To jump straight to the point, I have built a 1959 Les Paul out of DIY Kit I got from AliExpress.
I was heavily inspired by Gibson's 1959 Southern Rock Tribute Les Paul. I just loved the "heart" design at the center of the burst.
Inspiration by J Euphoria, on Flickr
Unfortunately, I do not have $6,600. BUT I do have the time and energy to take a stab at a fun little project.
My overall idea for this project was to build an affordable (-$500), but faithful recreation of a cool guitar.
I found a cool DIY guitar kit off of AliExpress. I was surprised that the kit came with a headstock veneer, and chunkier-than-usual neck profile. It's not the fattest neck I have played, but it is definitely thicker than my 2011 Gibson Faded Les Paul.
After investing in some quality paint, here is what I got so far...
Honey by J Euphoria, on Flickr
I started off by grain filling with Ebony Timbermate on the back, sides, neck, and headstock.
I then level sanded to get rid of the excess, and sprayed on 2 healthy coats of BEHLEN VINYL SEALER.
After taping off the binding and top, I applied 3 coats of BEHLEN DARK MAHOGANY TONER LACQUER
Honey by J Euphoria, on Flickr
I achieved the burst by using BEHLEN STARCAST AMBER. I started with 2 coats as a base for the center, and then I built up more layers on the rim. The amber becomes more Orange-Red as you spray on more coats.
After scraping the binding and some light level sanding, I started to apply DEFT CLEAR WOOD FINISH LACQUER.
The Holy Trinity of Guitar Polishing by J Euphoria, on Flickr
"The Holy Trinity of Guitar Polishing" - J. Euphoria
After allowing it to properly dry and cure, I level sanded with 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit sandpaper, it was ready for polish! I thought about moving up to 2500, but I figured that it was good as it was.
I used VIRTUOSO PREMIUM CLEANER and VIRTUOSO PREMIUM POLISH to get a smooth gloss finish out of the lacquer.
As a final cleaning, I used WIZARDS MIST N' SHINE to get rid of finger prints, and to give the guitar an almost slippery-feel.
Honey by J Euphoria, on Flickr
Honey by J Euphoria, on Flickr
The headstock is not painted black. The ebony veneer was glossed over with the Deft Lacquer. I chose not to spray on black lacquer because I didn't want to pay $30 for a can of Black Nitrocellulose that I most likely won't use. Also, I loved the look of the subtle grains in the wood. It adds a cool character to it.
The logo was sprayed on by using a stencil that I hand-drew and traced, some old gold spray paint I had lying around. While it is not nitrocellulose based, I was sure to spray on the logo BEFORE applying the vinyl sealer or nitro finishes. The rule, or so I was told, is that nitro CAN go on non-nitro, but non-nitro paint CAN'T go on nitro finishes. It was something like that.
Honey by J Euphoria, on Flickr
I am currently waiting on the hardware to arrive to my Arizona Suburb. I ordered an Epiphone Wiring Harness, a Nickel Metric ABR-1 Bridge, Used Epiphone Cream Plastics (Pickguard, Pickup Rings, etc.), Nickel Schaller Strap Locks, Deluxe-Style Tuning Machines, and a set of GuitarMadness (G.M.) 59'er Humbuckers with Zebra bobbins.
From what I can tell, I think that it's safe to say that this build is going to be AWESOME. I am so happy with the results I am getting so far.
Thanks for checking it out! I will be posting more updates on this kit build in the near future!
Cheers.
To jump straight to the point, I have built a 1959 Les Paul out of DIY Kit I got from AliExpress.
I was heavily inspired by Gibson's 1959 Southern Rock Tribute Les Paul. I just loved the "heart" design at the center of the burst.
Inspiration by J Euphoria, on FlickrUnfortunately, I do not have $6,600. BUT I do have the time and energy to take a stab at a fun little project.
My overall idea for this project was to build an affordable (-$500), but faithful recreation of a cool guitar.
I found a cool DIY guitar kit off of AliExpress. I was surprised that the kit came with a headstock veneer, and chunkier-than-usual neck profile. It's not the fattest neck I have played, but it is definitely thicker than my 2011 Gibson Faded Les Paul.
After investing in some quality paint, here is what I got so far...
Honey by J Euphoria, on FlickrI started off by grain filling with Ebony Timbermate on the back, sides, neck, and headstock.
I then level sanded to get rid of the excess, and sprayed on 2 healthy coats of BEHLEN VINYL SEALER.
After taping off the binding and top, I applied 3 coats of BEHLEN DARK MAHOGANY TONER LACQUER
Honey by J Euphoria, on FlickrI achieved the burst by using BEHLEN STARCAST AMBER. I started with 2 coats as a base for the center, and then I built up more layers on the rim. The amber becomes more Orange-Red as you spray on more coats.
After scraping the binding and some light level sanding, I started to apply DEFT CLEAR WOOD FINISH LACQUER.
The Holy Trinity of Guitar Polishing by J Euphoria, on Flickr"The Holy Trinity of Guitar Polishing" - J. Euphoria
After allowing it to properly dry and cure, I level sanded with 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit sandpaper, it was ready for polish! I thought about moving up to 2500, but I figured that it was good as it was.
I used VIRTUOSO PREMIUM CLEANER and VIRTUOSO PREMIUM POLISH to get a smooth gloss finish out of the lacquer.
As a final cleaning, I used WIZARDS MIST N' SHINE to get rid of finger prints, and to give the guitar an almost slippery-feel.
Honey by J Euphoria, on FlickrHoney by J Euphoria, on FlickrThe headstock is not painted black. The ebony veneer was glossed over with the Deft Lacquer. I chose not to spray on black lacquer because I didn't want to pay $30 for a can of Black Nitrocellulose that I most likely won't use. Also, I loved the look of the subtle grains in the wood. It adds a cool character to it.
The logo was sprayed on by using a stencil that I hand-drew and traced, some old gold spray paint I had lying around. While it is not nitrocellulose based, I was sure to spray on the logo BEFORE applying the vinyl sealer or nitro finishes. The rule, or so I was told, is that nitro CAN go on non-nitro, but non-nitro paint CAN'T go on nitro finishes. It was something like that.
Honey by J Euphoria, on FlickrI am currently waiting on the hardware to arrive to my Arizona Suburb. I ordered an Epiphone Wiring Harness, a Nickel Metric ABR-1 Bridge, Used Epiphone Cream Plastics (Pickguard, Pickup Rings, etc.), Nickel Schaller Strap Locks, Deluxe-Style Tuning Machines, and a set of GuitarMadness (G.M.) 59'er Humbuckers with Zebra bobbins.
From what I can tell, I think that it's safe to say that this build is going to be AWESOME. I am so happy with the results I am getting so far.
Thanks for checking it out! I will be posting more updates on this kit build in the near future!
Cheers.
Honey
Finished product
Finished product
Finished product
