Will VOS finish naturally age?

[Cameron1996]

Hi there I’m not sure if this has been asked before, but I am looking at purchasing a 60th anniversary les Paul sg, it has the VOS finish. I was just wondering if the nitro will eventually fade and weather check like vintage guitars. If anyone has any kind of vos guitar that has finish checking I’d love to see it! I know they’ve changed there formulas/ process

 

[ARandall]

No modern guitars age like the old ones.

But no formula or material is immune to the elements and time either. You can see plenty of beaten up and 'naturally' aged 90's guitars when no effort was made to be vintage accurate

 

[Thundermtn]

My '16 R8 VOS started to lightly and naturally finish check sometime early last year if I remember right. It is mostly resides in a stable temp and humidity controlled room. I do take it other places for jams with friends so it does see some low level environmental changes. Color shift is zero but I don't have it out in the sun very much at all.

The Custom Shop has flipped all it's leadership since then, probably a bunch of employees as well. I can't say if they're still spraying the same nitro.

 

[danzego]

My '16 R8 VOS started to lightly and naturally finish check sometime early last year if I remember right. It is mostly resides in a stable temp and humidity controlled room. I do take it other places for jams with friends so it does see some low level environmental changes. Color shift is zero but I don't have it out in the sun very much at all.

The Custom Shop has flipped all it's leadership since then, probably a bunch of employees as well. I can't say if they're still spraying the same nitro.

Custom Shop is spraying the same nitro as Gibson USA (not counting Murphy Lab).

 

[Barber]

1996 is checked and ambered, I’m sure the formula must have changed since then, but I would imagine they will check eventually.

This one was never protected from temperature changes, it’s been outside, in the car and in airplanes, and in a house with a woodstove where the temperature and humidity fluctuates a lot…

 

[Cameron1996]

View attachment 680980 View attachment 680981
View attachment 680982


1996 is checked and ambered, I’m sure the formula must have changed since then, but I would imagine they will check eventually.

This one was never protected from temperature changes, it’s been outside, in the car and in airplanes, and in a house with a woodstove where the temperature and humidity fluctuates a lot…

That looks awesome man! Thanks for the pics hopefully mine will look like that eventually. While I would never say no to a Murphy lab. I’d prefer to age it naturally

 

[Barber]

That looks awesome man! Thanks for the pics hopefully mine will look like that eventually. While I would never say no to a Murphy lab. I’d prefer to age it naturally

My recommendation would be to expose it to temperature changes, if you have the stomach for it and you understand it might affect your potential resale…

Temperatures a good bit below freezing for a few hours and then being brought back into a warm house… if it doesn’t check after repeated cycles of drastic temperature change.. then it might not ever happen.

As far as the chips and the wear… once you lose some finish like mine on the bottom edge, it tends to spread over the years, becoming more prone to losing a bit more. Keeping the guitar out of the case and not babying it definitely accelerates this process, for years I used to keep mine on top of my dogs kennel next to the couch and I would grab it from there to play it, instead of the case or a stand.

 

[filtersweep]

My 2014 looks ‘good as new.’

I’ve seen 90s Standards with more ‘character.’

 

[Thomas/Sweden]

Depends on how hard you fap the neck and hump the body. ; )

 

[Cameron1996]

My recommendation would be to expose it to temperature changes, if you have the stomach for it and you understand it might affect your potential resale…

Temperatures a good bit below freezing for a few hours and then being brought back into a warm house… if it doesn’t check after repeated cycles of drastic temperature change.. then it might not ever happen.

As far as the chips and the wear… once you lose some finish like mine on the bottom edge, it tends to spread over the years, becoming more prone to losing a bit more. Keeping the guitar out of the case and not babying it definitely accelerates this process, for years I used to keep mine on top of my dogs kennel next to the couch and I would grab it from there to play it, instead of the case or a stand.

Your les paul looks amazing! I hope the nitro allows for natural ageing on the current models

 

[Jimmi]

I think the actual question is will if age like a 50s Gibson. No idea. I have an ‘81 prehistoric reissue that has checking but not like a 50s guitar. I played an original ‘59 burst this weekend that had virtually no checking.

 

[dCi_king]

Despite what Dr. Nitro says, I have seen new Gibsons with checking and nitro cracking.

So yes. Actual Gibson's nitro formula cracks.

 

[Cameron1996]

Despite what Dr. Nitro says, I have seen new Gibsons with checking and nitro cracking.

So yes. Actual Gibson's nitro formula cracks.

I’d hope so! I live in Canada so the freezing temperatures aren’t a problem!

 

[Cameron1996]

Would love to see photos of anyone’s “newer “ custom shop guitars that have checked/aged ! Doesn’t have to be an sg!

 

[Tiboy]

I have a 2013 R9 VOS and 2013 SG VOS. Neither has aged like the original guitars they represent. Both are nitro.

 

[dCi_king]

I have a 2013 R9 VOS and 2013 SG VOS. Neither has aged like the original guitars they represent. Both are nitro.

Thats because you take care of them.


This is a 2022 model:

 

[Dogbreath]

My 1976 SG Standard had yellowed but there are no finish checks. My 1965 Melody Maker has only a ten or so very small finish checks. There is now way to predict what will happen.

 

[efstop]

I haven't got finish checking on any of my Gibsons, the oldest one is a 2007 '59 reissue Melody maker. They range in age from 2007 to 2019. They spend their off time in cases or bags.

 

[Cameron1996]

Thats because you take care of them.


This is a 2022 model:
What’s this? How’d that happen so fast!

 

[dCi_king]

It is a Standard 50s. I have read that this guy found this when opened the box of his new guitar. And he was not the only one... Gibson and some retailers warn wait 24 h before open the box.