Tobacco sunburst

[mlp]

Hi all. I'm looking at attempting a vintage Gibson style sunburst to my next build. Am wondering if the stew Mac burst materials are the way to go, or if there is something locally I could go with ? Also, I haven't found any tutorial that fills me with a huge amount of confidence . All suggestions greatly appreciated. Cheers. Marcus

[rocket]

I use Stumc Colortone tints which i find very good and Microtone 3220, usually get a pretty good outcome.

Rod.

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[demonx]

Automotive 2k candy. Buy the dye and mix your own custom colours. Then spray it. No stain involved except to pop the quilt.

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[mlp]

Thanks for the replies Rod and Allan. All four guitars look incredible, and that second one of yours Rod just screams perfection . Think I'll go with the stew Mac stuff for a first attempt at a sunburst , and look into the 2k candy stuff down the track Allan. Cheers . Marcus.

[demonx]

Same method, same product, just less concentrate in the mix:

[yakka]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pv2aTG7OH4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNHDKqxZh8E

these might help

[blackalex1952]

This raises the question...Which methods give the easiest/best results? Pro and cons of hand rubbing a sunburst or spraying a sunburst?
-Ross

[demonx]

This raises the question...Which methods give the easiest/best results? Pro and cons of hand rubbing a sunburst or spraying a sunburst?
-Ross

Hand rubbing is easier. Spraying looks better.

This is my opinion. I'm sure there will be varied others.

[nkforster]

It depends on what market your work is intended for. Some markets prefer the sprayed look, others the hand rubbed look. If' you're making guitars for the "hair rock" brigade, it should be sprayed. If it's for the "pencil 'tash and braces" crowd, it's hand rubbed.

"Vintage Gibson" look covers both, as early Gibsons have hand rubbed bursts, 60's ones have sprayed bursts. What are you making exactly?

Here is a hand rubbed burst. I much prefer the look of these on an acoustic.

[mlp]

Gday Nigel. it would be nice to end up with a burst that looks something like the old Gibson that David Rawlings plays, i think its from the 1930's. The guitar is a concert size, and the only reason im looking at a sunburst for it is.....umm.....i bbq'ed the sides a bit when bending and have scorch marks that wont sand out. A few too beers at the time ! So im thinking a dark burst all round. It has celery top bindings, which will go a nice golden hue in time and should make a good combo with the dark burst. Any ideas as to how best isolate the bindings during the hand rubbed procedure? Seal them first with nitro? shellac? Finishing feels new to me everytime ive done it, but hoping to nail it on this one .
Also thanks Yakka, i checked out those links and they will come in very handy.
cheers
marcus

[DarwinStrings]

Greenburst, all the colour is Feast Watson Prooftint in dark shellac. Satin pre cat lacquer over the shellac. Unfortunately They don't make the full colour range they used to make and that was almost the end of my blue tint.

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[nkforster]

Gday Nigel. it would be nice to end up with a burst that looks something like the old Gibson that David Rawlings plays, i think its from the 1930's. The guitar is a concert size, and the only reason im looking at a sunburst for it is.....umm.....i bbq'ed the sides a bit when bending and have scorch marks that wont sand out. A few too beers at the time ! So im thinking a dark burst all round. It has celery top bindings, which will go a nice golden hue in time and should make a good combo with the dark burst. Any ideas as to how best isolate the bindings during the hand rubbed procedure? Seal them first with nitro? shellac? Finishing feels new to me everytime ive done it, but hoping to nail it on this one .
Also thanks Yakka, i checked out those links and they will come in very handy.
cheers
marcus

I always go for plastic/ivoroid bindings when doing a sunburst. Work over the top of them, then scrape clean. With wood bindings, you could try to seal with either nitro, shellac, superglue, paint... - basically, anything which won't dissolve when it comes into contact with your colours, whatever you use. I'm not a great one for testing on scrap, but this might be such an occasion.

Go for fibre purfling rather than wood veneer as it scrapes easier and cleaner and is easier to seal.

Hope that helps.