How does Suhr do their drip finishes?!

[H_Squire]

I don't know if it is a huge secret..proprietary well kept information... but has anyone out there successfully recreated their drip technique?

I've heard some guess like a swirl...but I am not sold. The lines are just too crystal cut on some of them and you can actually see where some of the paint starts halfway down the guitar.

I would be curious to hear from people who have tried or people who think they know!

 

[cardinal]

I don't think it's a swirl. I think it's painting with layers before any of it has a chance to dry and then blowing compressed air over the layers, followed by lots of clear. My guess at least.

 

[H_Squire]

I don't think it's a swirl. I think it's painting with layers before any of it has a chance to dry and then blowing compressed air over the layers, followed by lots of clear. My guess at least.

Hmm.. interesting. I agree it isn't a swirl.

 

[snowdog]

Not Suhr, but lots of videos on YouTube.

 

[H_Squire]

Not Suhr, but lots of videos on YouTube.

Not looking for swirl videos. Suhr's drips are (imo) distinctly different than the swirls. Some of the drips get muddy but many of them are very clean looking. Swirls have way more going on and it's clear when you look at some of the drips (again IMO) it isn't the same technique...or at least they're putting the guitar in/pulling it out in a very different manner

 

[dfrattaroli]

Always wondered. But it's definitely not a swirl. Here's a shitty pic of mine.

 

[H_Squire]

Always wondered. But it's definitely not a swirl. Here's a shitty pic of mine.

Man... so good! Nice guitar!

There has to be someone on this forum that can divulge

 

[ratter]

My guess is that they literally pour it on with the body upright (like it would sit in a guitar stand). Once dry it can be blocked flat and buffed, and/or clearcoated and blocked/buffed.

A pic of the butt end by the bottom strap pin would be very telling...

 

[H_Squire]

i don't think that is it ratter...I've tried that. If they are doing it that way there is still something a bit more to it.

That was my initial guess though..

 

[shredhead7]

I think it's similar to the swirl, they layer the paint on the surface, dip the guitar straight down and back up again.

 

[DrewJD82]

I think it's similar to the swirl, they layer the paint on the surface, dip the guitar straight down and back up again.

That's my best guess as well. The thing that makes the Ibanez/Fender swirls actually SWIRL is swirling the paint before the guitar hits the water, the drips are like a swirl without the swirling, like they drop the paint straight across the water and push the guitar straight up and down, rather than coming in and moving the guitar around in the swirled paint.

I'm assuming they do more than one layer of this then sand it back to reveal other colors. If you look at the guitar above, right around where the output jack is located you can see that yellow spot surrounded by orange, definitely looks like the orange was sanded back until the yellow showed through..

 

[wIsEbLooD]

it is done like a swirl. look at the bottom of that guitar^

 

[cardinal]

Yeah, seeing the bottom of that guitar makes me change my mind. Looks like it's done like a swirl by dipping the body into water with paint sitting on the water's surface.

 

[H_Squire]

Yeah, good point on the bottom. Really that simple then? I wonder if there is anything else they do to make it so clean or if they have just mastered the art of putting the color in a certain way before putting the guitar in

 

[SandyRavage]

It's paint thinner/ acetone depending on the type of paint used.

Paint is applied in thin layers and then hit with a spray gun with pure thinner. This is NOT an easy finish to reproduce and takes an extremely crucial timing to get consistent, requires a dual brush setup at least, and perfect timing with color changes so the bottom layer doesn't fully cure before the last layer is applied.

It's then cured and cleared.

 

[reverymike]

A few years back, didn't Suhr agree to stop doing these finishes due to a friendship with James Tyler and his "schmear" finishes?

I thought there was something about Tyler feeling he was being ripped off.

 

[H_Squire]

A few years back, didn't Suhr agree to stop doing these finishes due to a friendship with James Tyler and his "schmear" finishes?

I thought there was something about Tyler feeling he was being ripped off.

If he did...he must have un-agreed because there are still tons of drips coming off of the line.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd send a guy like Dan Lawrence an email and ask him if he could do it and how he'd go about it. I'm sure he would know... Would probably end the speculation...

Steve

 

[WizardSouth-JP]

probably dunked in a big pot of magic dust - they pull them out and then sell them for $3500

 

[H_Squire]

probably dunked in a big pot of magic dust - they pull them out and then sell them for $3500

lolllll