Viper - polished up...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob Savage
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Bob Savage

Bob Savage

Well-known member
Here she is polished up. These are the last pics until I've got it all together. It will probably be a couple weeks at least until I have the pickups and I still need to get hardware, pickup rings, etc. I dig the color. Lots of lessons learned on this one but it's for me, and I dig it.

ViperPolished1.jpg


ViperPolished4.jpg


ViperPolished2.jpg


ViperPolished3.jpg
 
'Looks like candy. I wanna' take a bite out if it..
 
That absolutely looks amazing, is that some type of metallic Pelham blue?
 
One of the baddest Vipers I've ever seen. Finish looks awesome Bob.
 
Awesome! I really dig it. When it comes down to binding.. Are you just taping it off and then wet sanding to make the clear feel even with it? I've never really understood how to finish a guitar and not have the binding feel like it drops off from the clear.
 
That's awesome, Bob! Every time you post these, I miss my old 301 even more..
 
Thanks guys!

bwgintegra":3siks1rr said:
That absolutely looks amazing, is that some type of metallic Pelham blue?

Thanks, it's a metallic ice blue.

JDinSC":3siks1rr said:
Awesome! I really dig it. When it comes down to binding.. Are you just taping it off and then wet sanding to make the clear feel even with it? I've never really understood how to finish a guitar and not have the binding feel like it drops off from the clear.

I taped it off for the color coat and then just taped the fingerboard for the clear coats. There's a very slight ledge there if you're looking for it but not enough that it's going to bug you for playing. I don't think there's an alternative to this unless you strip the guitar, and that's a major undertaking and uneccessary for a refinish (at least if I'm doing it).
 
awesome! again, I cast my vote for chrome hardware and pickup covers!
 
Cool!! Now you just have to find a way of getting some Paisley onto that, and you are set! What pickups do you think you'll go for?
 
Sick Michael":ihw8qsd1 said:
Cool!! Now you just have to find a way of getting some Paisley onto that, and you are set! What pickups do you think you'll go for?

I agree. How about some Paisley knobs? BTW, what were the lessons learned?
 
Sick Michael":ccym1iwk said:
Cool!! Now you just have to find a way of getting some Paisley onto that, and you are set! What pickups do you think you'll go for?

I've got a set of Arcane PX-100's (P90 in humbucker size) ordered.

IHateRap":ccym1iwk said:
what were the lessons learned?

Off the top of my head:

1) cut/thin the color coat like you're supposed to (I didn't)
2) Lay the color coat on in multiple, very thin coats (I shot 1 heavy coat)
3) Use a couple/few more clear coats (I used about 5-6)
4) LEAVE EDGES ALONE when wet sanding. I got cocky and went through in two small areas at the top of the top horn because I was using a bendable, but flat sanding pad and apparently the edges in that area are a little higher than the center. Fortunately this guitar is for me so having exposed defects right up front will keep me from having any illusions that I won't treat this like my other guitars and beat the living daylights out of it.

I could have fixed any of these things along the way, although sanding through would have been a doozie, but once I decided to leave the color coat since it was my maiden voyage paint job, I also decided every step of the way would be a "single take performance" and am happy I did. Whatever it looks like, it's what happened on the first try.

Those were some of the primary ones just from the perspective of the work itself. I also have environment al improvements like figuring out how to setup a small booth outside of the garage because there were times when I was a little concerned that my garage might explode from the fumes because there's a water heater in the garage (very stupid, NOT recommended... I'm dumb).
 
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