Black-sparkle Finish

[CrazyManAndy]

Hey all,

I am curious how I would create a black-sparkle finish as found on Eddie Vedder's Tele. Any special equipment need?

Here are some pics (I tried to get the best ones):

http://www.pearljam.com/i/tourphotos/20060513/7.jpg

http://www.pearljam.com/i/tourphotos/20060626/5.jpg

http://www.pearljam.com/i/tourphotos/20060709/1.jpg

http://www.pearljam.com/i/tourphotos/20060707/8.jpg

Thanks,

CMA

Edited September 5, 2006 by CrazyManAndy

[Nitefly SA]

Are you dead serious? I don't know about everybody else but those pictures come up about the size of a quarter on my computer. I really can't even see the finish on his guitar.

[Desopolis]

I fixed the links for him

http://www.pearljam.com/i/tourphotos/20060513/7.jpg

http://www.pearljam.com/i/tourphotos/20060626/5.jpg

http://www.pearljam.com/i/tourphotos/20060709/1.jpg

http://www.pearljam.com/i/tourphotos/20060707/8.jpg

looks like a basboat finish...

no but really it looks like a meatlic color flake mixed in either a paint or laq.

[Nitefly SA]

It may just be the color then sparkles sprayed over that.

[CrazyManAndy]

Sorry about the pics, I fixed them in the post.

Thanks for the help.

[tirapop]

The flakes are really big. I'd guess that it's plastic. Drum wraps use plastic sheets with glitters, sparkles, pearls, etc. Gretsch, which makes drums and guitars, offers guitars that have drum wrap finishes.

I remember seeing a post on PG where someone contacted Pagelli about how they put mother of toilet seat on a guitar. Something about acetone. Heat lamps and a vacuum bag would probably help, too.

[chunkielad]

It's an oversized metallic called a holo-flake. I can't remember where i saw them being sold - try a search in google for chrome paint I'm sure it was one of the companies that supply that.

EDIT:

Found one called Alsa Corp

You'd need to have a more even spray than this and they call it Crystal FX but it's basically a large flake glitter metallic.

Edited September 5, 2006 by chunkielad

[marksound]

Stike at Gadow Guitars is a master of the bassboat sparkle. There's a pictorial somewhere over at the Reranch forum.

[jtmullet]

try this its similar and you can follow the same steps but with that stough from alsa corp.My Webpage

[killemall8]

for anyone else that is interested

this exact finish is from house of color. well actually custom colors which is a branch of hok. they have the exact color. check it out:

http://www.tcpglobal.com/kustomshop/ksflake.aspx

the holo ones are at the bottom.

it is like glittter in a bottle, you mix it with clear and spray over a dark base. comes in different sizes of flake too.

just in case someone wants to know. and here are some instructions from the hok webpage

http://www.tcpglobal.com/hokpaint/man/FLAKES54.html

[syxxstring]

killemall8- right idea wrong exact products. Its all a bit confusing with the random K's being thrown about.

1. Kustom Shop paints is not HOK, they are TCP global. Not bad stuff but they are not HOK. Even more confusing because they wrongly sell prereduced HOK paints.

2. Kustom Kolors are HOK they are modeling enamels that get close but no cigar to the HOK Kandy transparency, but way better than spraying euros if your not equiped.

Now on to this exact finish, according to the guy who helped the Fender Custom Shop, no K, set it up its all PPG products. Top of the line auto finishes still, but not HOK. Basically black base. Black primer would be best to keep the finish thickness down, most primers can be tinted or available black. Then mix up clear and the desired flake in the proper spray gun, probably one with an agitator to prevent settling. Spray that, I think the Fender Holoflake has multiple layers, at least mine does. Then clear until thick enough to level and do the normal clear coat leveling buffing etc.

Edited October 10, 2007 by syxxstring