My Resonator Is Way Too Shiny ...

[Raf_V]

Hi guitar friends !

Yesterday I received a resonator.

Here are some pics:

The problem is that I don't like the shiny gloss ...

Do you guys have some sugestions to get rid of that shiny gloss ?

Keep in mind that I'm a complete newbie with all this kind of stuff...

thanks a lot !

= Raf =

[WezV]

bury it in the mud for a few years

Or just play it- that always seems to work

[SwedishLuthier]

You can rub the guitar with 000 grade or finer steel wool, a very fine grip wet-and-dry sand paper (2000 grid or higher) or something similar. Test in an area that is invisable like the rim of the sound well that the cover plate will hide if you don't like the look.

You can also hand it over to some small kids to play with for a wile and it will be scrached up, covered in grease finger prints and generally have a much more dull appearance.

[WezV]

I was going to suggest fine wire wool maybe with some wax on the wooden areas. It will dull it nicely.

You might want to take a bit of really fine sandpaper to the edges of some of the chrome parts to simulate natural wear, areas like the bit your hand would rest on always get the most wear. I bet there is lots of discussions on ageing metal hardware somewhere around here

[Raf_V]

I was going to suggest fine wire wool maybe with some wax on the wooden areas. It will dull it nicely.

You might want to take a bit of really fine sandpaper to the edges of some of the chrome parts to simulate natural wear, areas like the bit your hand would rest on always get the most wear. I bet there is lots of discussions on ageing metal hardware somewhere around here

It seems like I failed to explain what I want ...

I'm talking about the shiny body and peghead wood .

= Raf =

Edited June 7, 2007 by Raf_V

[WezV]

I was going to suggest fine wire wool maybe with some wax on the wooden areas. It will dull it nicely.

You might want to take a bit of really fine sandpaper to the edges of some of the chrome parts to simulate natural wear, areas like the bit your hand would rest on always get the most wear. I bet there is lots of discussions on ageing metal hardware somewhere around here

It seems like I failed to explain what I want ...

I'm talking about the shiny body and peghead wood .

= Raf =

Its a wooden bodied resonator so we suggested way to dull the lacquer finish that is protecting all that wood. I also suggested a way to dull the metal but that is really more 'relicing' than 'de-glossing' - but i presumed if you hated the shiny wood finish enough to want to dull a new guitar then you might want to do something about all the shiny chrome as well.

If you rub down the guitar body and peghead with fine wire wool (i would use 0000 grade) it will get rid of the gloss nicely. I would use wax and wire wool because i prefer a bit of a shine rather than a completely flat finish

[Raf_V]

Its a wooden bodied resonator so we suggested way to dull the lacquer finish that is protecting all that wood. I also suggested a way to dull the metal but that is really more 'relicing' than 'de-glossing' - but i presumed if you hated the shiny wood finish enough to want to dull a new guitar then you might want to do something about all the shiny chrome as well.

If you rub down the guitar body and peghead with fine wire wool (i would use 0000 grade) it will get rid of the gloss nicely. I would use wax and wire wool because i prefer a bit of a shine rather than a completely flat finish

Sorry I didn't read you message very well

I'm not native english ....

What kind of wax is best to use ?

thanks,

= Raf =

[WezV]

beeswax, although i use briwax because it is ready prepared, in otherwords its a lot softer and easier to apply

Try it without wax first - if its too dull or too scratchy then try applying a bit of wax

[IbanezFreak666]

leave it in the sun over the summer and itll fade and give it a vintage look

[marksound]

Krylon.

-or-

Lend it to this guy for a few months.

[Raf_V]

Krylon.

-or-

Lend it to this guy for a few months.

I would like to, but I don't know him ...

= Raf =

[marksound]

Well shoot, hang around those Jemfesters long enough and someone might hook you up. Kevan, you listening?

[iskim86]

maybe you should just leave it, and let the finish age naturally by human contact

in other words.... time to play your ass off!!

[Raf_V]

Hi all ,

The finish on my reonator guitar is a very thick layer of cristal clear finish ..

And by very thick I mean ( visible) a least 3 mm ...

So I think it would be better to remove the entire finish of the guitar .

What's the technique to remove that thick layer of shiny finish ?

thanks !

= Raf =

[WezV]

Sand, sand and sand some more unless you can find out what finish was used and can find a stripper for it. if its really that thick i wouldnt bother - its a lot of work. Try de-glossing it first and see what it ends up like - it will probably be the easiest way to get what you want

i wouldnt worry about the tonal impacts of the thick finish since its a resonator, i wouldnt be able to live with a finish that thick on a normal acoustic guitar but it will have less impact on this

[Raf_V]

Sand, sand and sand some more ...

What kind of sanding paper is best to start with ?

thanks,

= Raf =

[ToneMonkey]

I found that emmery cloth was the best thing to get a thick finish back to wood, then just work down the grades of normal paper to get it smooth.