lvrpool32 Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 The late , the GREAT Gary Moore was my "guitar hero", some may come close, but no one matches his talent or tone for me. So I'm going to build my tribute to him, not the guitar he is most famous for..the ex Peter Green Les Paul, but the one known as "stripe", the primary guitar he used for Still Got the Blues and After Hours. Nice old growth Honduran Mahogany for the neck and body, figured maple top, an original '58 LP jr Brazilian rosewood fretboard that has been routed to accept the trapezoid inlays from Jim Weyandt at Jam City Guitars (board looks old, not cracked or chipped, but you can see its got plenty of stories to tell, not something you would use on a perfect /fresh LP, but absolutely perfect for what I want to do here), DJ nitrate inlays and Brandonwound PAF replicas and have the similar "aged" finish. Not normally a fan of signature or collectors choice models, but I'm going to enjoy this build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvrpool32 Posted September 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 some pics of the top carving process.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvrpool32 Posted September 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 A little bit of the OCD Nick came out with some of the hardware! The original guitar is heavily worn, it's definitely not a "display cabinet queen" and the hardware is both tarnished, peeling and in some places corroded. A lot of today's reproduction stuff is manufactured differently, for example in the 50's they appeared to nickel /chrome plate right onto the aluminum, today they add a layer of copper between the aluminum and nickel. So nearly impossible to get the right "relic" look with these repo pieces. So I sent out the search minions (eBay!!) and found an original 60's tailpiece with the start of the right type of wear... A little bit etching compound, a little scuffing... It's got the right '59 feel! I also found an early 60's toggle switch which has a similar "used" appearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Gary Moore was one of my absolute favorites too. I'll be watching this one with interest. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvrpool32 Posted September 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 working my way through the back of the guitar....original is on the bottom... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted September 23, 2016 Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Looks like an ExNihilo carve! Nice wild top on that Maple. Sometimes the wider wild flame is better than the boring tight consistent stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvrpool32 Posted September 23, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2016 Yes I used the ExNihilo templates, gives a really nice shape and cuts hours out of the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted September 24, 2016 Report Share Posted September 24, 2016 Really nicely done already! I can't wait to see more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted September 25, 2016 Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 Yeah, thing is, the anodic indices of aluminium (Al) and nickel (Ni) are pretty far apart so they're just asking for galvanic corrosion to happen. Copper (Cu) is in between, but much closer to nickel than aluminium. All the more case for the awesomeness of brass which is right next to both Al and Ni. At the very least, this is my understanding of plating approaches. I doubt that an intermediary plating of lead (Pb) would be wise. IIRC, isn't copper used as a "smush buff" on top of things like Al to produce a smooth filled surface for subsequent layers like chromium (Cr)? Seriously....that top just after the clear is absolute sex on a stick man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvrpool32 Posted September 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 4 hours ago, Prostheta said: isn't copper used as a "smush buff" on top of things like Al to produce a smooth filled surface for subsequent layers like chromium (Cr)? yes they use the copper to fill any small pits and then cut/polish that before nickel then chromium plating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvrpool32 Posted September 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 (edited) So I have been working on the top and headstock "appearance". It's funny how I picked this top because it wasn't as "wild" as some of the others but after the tru-oil and nitro...it's really come alive Edited September 25, 2016 by lvrpool32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10pizza Posted September 25, 2016 Report Share Posted September 25, 2016 looks great! I've got a custom les paul project going on at the moment as well. Hope to yield a similar result! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1556 Posted September 29, 2016 Report Share Posted September 29, 2016 Looking absolutely fantastic! I'm with you in saying that Gary Moore is my favourite guitarist as well, he was the guy that made me want to learn guitar all those years ago. That top on the guitar is absolutely stunning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvrpool32 Posted October 20, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2016 so its pretty much done...the Brandon Wound PAf's are exceptional. Ill do some more detailed pics and specs this weekend. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 I've delayed posting because I've been too sick to write a fully-formed response. This genuinely deserves one. I really enjoyed that you posted honest photos of the build "going through the ugly" during the carving process. I mean, underneath the contour routs and basic roughing was that guitar....and what a guitar you've ended up with! Relics are often somewhere halfway between looking realistic and looking half-assed. That headstock is just right on the money. The forearm wear is maybe a little OTT in terms of darkness, however I'm sure that if you play her anywhere nearly as much as she deserves, that should dial itself back into perfection. Between this and the Derrig, I don't think there's a Les Paul I would love more. You know you can "see how a guitar sounds"? That. That right there. This oozes cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvrpool32 Posted October 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 2 hours ago, Prostheta said: . The forearm wear is maybe a little OTT in terms of darkness, however I'm sure that if you play her anywhere nearly as much as she deserves, that should dial itself back into perfection. Thanks for the feedback, it's much appreciated. I agree on the forearm wear, I had made a paste of charcoal, water and pencil lead ..and I got it too dark. A scotch brite and some soapy water fixed it.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted October 22, 2016 Report Share Posted October 22, 2016 Strongly-brewed tea does the trick as well! Leave a bag in half a cup of hot water, strain it and the tannins are perfect for aged wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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