David Coyle's 1968 335 Restoration

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:50 am

This was done just Tuesday last. One coat of sanding sealer over the entire guitar. I've sprayed up some sample Autumnglo color chips in 4 variations and sent them off, so that David can select the one he likes best. As I mentioned, Autumnglo uses only 1 color (semi-transparent reddish brown) to yield a 3-tone sunburst.

Originally, Autumnglo was sprayed over a plain maple guitar. Over the years, the conversion varnish on most of these oldies has mellowed to a beautiful amber tone, and that's what David's finish will replicate, as if the guitar's original Autumnglo had yellowed. So this will replicate an "antiqued" finish.

Anyway: below are the picture links. Mapleglo, anyone?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/backseal2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/bodybackseal1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/frontseal1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/hsseal1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/sideseal1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/jingle_jangle/neckbackseal1.jpg

Next: More sanding, a final coat of sealer, sand again, mask the fretboard, and spray the Autumnglo burst per David's request! Oh, the dot markers were replaced this morning, too.

I'll do a nice step-by-step on using this clearcoat, too.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:56 am

Randy, try McMaster-Carr at www.mcmastercarr.com. They have all kinds in stainless steel (polish up nicely) and brass, all the way down to #2 in size. (That's tiny!)

The only hangup is you have to buy boxes of 100 for about $3.00 a box. Oh, I forgot, this is a Rickenbacker group!

randyz · Post by **randyz** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:19 am

Paul: I buy lots of hardware for my British car projects, and I always buy everything in boxes. I hate digging around for a fastener. I like lots of little bins full of shiny new hardware. Thanks!

kog · Post by **kog** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 7:56 pm

Paul -- I remember one of your earlier posts in this thread, sometime after you had removed the previous paint, lacquer etc, and were now down to the bare wood. I believe you were saying that the wood was really not good enough for a mapleglo finish, and would need a Fireglo, Autumnglo, etc, to hide some wood imperfections.

I just have to say after looking at the last set of pix, that, wow, not sure I agree with you on that now! I think the wood looks gorgeous. Obviously you know more about these things, and are sitting there with the guitar, not just looking at the pics. Have you changed your opinion at all? If it was mine, I'd be tempted to say leave it MG....especially that neck wood. Simply beautiful.

red_rob · Post by **red_rob** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:25 am

I'd be interested to see the autumnglo samples Paul, but I have to say - that is looking splendid in Mapleglo. Really nice wood grain. Great work.

bill_yantz · Post by **bill_yantz** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:16 am

Paul, beautiful job. I am impressed with not only how much you know about guitar restoration but more so, the work that you do. Methodical, well-planned, quality work.

The guitar would be a great example of MG but I think AG would add character to the already beautiful wood grain in the body and neck. In general, don't you think AG will allow the figuration of the wood to really stand out?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 3:50 am

Granted that the wood is beautiful, but the grain is very straight; not the beautifully-figured grain that we expect to see on a MG guitar. The front of the guitar is 100% straight-grained. The back has two nice bird's eyes which will show through the AG nicely, as they're near the center.

The nicest figuring on the entire instrument is on the neck at the headstock end; some beautiful rippling there will be partially obscured by the AG shading...

But wait until you see it in AG! (This is David Coyle's guitar, not mine, and AG was the point of this whole restoration.) The samples I sent him will, when executed on the entire guitar, transform this instrument. This is drawing to a close; I'll be sorry to see it go. Within two weeks, you will see the results of this color selection, and I believe you'll agree with David and I that AG was a great choice!

longhouse · Post by **longhouse** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:12 am

Well... it's beautiful without its clothes, Paul, but the Autumnglo will certain add that bit of mystery and allure.

N

red_rob · Post by **red_rob** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:48 am

Hey Paul, as David removed the hardware before sending it to you, does that mean that we won't get to see her all dressed up and finished?

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 5:58 am

David has sent me all the old hardware, and I believe a new pickguard is in the offing as well, so you most certainly WILL see it completed before I ship it off.

ratso · Post by **ratso** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 5:49 pm

Paul, We all look forward to the finishing touch! Autumnglo is so... vintage cool! thanks for a great thread.

dale_fortune · Post by **dale_fortune** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:26 pm

Paul this looks GREAT, but next time you get one of those crack repairs with color down in it, use a single edge razor blade and V notch it, then glue a small piece of the same type of wood in the V notch, sand it off level and it will look factory.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 2:11 am

Thanks, Dale!

I've done that type of splice a few times on spruce-topped acoustics, with excellent results.

In this case, however, the wood grain in the crack areas (both of them!) has two colors, with an annual ring running right through the crack in an irregular manner. The nature of this crack is what led me to think a sudden trauma, such as "stepped on"; if it had been a stress crack it would have been right along one of the rings and easy to patch in the manner you describe.

In this case, a single light-colored or dark-colored splice would have shown even more than the crack would have; the only thing close to invisible would be to match that grain variation exactly with a nearly-identical piece of maple with not only the same general coloring, but also with the grain running exactly the same way. So I was forced to leave it.

The best option for an "as new" appearance would have been to replace the entire top (and I could have used a piece of maple with some nice figuring, too) but David wanted the guitar to be as close to original as possible.

jingle_jangle · Post by **jingle_jangle** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:43 am

xcoyle · Post by **xcoyle** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:36 pm

Paul, dang! That looks beeaauutiful. For a visual, I am jumping up and down. Very similar to Tom Cruise on Opra. You are the best.