Goldtop Touch Up

I have had a LP 12 string now for a year and wanted to touch up the holes from removing the pickguard. When I removed the pickguard I noticed there was also a factory dent in the finish. In the last year I have been doing research as to what to use for this. I got some of Reranche's gold top paint but it has a copper tint to it. I got some #256 Extra Brilliant Green Gold flakes from Crescent Bronze. They said Gibson used to buy this around 6 years ago. I believe this are the flakes they had used for years that will result in a green color when your sweat wears into it. I have heard that Gibson now uses something that doesn't do this. I have asked Bob Burns many times and can not get an answer from him. So I have decided to finally try this. I have dome many finish repairs in the past but never a gold top. I first filled the hole with a dowel, I then sanded and used some filler to smooth it out. I then did a clear lacquer drop fill. When this is dry in 3 days I will level sand so I have a nice flat surface to attempt the gold lacquer touch up. I have been practicing and I find the less I drop the better. I do not want any bubble like I usually get with clear drop fill, that would be visible in the way it will reflect later. I do not want to sand it at all. So I have practiced on scrap cardboard with just dabbing it with a tiny brush and it seems to match well, especially when I add a clear layer over it. I see no options for "Manage Attachments", how do I post photos?

I can tell you from experience - and this is amateur experience - that the goldtop's are more difficult to hide dents. You must fill the dent with gold lacquer flush with the rest of the top. But you probably knew that. I chose to fill it with clear lacquer and got it buffed out perfectly flush with the top but...being transparent, it was as if the dent was still there to the eye. It had a 3 dimensional appearance almost accentuating the dent, depending on the angle viewed. At some angles it was perfect. That gold metal flake has that characteristic.

I'd say many, many light coats of gold (and nailing the tint will be hard) letting each dry thoroughly before the next and you'll have some amount of success. I learned to live with the 'fisheye' effect mine came away with.

Patience! Something I have little of. Good luck.

Doc Sausage said:

I can tell you from experience - and this is amateur experience - that the goldtop's are more difficult to hide dents. You must fill the dent with gold lacquer flush with the rest of the top. But you probably knew that. I chose to fill it with clear lacquer and got it buffed out perfectly flush with the top but...being transparent, it was as if the dent was still there to the eye. It had a 3 dimensional appearance almost accentuating the dent, depending on the angle viewed. At some angles it was perfect. That gold metal flake has that characteristic.

I'd say many, many light coats of gold (and nailing the tint will be hard) letting each dry thoroughly before the next and you'll have some amount of success. I learned to live with the 'fisheye' effect mine came away with.

Patience! Something I have little of. Good luck.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your response. I have noticed from experiments that the thicker I go with the gold the more coarse the flakes look, that is why I did not fill any voids with gold lacquer. The small dent I had under the pickguard I just did a clear fill, I don't think the dent went that far if at all into the gold layer. I will see how it comes out. I think the best approach is to fill a big dent with
clear and then level sand. Then a very thin coat of gold, or as many as required to give a consistent effect, and then without any sanding at all, a final coat of clear over the entire area. I realize it may never be 100% invisible but I enjoy the challenge and it will always be an improvement.