R6 Jaeger Make Over

[Revolver1]

More than me I dare say..... But thanks.

 

[Revolver1]

Here Florian explains how he achieves the vintage patina. I love the fact it's unique to this guitar. This stuff starts to feel to me like it's in the realms of art.

" This is my interpretation of the vintage patina because there is not "one" vintage patina. Every instrument matures and ages individually and mostly will not be matte. Clothing rather polishs the surface and touching as well.

It's a lot of work, I'm using several polishing techniques and some tricks to get a surface which has this "waxy lacquer level of sheen" and an inner glow. A silky shine, which has almost the grace of shellac.

The surface is even thinner than before and seems like a thin skin, protecting your instrument and gives it beauty. It already looks old without even being aged yet. "

 

[Subliminal lanimilbuS]

I was talking with a friend about the checking and I think I am even more all for it. He has a friend who has a few R9's from the 90's. Two of these guitars have begun to check naturally. Gibson's lacquer formulation of recent still does check. One guitar, if the guitar was standing, has vertical lines by the switch and horizontal lines on the lower part of the body. There is nothing wrong with this I guess, but visually I have become accustomed to seeing mostly horizontal lines. Looks more uniform to me and much like late 50's Gibson's I have owned. By prechecking in a nice pattern you get the benefit of knowing those checking lines will take precedence in the future. 25 year old Murphy aged guitars still exhibit their same pattern today. It would be very interesting to see if someone with a 25 year old Murphy aged guitar took a picture when they got it and how it looks today.

I was also thinking about why this happens. You never see old Gibson's with a bunch of diagonal checking. I have come to the conclusion that they check mostly with the direction that the lacquer was applied. If you really think about it, it make sense, but I will leave that for another thread.

 

[Subliminal lanimilbuS]

Heavily played and yet still beautiful real 56 in the link below.

Gibson Goldtops | Vintage Guitar® magazine

In the good ol' days of 1952, jazzmeister Les Paul strutted to the center of the world's stage and proudly whipped out his golden Gibson electric guitar. Simple-minded purists howled "Foul!," locked up their daughters, and accused him of indecent mahogany-wood exposure. No matter, there'd be no...

www.vintageguitar.com

 

[Revolver1]

Hey thanks Subliminal, that's actually very encouraging. It's a good point you make as well, I've had similar contemplations (don't think that's even a word) since you asked the question about the checking being horizontal or vertical.

That's pretty interesting stuff. Some of the Murphy examples I've seen and one that I own can have a crack that splits in two and then takes off at different angles to the original crack line. I'm referring to the latest thermally treated finishs.

I think the checking is a result of thermal changes causing rapid expansion or contraction and a thinner lacquer would exasperate this. I also feel the polishing and wiping down would thin the lacquer and encourage the checking further.

 

[Revolver1]

Nice article! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Revolver1]

I find it all a very interesting subject that can easily divide opinion and I understand why that is. I've said it before, I was never really into it in the past perhaps when I was a younger man and had all the time in the world up my sleeve. But I've come around to it and changed my point of view.

Florian is a great believer and has many customers testaments to back it up as to the improvement in a guitars sound through the treatment.

I guess the argument is whether to let it happen naturally which I would think would be the preferred way or whether to artificially encourage it. But at my age I can't wait another 30 years. Hahaha.....

 

[Wilko]

I've had several goldtops, but the one 1968 that got away had the coolest patina, and wear.

 

[Revolver1]

Ooooh! Wilco, that's a beauty! Man you've had your fair share of awesome guitars....

 

[Revolver1]

Thanks for posting. I'm probably going to have to address the plastics down the road at some point and that's a wonderful reference. what a looker...

 

[Revolver1]

I get the impression guitars have come and gone and this one, the one that got away... Out of interest what is it you are looking for in your quest? Your operating completely out of my league but your experience intrigues me. What qualities in a guitar are you seeking for the final purchase? When that day maybe sadly comes, which it will to us all.

Love to benefit from your experience.

 

[Subliminal lanimilbuS]

I've had several goldtops, but the one 1968 that got away had the coolest patina, and wear.

Wow. That should be a benchmark for gold top aging.

 

[Wilko]

I get the impression guitars have come and gone and this one, the one that got away... Out of interest what is it you are looking for in your quest?

2001 I got stoned (I almost never do, had been many years) at a Roger Waters concert. Snowy White was playing his famous goldtop and I could hear the wood. At the time I owned several Norlins. Anyway, long story, I shopped for a 57 goldtop and at the time a worn '57 was 25k. Way out of my league, but while shopping heard about the '68 model year and scored this one with repaired headstock (small crack) and P90s. Also got a pair of '60 PAFs.

This was sold to fund the 1956 that we've all seen in the threads from 2010. The '56 was on ebay and I sold two '68s to fund that purchase. Another '68 that I had bursted got traded away for a lovely 64/65 ES-335 with normal neck width and Pre-T Pat sticker pickups.

Here's the above goldtop with the bursted 68 (third one I did) that was traded for the 335.

 

[gmann]

2001 I got stoned (I almost never do, had been many years) at a Roger Waters concert. Snowy White was playing his famous goldtop and I could hear the wood. At the time I owned several Norlins. Anyway, long story, I shopped for a 57 goldtop and at the time a worn '57 was 25k. Way out of my league, but while shopping heard about the '68 model year and scored this one with repaired headstock (small crack) and P90s. Also got a pair of '60 PAFs.

This was sold to fund the 1956 that we've all seen in the threads from 2010. The '56 was on ebay and I sold two '68s to fund that purchase. Another '68 that I had bursted got traded away for a lovely 64/65 ES-335 with normal neck width and Pre-T Pat sticker pickups.

Here's the above goldtop with the bursted 68 (third one I did) that was traded for the 335.

Very nice!

 

[Subliminal lanimilbuS]

Beautiful guitars Wilko. Do you remember if the 68 gold was particularly light or heavy?

 

[Revolver1]

Awesome story Wilco. Thanks for sharing. Loved the bit about hearing the wood, I could imagine you did.

That's a benchmark Gold Top for sure.

 

[Revolver1]

Looks like Winter has reared its ugly head in Oberstdorf once again but it's quite fitting for the checking.....

 

[Revolver1]

Here, progress with the aging so far....

" To the weather checking on your beaut! We literally could stop the checking process here already, but we can go on too. On the back the checking lines go vertically - the headstock kinda explodes. "

I'm going to talk it over with Florian as to where we go from here.

 

[Revolver1]

So I've talked things over with Florian, I really wanted to get his thoughts on it all and benefit of his experience. His suggestions sounded really good to me and so we have a plan.

He said the checking has gone really well and in terms of opening up the finish he feels the job is done. So we're going to leave it there so not to over do it.

His suggestion was to now add a couple of areas where the clear coat chipped off the gold with a bit of green oxidisation going on but not overdo it.

Then a little edgewear on the heel and back of the body and a bit on the body binding.

Sounds pretty good to me, tastefull and not over done. Looking forward to the next instalment.

 

[metropolis]

Sounds like a good plan! You can always add more wear but not take it away, and as you said before with a thin nitro finish it will pick up its own wear over time. I have a reliced strat that I had someone very well respected do, and I slightly regret some of the more extreme parts of that (it was approximating Joe B's Bonnie) I've gigged it for the last 6 months and it has picked up some 'authentic' dings and wear.

Ironically of the 5 Les Pauls and one ES-335 I've owned, including a 1972 and 2x 1989s none of them have any sign of checking whatsoever! Are guitars less likely to do that in the UK?