• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

How to fade a classic honeyburst?

Hotshot

Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2017
Messages
282
Hello all, I am tired of being the man in the desert of Les Pauls thirsting to have a cool one in my hand to quench my thirst, so, I am going for it and buying one. I do not like a booked/tigre or flame top. I like the all natural wood grain with no check marks in it. I have found the amber colors to be a little intriging but they all come in the tigre striped book versions. I have been looking at the honey bursts, but, to be honst, I dont like the brown burst on them. I love the honey color in the middle of it though, thats perfect (see attached picture). I have gone to the store and I like the classic neck feel, so, I should be good there. So, with that said, here is my though. I have heard the burst fades in the sun. What if i was to leave the guitar in the window? Can I get the burst to fade without killing the nitrocelulose? I would think the sun would also darken the nitro, which would be an added bonus as darker honey works for me.

Besides me being a fruit cake, what do you all think?


She is so purrrrrrrty!!
View attachment 8738


stick it in a tanning bed for a long while... not joking.
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Greetings Big Al , What type of finish does my 1994 Les Paul Premium Plus Classic have ? Because it seems very heavy of a finish and different from my early 70's Les Paul Custom and ditto for my R9, and R8 ? Yes I am very confused about the ingredients and plasticisers . I know that on my 2014 R9 I can still smell the nitro but not on the 2002 R8 .

Nitrocellulose lacquer. The thickness and look would be similar to your Custom when new. The "thickness" is misleading. If you get a chip you will be surprised how thin. The R series reissues are thinner, (too thin in some years like 99-00, IMO). Newer lacquer is clearer and non yellowing. The smell is a banana extract added to the lacquer, (why IDK). It smells like nitro in the spray booth.
 

El Gringo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
Nitrocellulose lacquer. The thickness and look would be similar to your Custom when new. The "thickness" is misleading. If you get a chip you will be surprised how thin. The R series reissues are thinner, (too thin in some years like 99-00, IMO). Newer lacquer is clearer and non yellowing. The smell is a banana extract added to the lacquer, (why IDK). It smells like nitro in the spray booth.
Good Morning Big Al , I remember back in the 90's when my old tech would use 3M car rubbing compound and 3M polish to remove scratches and small dings from the Les Paul Classic by hand buffing them out and it worked . I know that on the R series guitars that would rub the finish right off to the bare wood . So the thicker finishes that are used in the Gibson USA guitars are more fade resistant ? Because that Heritage Cherry Sunburst still has all of it's color since the first day I got it in August 1994 and has not faded at all ? Thank you for your knowledge Big Al .
 

Big Al

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Good Morning Big Al , I remember back in the 90's when my old tech would use 3M car rubbing compound and 3M polish to remove scratches and small dings from the Les Paul Classic by hand buffing them out and it worked . I know that on the R series guitars that would rub the finish right off to the bare wood . So the thicker finishes that are used in the Gibson USA guitars are more fade resistant ? Because that Heritage Cherry Sunburst still has all of it's color since the first day I got it in August 1994 and has not faded at all ? Thank you for your knowledge Big Al .

Amigo, the only factor that effects the fade resistance is the color tints used, not the finish type or thickness. Color tints are added to the lacquer. Whether opaque like the Black used on Customs, or transparent like the reds and browns used to shade a burst it's all the same lacquer.

The red tint used in the 50's was not lightfast and would fade if exposed to strong UV light, like sunlight. The red tint was changed to a lightfast red in 1960 which proved more fade resistent, though prolonged intense UV exposure will fade these to a degree.

It is all about the color.
 

El Gringo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
Amigo, the only factor that effects the fade resistance is the color tints used, not the finish type or thickness. Color tints are added to the lacquer. Whether opaque like the Black used on Customs, or transparent like the reds and browns used to shade a burst it's all the same lacquer.

The red tint used in the 50's was not lightfast and would fade if exposed to strong UV light, like sunlight. The red tint was changed to a lightfast red in 1960 which proved more fade resistent, though prolonged intense UV exposure will fade these to a degree.

It is all about the color.
Thank you Big Al for the knowledge and info on these finishes .
 

cincyguitar

Active member
Joined
Jul 30, 2015
Messages
431
Guys....I sure wish my Heritage Cherry LP would fade or get darker...get it to look more like Page's LP....any more ideas...I tried setting it in the sun...but still looks the same..Thanks!
 

Texan

New member
Joined
Jan 18, 2002
Messages
25
The original bursts used red aniline dye for the red. That combined with the lacquer aging to an amber hue produced the faded burst look. A '60 Les Paul will keep more of the red as they had stopped using aniline dyes. There is literally no way to perfectly match a natural fade. It would take alchemy.
 
Last edited:

Hotshot

Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2017
Messages
282
The original bursts used red aniline dye for the red. That combined with the lacquer aging to an amber hue produced the faded burst look. A '60 Les Paul will keep more of the red as they had stopped using aniline dyes. There is literally no way to perfectly match a natural fade. It would take alchemy.

They always / still use analine dyes today, They just changed the composite of the dye in 60 making it not fade as much in UV. And it wasn’t Jan 1. Some 60s ( the only one I have played ) was faded orange..

You can blend dyes also. I did a little fade on my Studio neck that exactly matches my 64 SG.

i-Xj4gX26-L.jpg
T


i-tqxR2rg-L.jpg


2018 Modern Nitro / Dye, by moi, I used an yellow and Red to mix a fade by eye before I got the one below.

IMG_5328-L.jpg


1964 SG Junior neck. Original Gibson Nitro / Dye. Faded where skin made contact only.



i-qh43h7t-L.jpg



This is is just 4 mixes of dyes I eyeballed. Yellow, Red, Purple, brown.

i-6ZsrPDG-L.jpg


Light plays a lot as these are almost the same in real life side by side
IMG_4529-L.jpg
 
Top