Nicolas Rivera Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Hello, this is my first post and i'm happy to be here. Well i'm done refinishing and aging this baby so here she is..... The Rivera Burst'. 1.The original finish was removed down to the bare wood. 2.Repainted, top, sides back and neck with no sealer, just varnish. 3.Every single part of hardware was aged by hand, slowly and making sure it looks great. 4.The top was aged with a mixture of techniques i have learned and improved over my last top. 5.All binding was aged to the correct color. 6.Serial number was hand drawn to match those of the 50's. 7.The inlays are aged with an special tint i develop by mix matching other ingredients. 8.The plastic parts have been aged and special care has been taken with the knobs making them look as correctly aged as i can make them look. 9.The PAF Burstbuckers have been specially unwound to match the feel and sound this guitar can produce, not to match a real PAF but to translate the resonance of the wood. 10.The headstock finish has been aged to look old and match the rest of the guitar. 11. The tulip tuners have been aged to my likening and matching a particular type of finger sweat that makes plastic look like that. Refinishing the guitar with a thing finish has really make it sound better, i was skeptical about this but it true, it makes the whole thing more vibrant and acoustically louder. Total cost: .................................$ 75.77 Total time invested:.................. 21 days. Nico. http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/Rivera-Burst-1.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02738.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02731.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/59-nico-aged-detail.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02735.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02749.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02726.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02728.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/Knob-59--Nico-Aged.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/Rivera-Burst.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicolas Rivera Posted August 31, 2009 Author Share Posted August 31, 2009 http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/a220458a.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/9a25648e.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldTuna Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 So, is this like art forgery or something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Geoff Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 G. "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the World will know Peace": Jimi Hendrix http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=738517&content=music The Geoff - blame Caevan!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldTuna Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 BTW...I think you left the tuning machine heads in the coffee a little too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennyguitfiddle Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 how do you age them and why? cause it looks cool? It looks really nice. Just wondering why you want something to look old. Why do you lay down? I say that it beats standing up! whats got you feeling so down? I hold up my empty cup! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicolas Rivera Posted August 31, 2009 Author Share Posted August 31, 2009 Here she is as new the very first day i got her: http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/NewPics3450.jpg Here she is with the first aging on its original paint: http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/2003-ages-LP-Nico-01-1.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriel E. Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 While your work is extremely impressive, I believe it is also wrong. You say you hand-drew the serial # to match those of the 50s? Is the serial # a 50s serial #? If thats the case, its immoral as well since the guitar would literally be a counterfeit that could be passed off as a valuable original to an unsuspecting buyer. You can say whatever you want about how relic'd guitars play, feel and look (Ill admit that your guitar looks fantastic). The reality is that they are still designed to present a fake image and are inherently uncool. Of course it's your right to do this. But that doesn't mean you're not posing. I hope this doesn't put you off. Some of us here have strong opinions and openly express them. I happen to have strong opinions about fake guitars. I hope you share your opinions as well. Cheers. "You never can vouch for your own consciousness." - Norman Mailer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicolas Rivera Posted August 31, 2009 Author Share Posted August 31, 2009 While your work is extremely impressive, I believe it is also wrong. You say you hand-drew the serial # to match those of the 50s? Is the serial # a 50s serial #? If thats the case, its immoral as well since the guitar would literally be a counterfeit that could be passed off as a valuable original to an unsuspecting buyer. You can say whatever you want about how relic'd guitars play, feel and look (Ill admit that your guitar looks fantastic). The reality is that they are still designed to present a fake image and are inherently uncool. Of course it's your right to do this. But that doesn't mean you're not posing. I hope this doesn't put you off. Some of us here have strong opinions and openly express them. I happen to have strong opinions about fake guitars. I hope you share your opinions as well. Cheers. Not at all and thanks for your opinion. This is not a fake Les Paul as it is an Original Gibson 2003 Standard. I'm not selling her and not saying its an ORIGINAL 1959 Les, but to match the overall intention i needed to put a serial similar to those from the 50's. Any one that knows what to look for on a 1959 will imminently know it is not, just a relic job on a standard. Nico. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Welcome to the GPF, Nicolas! Nice work! It looks beautiful, particularly the combination of colors throughout the "aged"/"faded" finish and the various parts. And I don't doubt that it sounds better with the thinner finish. probably feels nice, too, all broken-in like... $75.77 over 21 days, eh? Not bad! Not bad at all! I have feelings similar to Gabriel's on the whole artificially-aged thing, though perhaps a little less "strong", mine having mellowed and faded with time. I like it when my new guitar looks new; and I like it when that guitar ages over time with lots of playing and looks it. I really like it where some of these artificial-aging approaches benefit the tone and playing-feel, such as thinner finishes; rounded-over/"rolled" fretboard-edges; a nice smooth, breathing, NON sticky/dragging finish- particularly on the neck; vintage-y pickups with just enough transparency and a touch of microphonic sensitivity... "Every single part of hardware was aged by hand, slowly"... Hey, so's mine! Very slowly! Hey, cool, I "top-wrap", too! A few questions, if you don't mind: 2.Repainted, top, sides back and neck with no sealer, just varnish. Just curious, not being particularly all that knowledgeable on finishing or refinishing- were the vintage '50s originals done without any kind of sealer? And, just what, specifically, do you mean by "varnish"? Nitrocellulose lacquer, or something else? (And what was originally used on them in the '50s?) 3.Every single part of hardware was aged by hand, slowly and making sure it looks great. Are all of these parts what originally came on this guitar when it was new, or did you replace some with more authentically "vintage correct" parts? Have you purposely staid with the "modern" truss-rod cover to leave an indication of this guitar being what it is? Did this guitar come brand-new with the vintage-style tuners with the press-in bushings on the face of the headstock, or are these replacements? If the latter, what kind, and how do you like their performance? Care to share some of your techniques? 4.The top was aged with a mixture of techniques i have learned and improved over my last top. Did you use a blade or the like to make the cracks and "checking" throughout the finish, or did you get the finish to check by some other manner? 7.The inlays are aged with an special tint i develop by mix matching other ingredients. They've got that sorta hue around the edges that says "nicotine"! 9.The PAF Burstbuckers have been specially unwound to match the feel and sound this guitar can produce, not to match a real PAF but to translate the resonance of the wood. Now, THAT in particular is among the most interesting things here, for me (and perhaps for others here, as well)! PLEASE, expand and expound in detail on this if you'd be so kind... Oh, and WE WANT MP3 CLIPS! 11. The tulip tuners have been aged to my likening and matching a particular type of finger sweat that makes plastic look like that. I suspect that of a particularly acidic smoker, probably someone who frequently drank lots of coffee... I say this based not on those colors, but on the results of loaning a guitar to someone I know who's just got the WORST corrosive, gnarly sweat- he kills strings overnight, and leaves a guitar all crusty feeling, even if he tries to clean it! Am I in the ballpark here? Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarPlayerFL Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 I hate relics, but this looks really cool. Most relics go WAY OVERBOARD...this looks like it was aged naturally. I don't think a hand drawn, faux 50s serial number is a big deal to get upset over. A Jazz/Chord Melody Master-my former instructor www.robertconti.com (FKA GuitarPlayerSoCal) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Very well done. Now your new Les Paul looks like an old Les Paul. If that floats your boat, good for you, and fine job. Gabriel, that Les Paul is Nico's, and he is within his legal and moral rights to do whatever he want to do with it; age it, restore it, attack it with an icepick or feed it into a woodchipper if he wants to. I'd prefer that he give it to some deserving soul (like me!) before he fed it into a woodchipper, but that's his decision. You are equally privileged to do whatever you want with your Les Paul, if & when you buy one. Why is it so hard for people to live their own lives and let others live theirs? Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Welcome aboard Nicolas...I'm not a fan of dipping perfectly good guitars in acid but if it's your passion, stick with it as you do good work...maybe you could hire out to Fender and help chain saw a few strats for their custom shop relics...but I did agree with Caevan in that rewinding of the pickups to get the tone right, I'd love to hear it!!! don't forget to post us a sample of the original vs the duplicate copy...only suggestion I could come up with is the neck needs some finger wear holes on the fingerboard to match the amount of use this baby was supposed to have seen over the years (maybe already there but not showing up in the pictures?) anyway have fun with it... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderz Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 It's like a Les Paul ultra custom. I've been thinking about getting a better bridge on my guitar, but I've been putting it off. I think I might need to refine about everything, I've got one heck of an axe. Stick it to the man. http://profile.ultimate-guitar.com/anderseb/ (Muh homepage of greatness) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicolas Rivera Posted September 1, 2009 Author Share Posted September 1, 2009 More images to enjoy!!!!! http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02743-copy-3.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02742.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02741.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02740.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02733.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02730.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02727.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 Hey again, Nicolas! I appreciate the pics; nice work. But, maybe you missed the questions I posted for you above? Thanks! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicolas Rivera Posted September 1, 2009 Author Share Posted September 1, 2009 I will elaborate your questions later, i did not missed them but i want to give you good answers. Nico, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bejeeber Posted September 1, 2009 Share Posted September 1, 2009 I never appreciated the relic style of guitar aging before, but I'm going to come clean and actually admit here that I think your guitar looks cooler now in in the pics since you've done the process on it than it did in the photo of it in original condition. I too am interested in hearing more about those unwound burstbuckers and what sort of difference you feel it's made in the sound. Just a pinch between the geek and chum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldTuna Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 Maybe Detroit can jump on this "road worn" bandwagon? Just imagine how that could change the auto industry. They wouldn't have to make shiny, new cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picker Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 Maybe Detroit can jump on this "road worn" bandwagon? Just imagine how that could change the auto industry. They wouldn't have to make shiny, new cars. I love it! A little rust here, a wrinkled fender there, smash a tail light lens, then everybody's car would look like mine, and mine would go up in value! And the name "roadworn" would be really applicable... Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted September 2, 2009 Share Posted September 2, 2009 I will elaborate your questions later, i did not missed them but i want to give you good answers. Nico, thanks. OK, cool, thanks! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 A few questions, if you don't mind: 2.Repainted, top, sides back and neck with no sealer, just varnish. Just curious, not being particularly all that knowledgeable on finishing or refinishing- were the vintage '50s originals done without any kind of sealer? And, just what, specifically, do you mean by "varnish"? Nitrocellulose lacquer, or something else? (And what was originally used on them in the '50s?) 3.Every single part of hardware was aged by hand, slowly and making sure it looks great. Are all of these parts what originally came on this guitar when it was new, or did you replace some with more authentically "vintage correct" parts? Have you purposely staid with the "modern" truss-rod cover to leave an indication of this guitar being what it is? Did this guitar come brand-new with the vintage-style tuners with the press-in bushings on the face of the headstock, or are these replacements? If the latter, what kind, and how do you like their performance? Care to share some of your techniques? 4.The top was aged with a mixture of techniques i have learned and improved over my last top. Did you use a blade or the like to make the cracks and "checking" throughout the finish, or did you get the finish to check by some other manner? 7.The inlays are aged with an special tint i develop by mix matching other ingredients. They've got that sorta hue around the edges that says "nicotine"! 9.The PAF Burstbuckers have been specially unwound to match the feel and sound this guitar can produce, not to match a real PAF but to translate the resonance of the wood. Now, THAT in particular is among the most interesting things here, for me (and perhaps for others here, as well)! PLEASE, expand and expound in detail on this if you'd be so kind... Oh, and WE WANT MP3 CLIPS! 11. The tulip tuners have been aged to my likening and matching a particular type of finger sweat that makes plastic look like that. I suspect that of a particularly acidic smoker, probably someone who frequently drank lots of coffee... I say this based not on those colors, but on the results of loaning a guitar to someone I know who's just got the WORST corrosive, gnarly sweat- he kills strings overnight, and leaves a guitar all crusty feeling, even if he tries to clean it! Am I in the ballpark here? Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzan Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 More images to enjoy!!!!! http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02743-copy-3.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02742.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02741.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02740.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02733.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02730.jpg http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo36/8d2studios/DSC02727.jpg looks good. ah..Nico i would get a case instead of leaving it laying around in the yard, hey! is that how you aged it? seriously now, i prefer the dull look of the hardware over the super chrome look. good job. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=193274 rock it, i will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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