Les Paul guitar nitro finish and relicing. PART 1

The process of painting Les Paul guitar with aniline dyes and nitro varnish. Stamping the serial number. Preparing the guitar for painting. Mixing color and varnish.
Процесс покраски и реликинга Электрогитары Леспол. Нанесение порозаполнителя. Грунтовка. Нанесение расцветки "Санбёрст" анилиновыми красителями.
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You can also support me through PayPal: [e-mail]
Thank you!

[@melody6840]

Awesome job!.thanks for posting this.

[@aschneider70]

when I see the best I recognize him right away. Well done, man. You are THE BEST!

[@jerrymorganjr]

I watch these videos over and over. You've answered all my questions that I've asked. Most guys won't even bother. Thank you for the tips and ispriraton. I'm wrapping up my 3rd 59 build now.

[@ronaldrichardson9038]

Now this is an excellent breath of fresh air in the you-tube world of how to videos . . .this incredibly talented young man gets his methods and techniques across to the viewer without any verbal distractions . . . whatsoever! awesome job, video and LP

[@niptodstan]

I'd happily buy a guitar off this man.

[@MetronomeSenpai]

Clear angle of views, nice & chill background music, awesome skill.. Here, take my like!

[@8BombCustom]

EnterANameHere Thank you.

[@saculsheet]

Great video!

[@agctony123]

Amazing! Good job.

[@risahu1]

Amazing work, I am sure that Tom Murphy would be impressed.

[@cardbored_]

Man, amazing. Wish I could find someone with this skill near me who could re-fin the top of my R8 Historic to a Lemon Burst.

[@jmanzemail]

Occasionally on here I get to say what a pleasure it is to see such a master at work making it look easy! I just said that!

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you!

[@MW47742]

I love it!

[@robertfraser7199]

What a beautiful top, pre spray! It's got that iconic grain and flame like a proper 59

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you

[@user-es2ok6bi1m]

Amazing work! Thanks a lot for your experience shown

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you

[@paulsimmons5726]

If Gibson put this much TLC into all their guitars, they'd still own the market! I watched part 4 and am starting at the beginning to see what's going on with this LP... I find the lack of verbal distraction helps me to follow your work. Quite impressive so far!

[@RSimusic]

people wouldn't pay for this level of TLC

[@larrybethune3909]

They kinda are and aren't. The Murphy labs stuff is stunning for not only it's accuracy but its cost. You can make a market and price most people out of it at the same time.

[@paulsimmons5726]

@@larrybethune3909 True enough!

[@beaudoinbrice3205]

Superbe boulot 😊

[@Dave-qy1fn]

Absolutely stunning

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you

[@wkmetaal]

Nice work, beautiful LP

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you

[@FreddysFrets]

Nice job!

[@Woodtoter]

This guy is better than Gibson., old school finish

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you!

[@rdesutter76]

awesome video, thx.

[@cwlacerda]

Thanks man...You save my life (serial number)

[@xewindx]

Superb!

[@andrewdarnley4608]

I know it's an older video but I really like the music track to this one Dr N !

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you!

[@billbarhorst8369]

Sweet!

[@lousekoya1803]

Amazing really !!..........I'd love to be able to do this !

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you!

[@We_are_the_light]

You're a master

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you

[@charlesmccannon9280]

That hat @ 9:40 is dope af...Killer work, man..killer

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you))

[@gentlemanghost2787]

Dig the soundtrack

[@Ludus4H1]

wow!

[@ParallaxRS]

Gibson really need to invest in one of those binding scrapers.

[@DavideNay]

congratulations for the excellent realization! Can I ask you a question? can nitro or polyurethane paints damage plastic bindings? thanks in advance for your reply

[@RH-5482]

This is a great video. Thank you for taking the time to post it. Can you tell me what is your mix ratio for the clear lacquer coat? I'm going to be using a .8mm gun for my LP Standard refinish.

[@gryf8531]

Omg your cap 😁

[@garyeckel8876]

I have a 96 Black Studio weighs a ton with all the paint. I want to strip it down and just have a thin coat with a darker wood tone. to me that would be badass.

[@ricksanchez6060]

Fucking great job!

[@michaelhaddan1965]

Wow~~~

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you!

[@martynhewitt470]

A true master of your art. Can you tell me the percentage of blue to brown you used for the shadow layer?

[@stude1953]

Very good job on that LP! But I'm not a big fan of bursts on Les Paul's. I like the solid colors and I would have just made that one red. But it still came out beautiful!

[@I_like_turtles_67]

Funny cause I don't like solids and think they should all be flame tops LOL.

[@MattyDemello]

Next time let the wet sandpaper sit in water overnight. That's what auto shops do :) little tip. Looks amazing though. Dang.

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you! I will try this method.

[@sebastiao.darochajr.7144]

Hello, your work is amazing. I am from Brazil and because it is all very difficult to find, method, material etc. Do you use yellow dye diluted in nitro varnish for the yellow layer? Does this also happen with aniline? Is it diluted in Nitro varnish? Once again congratulations, hug!

[@juanokita4401]

Nice$$

[@richardprokopchuk6346]

First of all, great job. SUPERB! I've been painting guitars since 1996. Your Les Paul finishing technique is very close to the way I do it. The part I find the most difficult is the scraping of the binding. Long stretches on the sides are much easier than the horn cutaway. That can be brutal. I noticed you holding a small tool for binding scraping. What was that tool? I use or have used a variety of tools for binding but none have been really good at it. Serial numbers that I used on mine start with the year and then my actual birthdate, such as 9 9552 and 8 9552. Keep at it, you are a true artist with a good eye.

[@natesenft5376]

It looked like a razor blade with a possibly home made holder. I think that it allowed him to set a distance and clamp down the blade

[@runswithscissors8126]

Great video what wood filter and stains do you use?

[@Andluth]

Do you have a video on your binding scraper? It looks interesting. Thanks

[@pa5261]

Super good job! Please i didn't understand how you make the filler (powder etc..) and the colors, and your nitro mixture..can you telle me how you o that in PM Please?

[@r.n6775]

Did you go through the process of grain reduction and sealing before painting?

[@ar_pe4012]

I've made a mahogony guitar and I wanted to clearcoat it. I used four layers/coats of a spray grain filler and sprayed it with nitro afterwards but the grain seems to still remain. Does it go away if I sand the nitro? It felt very even before I sprayed it with nitro (just the grain filler)...

[@rickstacey960]

How did you hang it...mine is getting finished thus weekend need to tell the guu how it should hang...

[@squishyflac]

Feeling jealous, my rinky dink kit guitar doesn’t look half as good. Honestly, good job👏

[@rhondabetterly8424]

Why would you relic this guitar ... IT'S BEAUTIFUL. Greenie/Relic'd guitars are Awesome and to relic replacement parts to keep an instrument looking authentic is a gift but this guitar is beautiful and it tells it's own story. Excellent Job, Awesome form start to finish.

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you

[@nakleh]

This is a fantastic series! I watched all 4 episodes and am blown away by your amazing work. If you were to sell this guitar how much would it cost?

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you! Pm me. [e-mail]

[@jeffdeluca1153]

Very nice with. We are building a few strats currently and looking for a spray gun. Is that the Devilbiss Sri Pro lite? What air cap and fluid needle are you using? Great work!

[@esmeulonsouzadeoliveira3636]

Show Gostei Brother ☠🔱🇧🇷 .

[@steveh365]

HOLY CRAP..!! NICE JOB...!! I'm DOING THIS...!!! sent you an email for a few q's..Thanks.. BEAUTIFUL JOB MAN...!!

[@daveredfern8258]

what does your filler of grain consist of, looks great

[@DouglasDavis]

Just me but maybe being more deliberate in following the curves of the guitar front when applying the outer color might be more aesthetically pleasing?

[@MarcusBie]

Love the channel you do great work got a question ..who makes the clone?

[@dylanvalentine1963]

If you don’t mind me asking what was the mixture you used to fill the grain?

[@ciri151]

what's your nitro to thinner ratio on color coats?

[@feedback7341]

What dye did you use to get that yellow color during the beginning of the finishing process, was it a mixture (and if so what was the mixture), or just pure yellow paint? I want to build my own Gary Moore "Stripe" replica but do not know how to finish it properly, as I am quite new to this stuff.

[@p_1210]

Awesome man! How do you get stains out of nitro?

[@2skyland]

Any tips for removing poly (without sanding it) from a guitar so I can refinish it in nitro? Great job on this one and thanks for the videos!

[@craigpoole2602]

Use a heat gun. The finish basically just falls off.

[@3radHill]

What is that red filler you're using? and what did you use to sand it off?

[@francisdornfried2572]

What about the cherry burst. Was that the reason for the brown acrylic you painted on with the brush? All the '59's seam to be cherry burst that look like modern iced tea.

[@francescoruberto7924]

Ottimo lavoro di finitura, complimenti. E un po che seguo i tuoi video Puoi mandarmi uno schema facile per eseguire una finitura semplice per la finitura di una lp

[@81rockstar1]

If i like have a guitar made by you, would it be possible???? Thanks.

[@Powow0061]

what is the stuff you put on the back and neck of the guitar?

[@alexchoquenina3032]

Is it possible to mix anilyne with nitrocelullose lacquer?

[@dimitrisloufakis916]

Cool trick to scrape the binding! Did you make that tool or did you buy it from somewhere?

[@manplay212]

What is the smudged red?

[@williamfernandez5170]

Hello, amazing work, that red wood filler on the back looks just perfect, could you please share the product or what it’s called, thank you!

[@johncartelli]

check out stewart macdonald guitar supplies

[@fernank017]

Do you put pigment into the clear lacquer?

[@jabba5150]

Good job! Did watch the whole series, it's like watching Bob Ross painting, kinda relaxing to me. Funny coincident, I got a nice replica, ser.no. is 9 0711 as well. How did you pick the number?

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you. This ser.number is the request of the customer.

[@stevehill5018]

I have one question....where and how did you learn to do all this amazing work!

[@8BombCustom]

Hey. Thank you. By profession I am a monumental artist. I have studied painting, technology and materials for more than 20 years. I paint churches on ancient technologies. Guitars are just my hobby in my free time.

[@ferl5057]

Damn where can I buy one if these les Paul's!! I love the artistic recreations you make sir. I know a couple les Paul's and I wouldn't mind a really good refinishing on my 1998 standard

[@8BombCustom]

Hi. I am making my clones 59 LesPaul, but not to order, but as art projects. This takes much more time, since I select the blanks at the sound intervals and often not all of them fit together. So for now, we select the wood and make the parts so that later there would be more options for the selection. I make LesPools from start to finish, completely according to my preferences and in accordance with the concept of each project. It is up to me to decide what color and degree of aging each guitar will have. Finished projects will be sold through my KZbin channel at impromptu auctions. Start price 4k $ My pickups can be ordered. Now I'm leaving for a business trip for several weeks and for this I prepared a few sets for sale, which will be next week in my instagram. The cost of the set, with the covers, aged, $ 380. Shipping 28 $. Specifications can be seen here: www.8bombcustom.com/pickups

[@joebowers3060]

8Bomb - great video! Not sure how I missed this from a year ago. Can you share with us the font type and size you use to stamp the serial number? Thank you!

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you. The correct font is not publicly available. Once I drew it on my own. www.8bombcustom.com/accessories

[@Metallsau]

very nice! i am going to build a tele with nitro laquer anf p90's in it. i have a few questioms about the laquer u use! where do you buy your colors? is it just plain liquid nitro with color added? or is it laquer? i am very confused. all i know is car laquer + 2 component clear laquer. how does this nitro laquer stuff work 😅😅

[@pedraw]

It's nitrocellulose lacquer. Much different than urethane lacquer. If you watch his previous videos then you can watch him mix the dyes he uses. Basically he tints the lacquer with dye then sprays clear lacquer for the finish coats.

[@gavin_barnard]

With the back, after you finished applying the filler/stain, did you put any sanding sealer on or just put your top coats straight on top of the filler/stain?

[@8BombCustom]

I mix the filler myself. based on pumice powder, linseed oil, aniline dye and solvents. with my self-mixing, I can influence the fading time of aniline during aging. After wiping the filler and drying it, I immediately pour the varnish layers.

[@LovelyKauai]

Thanks for an amazing demonstration of the care required in finishing beautiful maple. I'm am wondering whether brown and black Indian ink would be effective in staining a maple fret board? Not sure if this could be made to look like a faux ebony given the need to protect this specie of wood.

[@danwimpari]

This is great! Where dd you get the initial raw body and neck guitar kit?

[@8BombCustom]

It's not a kit. We make 59 LesPaul clones.

[@philgallagher1]

At 5:25...Is it just me or does the red edge make it look like "The Scream"? Regardless, great job - turns out this is a beautiful guitar!!! Well done...please keep up the good work!!

[@njones420]

wow, good call !! "I was walking along the road with two friends - the sun was setting - suddenly the sky turned blood red - I paused, feeling exhausted, and leaned on the fence - there was blood and tongues of fire above the blue-black fjord and the city - my friends walked on, and I stood there trembling with anxiety - and I sensed an infinite scream passing through nature."

[@philgallagher1]

N Jones Nicely explained, Sir/Madam (N Jones gives no clues!). Most people believe that it is the subject who is "Screaming" whereas in reality we are seeing the subject's reaction to becoming aware of "The Scream" that is sounding all around! I'm not very big on "modern art", but this painting absolutely fascinates me, from the colour palate used to the deliberately ambiguous subject.

[@njones420]

Thought my boyish face would give it away ;) agreed, I don't give most "modern" art any credit, but something about that one (plus I heard the quote just the other day). interestingly I think there is a link with Mount Versuvias erupting when Munch painted it...I digress forgot to mention, the guitar looks awesome Dr.Nitro !! I'm trying to build a "nice" 3/4 electric for travel and looking for finishes for the Ash.

[@philgallagher1]

N Jones MR Jones...sorry for my confusion. Following the untimely demise of one PC and two laptops within the space of a month, I am stuck watching KZbin vids on a smartphone with a 5 inch screen! Also, these old eyes of mine struggle to make out the TV so viewing a thumbnail image is out of the question!!! (Of course the fact that it never occurred to me to check the image is completely irrelevant!!) However, your comments about Vesuvius got me intrigued so I did a little research & found this... www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200405/backpage.cfm It seems you were right about the volcanic eruption, just got the wrong volcano. It appears to have been Krakatoa which erupted 10 years before "The Scream" was painted. It looks like it made quite an impression on Munch. Given what I said earlier about "modern" art, I think this is the longest conversation I have EVER had on the subject & certainly the most "research" I've done! (If you can call Google research!!) Re: your other comment about a 3/4 guitar, do you have a channel to see how you do it, or (like me) are you here to get some tips to make the job easier? I only ask because I am currently rebuilding a cheap Strat copy and need all the help I can get!

[@njones420]

DOh! still, wasn't bad from memory :) thanks for the info. this will be my first full build, made lots of changes and adjustments to guitar hardware before, but not done one from scratch. still making routing templates at the moment (photocopied and reduced my Musicman Luke I) luckily there is a wealth of info on youtube, from people far more knowledgeable than me....Might get round to doing a video if it comes out good though.

[@myriad926]

Awesome job! I've been looking for a way to put a serial number on my project Les Paul. How did you come up with that stamp?

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you. You can buy stamps here: www.mylespaul.com/threads/gibson-50-60-serial-number-stamps.383959/page-4#post-8428756 And silkscreen logo here: www.mylespaul.com/threads/silkscreen-frames-lp-model.397894/#post-8431105

[@rolux4853]

Hey man your work is amazing! It’s truly a form of art! Where are you located and which products did you use? I own an Epiphone Paul Standard in Black and I hate the color and the thick poly finish.. I want to convert it to a Goldtop or a Vintage Pelham blue with nitro lacquer and I want to relic it. It would be great to get the materials you used or even pay you to do this work to my guitar, if your in a country near me.. (I’m from Germany) It would be great to get an answer from you!

[@8BombCustom]

Hallo Rho. Danke für den Kommentar. Ich bin in Weißrussland, obwohl ich vor der Lockdown oft in Europa war. Leider kann ich jetzt keine Pakete aus dem Ausland annehmen, da ich für jedes Paket Zollgebühren zahlen muss.

[@andyt6191]

I like the job you did! Love that burst! But y leave tailpiece studs in ?

[@8BombCustom]

This is a technological sequence.

[@andyt6191]

@@8BombCustom its got a nice amount of flame! But that burst is GORGEOUS!

[@brokerhc]

Thanks for the great video. At 70, I am building a Les Paul copy from a kit for my daughter. I already sanded and stained the mahogany back to a reddish mahogany with a regular liquid stain and then I sealed the pores. The front is a maple veneer and I already sanded and applied a light coat of black ink to accent the grain. Then I sanded again in preparation for finishing. This is the point where I get confused. I bought Transtint dyes to mix with lacquer and create a maroon or a dark red color. The guy at the supplier also sold me Cardinal vinyl sealer and Cardinal lacquer. Should I spray the vinyl sealer to the already dyed back and add a couple of drops of red tint to the sealer or should I go straight to clear lacquer? Then, at the front, should I also spray vinyl sealer before spraying tinted lacquer and then clear lacquer or should I go straight to tinted lacquer since the front is not a porous wood? I want to stay close to your method because I like the finished result.

[@8BombCustom]

Hi. I'm glad that my video was useful. I use nitrocellulose varnish and for this reason my application technology is more suited to it. But it works the same way with all other varnishes. if the pores in the tree are closed with a filler, then you can immediately apply a varnish. Maple top does not need to be treated with filler. The first colorful yellow layer on the top of the maple I apply a strongly diluted varnish with a yellow color. Then I cover it with a primer layer. For the primer, I use pure lacquer. No additional materials. Only the varnish. After the drying of this layer, I level it with fine sandpaper. Then I put varnish layers with color. Then again a clear or tinted yellowish layer. Then I polish again to remove all irregularities. If somewhere there is not a closed pore in the wood and the varnish is got down and formed a small dimple or dot, I make a small drop of varnish in this place. After it dries, I sand. If, when pouring a layer of lacquer, an inadvertently formed drop and swam down - do nothing. Let it dry up. Then it can be ground with sandpaper and continue working. The main thing is that such drops do not form on the colored layer.Finally the finishing layer of pure varnish with a retarder, for better spreading and even surface. If you need more advice, then feel free to write to my e-mail: [e-mail] and send photos. It will be easier.

[@brokerhc]

Thanks. I will keep you posted.

[@brokerhc]

I am following more or less your procedure. I applied a yellow amber coat and continued with coats of light orange which will be increased to like a dark orange. Then, I plan a border coat of dark red or maroon color. I was afraid to sand in between but the finish is a little rough to the touch although it looks good so I will light sand before the dark red coats which are the last ones. I'll send you photos for your valued opinion.

[@8BombCustom]

Do not sand the layer with the color. This can happen unevenly. You can simply remove the dust with very fine sandpaper. Stitch the layer on a clean layer of varnish. Which will close the color.

[@brokerhc]

Thanks. I will not sand since there is no dust. After the dark red, I will stitch with a clear coat of lacquer then I will see from there.

[@manplay212]

Where to buy the tool that grips the blade？

[@windows.95]

Great job m8. What is the title of the background music? sounds really nice

[@SilentNightBodomNight]

Sounds like 70s porn music

[@neilmorrow9756]

@@SilentNightBodomNight 😂😂😂😂🤣🤣

[@johncartelli]

i assume your not in USA...if you were I would love to have you refinish a guitar for me

[@lroscinski5046]

thats sikk !!!! hey where did you get your hat ??

[@jasonkerr931]

Was that sanding sealer you put on in the beginning of the video? The red color? Or sanding sealer with stain? I'm about to refin one of mine and that is the color I want for the back and neck. Cheers.

[@8BombCustom]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJWqkHyvm9h9epY

[@theupdeathbmx]

What brand of paint gun are you using?

[@petecoates6410]

really great - what compressor / gun set up do you use ?

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you! compressor with 30 l receiver and DeVilbiss Spraygan

[@hubertrochalski826]

I think you should put sandpaper into water 24h before using it

[@TJjjjjjjjjjj]

Wow that looks better than my 2012 les Paul I’m building my own at the moment and am just about to start staining. I am just using colortone (water based) dye and want to try and get close to the colour on slashes (p.s not really a slash fan just dig the colour ) signature epiphone. Was thinking to lay down a light brown then sand back to highlight the grain then apply a vintage amber then maybe mix in some lemon yellow if that’s not light enough. Anyways my actual question is what would be the best type of clear coat or sealer to go on top of the water based colortone ? I was just going to use spray can clear coat will that suffice ?

[@8BombCustom]

You can use any varnish on top of water-soluble dyes.

[@TJjjjjjjjjjj]

Dr. Nitro thanks for the super quick reply mate cheers

[@denisjazzz]

Очень круто, красота! Схема распайки на стене - 50s Luxe как по мне, уступает классической 50s, но это дела вкуса. Кроме как у Luxe - нигде не видел такую. после месяца использования - перепаял обратно, когда провода одинаково подходят на потенциометры. а вот смысл перемычки на тумблере, которая на этом листе - зачем она нужна? Вы именно с перемычкой распаиваете?

[@8BombCustom]

Denis на самом деле на этой схеме два варианта. Один нормальный, второй редкий и на любителя. Первый как раз классический пТидесятых. Мне он нравится больше всех своими возможностями регулировки тона и громкости. Но и привыкать к этой схеме трудней. Перемычку использовали в то время, когда свитч немного по другому был собран. Сейчас у них немного другая последовательность ножек. Но суть не меняется.

[@bmwf1joel]

Which guitar was this originally? The finished version looked amazing!

[@8BombCustom]

infoowetrust It's Vaschenko 59 LesPayl. We made exact copy of '59 Bursts.

[@ericd41209]

Fantastic, can you do my traditional like that?

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you! I am located in Belatus and now i can't take guitars to refinish from USA. I have problems with customs.

[@zivaradlovacki2666]

Love watching those videos! Amazing work! I know this is 6 years later but Im hopping to get an answer to my question 🤞Would it be ok to do a burst by rubbing dyes into the wood and finishing with nitro cellulose clear ones burst is done? Thanks for putting up those videos and all of your awesome work!

[@8BombCustom]

Thank you. I adhere to the rule of artists and restorers which states: any material must be able to be restored. By applying color directly into the wood, it penetrates deep into the grain for a deeper effect, but it cannot be done evenly and cannot be undone in the future. Traditional burst technology is based on applying colored varnish in layers. However, many people apply the stain by saturating the wood, but this method is more suitable for uniform color or more modern color schemes. it is beautiful in its own way, but in my opinion it is not suitable for a traditional burst. the effect is too bright and... different.

[@zivaradlovacki2666]

@@8BombCustom I see. Thank you for your reply and knowlage. Because I am not good with spray gun nor I have one but love to make my own things, including guitar, do you think Nitro spray cans would be good enough option ? Apritiate your patiance with me. Regards

[@8BombCustom]

@@zivaradlovacki2666 Since spray yuallons have low pressure, the sprayed drops are uneven and large. they are noticeable during transparent transitions. But if you cover the spray with a can of one color or varnish, then it works. but it takes more time for intermediate sanding since the layers may not lie smoothly and sometimes flow. Spraygun is easier to work with.

[@zivaradlovacki2666]

@@8BombCustom Understood. So spray gun and get a tin of clear nitro and some aniline powder colours is the way to go if you want a real deal, right?

[@zivaradlovacki2666]

@@8BombCustom funny, I was watching one of your les paul '59 wiring diagram videos when I got your reply.

[@Diogoleenze]

What did you use to make the red back? Aniline and filler?

[@8BombCustom]

Diogo Quaresma yes