Someone to Re-finish Old Gibson F4

**ffpizza5** · Sep-28-2005, 10:47am

I have a 1917 that I want the top re-finished in the nice Red sunburst. Please let me know how much to re-finish the top and how long it will take.

ffpizza5@hotmail.com

**Chris Baird** · Sep-28-2005, 11:28am

What state is it in now? Generally, it is not in the best interest of the mandolin nor the luthier to alter/refinish a vintage instrument. Some touch ups etc. are fine but a new color is a no-no.

**John Flynn** · Sep-28-2005, 12:09pm

Originally Posted by

a new color is a no-no

Yeah, you can carve the "Gibson" logo out of the headstock with a pocketknife, break off the headstock scroll, let your girlfriend smash the whole thing to bits with a fireplace poker and then have it glued back together, and people will think you are cool. But if you have it re-finished, you will be a big mando-dork. Hey, I don't make these rules up, I'm just lettin' you know what they are!

**ffpizza5** · Sep-28-2005, 12:25pm

I' has already been refinished. The top is bright spruce color with brush marks in the finish. I planned on removing the ###### refinished top and make it a black face; however if someone can do a nice job in cherry red sunburst I'd go for that.

**sunburst** · Sep-28-2005, 12:51pm

Good choice Conrad.
For future reference, when speaking to luthiers, if you are going to use the word "refinish", you might want to prepare the waters with an explanation about the current condition of the piece.

I would feel confident in my ability to nearly match an original sunburst, but I'm not a french polish expert. The project could get expensive. You're looking for someone with highly developed skills in staining and finishing here.

If it was mine, I'd spray on a spirit varnish. A purist would probably french polish.

**Darryl Wolfe** · Sep-28-2005, 12:56pm

Conrad/John...I've been having excellent luck airbrushing a shellac finish on items like this (after staining). The look is right

**Spruce** · Sep-28-2005, 1:38pm

"(after staining)"

I have a bottle of leather dye here that is a dead-ringer for "that" red sunburst one sees on the teen's F4s and A4s....

It's called "Cordoba" or "Cordova", and just nails that coloration...

**jim simpson** · Sep-28-2005, 8:14pm

I thought the Cordoba featured "rich Corinthian leather" !

I used a dark brown leather dye on a mando top a while back. It dried but something had spilled on it and messed up a spot. I took some steel wool to the spot and noticed that I was creating a sunburst by removing some finish with the steel wool. Is this a method that has been used before? It actually had a nice vintage burst look to it. Too back the top collapsed when under tension but that's another story!