Gibson Bullion Gold - tips for replicating

[BuddhaFingas]

Staring closely at Gibson's "Bullion Gold" finish, especially as it appears on the 50th anniversary Thunderbird...

It looks like it's a slightly darker than "goldtop" metallic gold, sprayed over a well-sanded but unsealed/unfilled mahogany so the grain 'pits' show through, then over-sprayed with a thicker high-polish gloss clear.

Example from an original:

Can it really be that simple?

Anyone have any insights to the process used?

I'm looking to hit a very similar finish note on parts of a bass build.

Opportunities to experiment are limited - only one underway and no spare mahogany to mess with!

 

[eddybuzzard]

Staring closely at Gibson's "Bullion Gold" finish, especially as it appears on the 50th anniversary Thunderbird...

It looks like it's a slightly darker than "goldtop" metallic gold, sprayed over a well-sanded but unsealed/unfilled mahogany so the grain 'pits' show through, then over-sprayed with a thicker high-polish gloss clear.

Example from an original:

View attachment 7223614
Can it really be that simple?

Anyone have any insights to the process used?

I'm looking to hit a very similar finish note on parts of a bass build.

Opportunities to experiment are limited - only one underway and no spare mahogany to mess with!

I think you're right, it looks like they might be skipping the grain fill step.
The color appears to be more of a function of visual texture, than the smooth high gloss sheen on top.
Maybe a final fine wood sand, a thin sealer coat first (lightly sanded ?), then the color coat(s) (lightly sanded ?), all avoiding too much build,
then the typical clear build coats, sandings, and buffing.

But wood being wood, leaves you starting at the particular grain type character you have at hand.
Sometimes a wire brushing can bring out more of the grain texture of the bare wood, before the coating process, but that can be tricky too.

Usually, it's best to make a test/sample with cut-offs of the actual wood...or if you seek adventure, just go for it! You can always fix it

 

[Low Main]

The rendition on my monitor isn't the best. At first I thought it could be intentional orange peel or slight wrinkle texture in the color coat.

But then I think I could see the traces of wood grain you talked about.

To me, getting this look would depend on the species of body wood.

If I had to guess, I'd say the species under the finish in the photo was mahogany.

You'd get a different appearance if the pore structure was different, like ash or oak.

Density also helps. Slower growth wood will have smaller, less conspicuous pores.

You can get a look like that with a partial grain filling. Same process as a full grain fill, but not as thorough.

Maybe one filler application and one sand back. And using filler material that a sealer coat could bite into a bit.

I would use a water based filler under a nitro sealer perhaps.

You can see that the overall finish is not all that thick because there's almost no filleting where the center block meets the body wings.

Other folks may come along and have different / better ideas.

 

[JohnEdward]

Yeah, looks like mahogany with slight or non-existent grain fill. Doesn’t look difficult to replicate. I’d skip the grain fill altogether, spray color lightly, then spray quite a bit of clear. That should be it.

If you think of a non-polished bar of gold, I think the process was to mimic the appearance of an actual bar, pits and all.

 

[BigBigGuy44]

I had both a Thunderbird and EB-5 in this color. Grain was not filled in on either. The T-bird had a gloss top coat. The EB-5 had a satin top coat. I hope that’s at least somewhat helpful.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I agree with the other guys. It's a fairly thin finish of nitro lacquer, without a tough grain filler or base coat underneath. The way basses used to be painted....50 years ago. The slight grain texture is the nitro sinking into the grain, as it will do over the years. That bass is now 13 years old? It's aging.

The color is probably a standard gold metalflake nitro lacquer, but sprayed over a darker shade base coat. Maybe a medium grey? Or a dark orange? Copper metalflake? Something like that. Gold metalflake is usually sprayed over a white or silver base to get the bright gold color, like the bridge.

 

[stevensivak]

Also note that the wing with the knobs is dead flat- no pits or orange peal to speak of.....

 

[eddybuzzard]

Also note that the wing with the knobs is dead flat- no pits or orange peal to speak of.....

Probably just that particular piece of wood was smooth to begin with, because the upper wing has tons of graining

 

[stevensivak]

Is it not a wing on a neck through?