Hornet Crackle Kraze Batman! Craquelure effect finish

Ok! Here we go with another fun JIO project! Just got this late '60s Silvertone 4143 Hornet (Craigs-list) for a nice price and picked it up today. Mostly original and the finish has been stripped off and it has a DIY clear coat on it. Since this is the case - of course that leaves it open for a new cool finish.

The never-to-be-found pu surrounds are missing (drat!) and the original Dano bridge has been replaced with a slotted-saddle bent-plate ala Fender bridge. I have one of the '90s RI Dano bridges and will use it unless I can find one of the standard ones. I'll be returning it to original.

Neck seems to be in good shape but I'll need to go over it to see what needs addressing. The output overall is a bit weak and the E string is even less output. I'll be looking into that as my other Hornet is pretty in-your-face output-wise across all strings. Will know more once I remove the pg and check under the hood. Nothing that can't be fixed.

Body and neck are poplar - the dark/light sections are very chariteristic of the wood. Also incorporates a tilt-neck adjustment port and no neck plate. Some have them while others don't. My Coral does.

Neck is poplar also - and has no tr. Instead there are twin steel beams that run the length of the neck.

8lbs/11oz -

Whoever stripped the finish did a wood graft - it's a little funky, but not terrible.

Replacement bridge wasn't fully screwed in. (?) and a ground 'cable' sits under it... it'll be leaving.

It's missing the finger rest but I have one off my Coral that will fit if I want to put it on. The red tort is really deep and rich - a very nice version of tort. Knobs in clean condition.

Frets need leveling - similar to my Hornet. I was lucky my Coral neck was as good as it was. Aluminum side dots, as all Dano's have.

New GHS Precision flats installed but someone doesn't know how to cut excess taper length off...

Silvertone badge in the house - the original is smaller than the one I found for my Hornet. Original string tree a simple washer and screw w/aluminum riser sleeve.

Stubby Fender Mustang-like tuners in good shape -


So here's the finish I will be doing on it. Although a crackle finish was most seen on the late ‘60s Dano/Coral Sitar-guitar, it appeared on earlier Dano guitars and their short-scale basses. The long-scale Hornets, Danes and Coral Deluxe Bass’s never came in a crackle finish.

It looks good with the amber'd white pg, but I think this look will work well with the deep, rich tort on the Hornet.

The tight crackle is a great look because it will look like black-cherry from a distance and the detail will come into focus up close. This is the opposite of the loud garish pointy-guitar crackle look.

Not sure why black is under the red - but I dig it and will mimic it.

Love the way this looks! You can see every layer - I will use this as a template for the Hornet The neck doesn't have the black undercoat like on the body - only yellow, red and solid black.

Headstock face only the red/black crackle finish.

The bigger crackle is the result of a heavier coat of the black.

another example of the similar finish on a 6-string Dano -



Montana rattle-cans - bought at Blik's Art Store on the way home. I'd done my homework to determine that this is the product I wanted and Blik sells it. Will start by sanding clear-coat off the body/neck, dye the wood yellow, then spray solid (satin) black, then the red and finally the crackle black. Should be fun!

 

Crackle finishes have been around for a long time in Decorative Arts and Craft. Furniture, picture frames, decorative boxes... and since Dano, guitars. You see it more these days on pointy guitars with wild garish colours and bigger, bolder crackling. They are a little like the more modern day 'swirl' finishes - something crafty and a bit over the top. It's also a little like gilding, as it's a process that happens with the application process. With gilding, you apply the sizing and after waiting for a specific matter of minutes for it to achieve the perfect tact - you then promptly apply the leafs of gold or silver.

 

Yah, pretty awesome right?

 

Excellent Bruce! Black & red, and yellow, black and red are always cool!

 

There are a few different products out there but experimenting may need to be done. Essentially what causes crackle is applying a fast drying product over a slower curing product. Once applied the top coat starts curing quickly and shrinks/seperates over the lower coat. The thicker the top-coat followed by airing it with an air-compressor or fan, the broader the crackle. The prompt airing after applying the top-coat is critical for getting the crackle effect to accelerate. As you can see un the vid, once coated with paint - he switches to air and blows the surface activating the effect.

 

So 1st off, I wanted to get it set-up to play nice before finishing. I leveled the frets, and dressed/polished them. The neck was a bit wonky, but with some work it's tight now. Cleaned up the fb and lubed it - a nice piece of rosewood.

Then, I replaced the bent-plate bridge with the '90s version of the Dano bridge. Before doing so I checked to see if one of the simple original ones were available. Found one for ... $160. (!) Also found one like the one I installed from Japan for $250. (!?!) I bought mine new a couple of years ago and I know I didn't pay anywhere near that. (maybe $35?) Yikes. To get proper intonation, the original location for the bridge was moved 1/4" lower. It's a solid (brass) plate to body connection compared to the 'floating' style of the original and has fully adjustable saddles instead of a randomly adjustable piece of rosewood. Same base shape but a much improved design.

Bridge cover also lowered. The solid well grounded bridge eliminated the lower output of the E and G string and allowed dialing in good action. The aluminum nut slots were also filed to achieve lower action. Plays nice now.