The Les Paul Twins

[Christine]

These builds just keep getting better and better.

Thanks, they will look better when the clear coats go on and it starts to get some depth to it.

Oh did I mention the reason I'm not fuming the Mahogany? I don't think so but there is a shortage of the stuff and it has become astronomically expensive so I'll just let time do the job for me this time

 

[JJR58]

Thanks, they will look better when the clear coats go on and it starts to get some depth to it.

Oh did I mention the reason I'm not fuming the Mahogany? I don't think so but there is a shortage of the stuff and it has become astronomically expensive so I'll just let time do the job for me this time

Nothing like natural aging. Or, you know.....

 

[Christine]

Nothing like natural aging. Or, you know.....

That's very kind of you

 

[JJR58]

That's very kind of you

 

[charlie monroe]

These are wonderful

 

[RedVee]

Thanks, they will look better when the clear coats go on and it starts to get some depth to it.

Oh did I mention the reason I'm not fuming the Mahogany? I don't think so but there is a shortage of the stuff and it has become astronomically expensive so I'll just let time do the job for me this time

I’m so happy you didn’t paint the back and sides. This is a great look.

 

[Christine]

Should get a better idea by the end of the day whet they will look like, the weather is good for spraying so I'm off out in a short while to get the masking done then it's a full day of spraying, a couple of coats of sanding sealer and a couple of coats of clear if I can.

After that I don't know what to do, I can either carry on spraying as is or I can glue the necks on then spray, pros and cons with both. I'm tempted to just get a couple of clear coats all over then glue them on?

 

[Peteyboy]

After that I don't know what to do, I can either carry on spraying as is or I can glue the necks on then spray, pros and cons with both. I'm tempted to just get a couple of clear coats all over then glue them on?

Strictly out of curiosity what exactly are the pros & cons of both?

 

[Christine]

Strictly out of curiosity what exactly are the pros & cons of both?

It's easier to spray and clean both up when they are apart but there is a risk of damaging the surface when you glue them up and clamp but when they're together it is very difficult to clean and polish into the edges around the fretboard. They're the main ones anyway

 

[Christine]

So I have this to say today, to the person who was supposed to remind me to put the side dots into the neck, you forgot! I wasn't impressed!

So now I've distracted you all from any thought of me flamingoing up and not realising until I was sanding the first coat of sanding sealer I'll carry on and hope no one notices

So as you gather, two coats of sanding sealer and four coats of clear gloss nitro interspersed with installing side markers

 

[theFixer]

So I have this to say today, to the person who was supposed to remind me to put the side dots into the neck, you forgot! I wasn't impressed!

So now I've distracted you all from any thought of me flamingoing up and not realising until I was sanding the first coat of sanding sealer I'll carry on and hope no one notices

So as you gather, two coats of sanding sealer and four coats of clear gloss nitro interspersed with installing side markers

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SO GLAD you chose to go with the natural finish on the sides! LOVE the look!!!

 

[Christine]

SO GLAD you chose to go with the natural finish on the sides! LOVE the look!!!

Me too I think, I would have like to get the Mahogany a little darker but time will do it and with a little more grace too with the nitro yellowing too

 

[TN WOODMAN]

They are certainly useful when the headstock is cut from the solid with the neck. I find it strange that Makers such as Gibson make their necks that way instead of using a scarf joint, the joint doesn't really add that much time to the build, well I say that but I suppose in a production environment it probably does. Still it's a stronger method of joining the headstock. I may have mentioned I once made a couple of test pieces years ago to see which was strongest, I cut one of each and then stood on them. The Gibson type headstock just broke but the scarf joint held my weight, to me that speaks volumes

I always think it’s ironic Gibson Les Pauls don’t use scarf joints but Epiphones do.

 

[Christine]

I always think it’s ironic Gibson Les Pauls don’t use scarf joints but Epiphones do.

Do they? Both my Epibird is sprays black around the headstock I can't tell. Interesting!

 

[TN WOODMAN]

Yes on my EPIs with translucent finishes the scarf joint is apparent.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Now that you’ve sealed the wood on neck and body by spraying separately, thus preventing any glue squeeze out from interfering with later coats, would it make sense to glue up now and let the finish infill any tiny gaps at the neck joint?

 

[Christine]

Yes on my EPIs with translucent finishes the scarf joint is apparent.

Could you post a picture? I'd love to see that. Quite bizarre but it is used as a cost saving measure by some manufacturers too apparently

 

[Christine]

Now that you’ve sealed the wood on neck and body by spraying separately, thus preventing any glue squeeze out from interfering with later coats, would it make sense to glue up now and let the finish infill any tiny gaps at the neck joint?

Yes, one of my thoughts and it gets the fretboard down on the body with no build up of lacquer under the edges. I'm just worrying about getting the polish up tight into the fretboard on the body top, maybe I'm just being silly!

 

[TN WOODMAN]

Most of my collection is in storage including EPIs in question but a brief google search reveals a lot on this subject. Gibson fan boy consensus seems to believe that they use higher quality quartersawn wood and therefore don’t need to use scarf joints and cite breakage issues with the scarf jointed EPIs. I have both and fortunately have never had a headstock break in almost 50 years. A good friend has had 2 on the same Les Paul Supreme. (Guitar not Bass)

 

[Christine]

Most of my collection is in storage including EPIs in question but a brief google search reveals a lot on this subject. Gibson fan boy consensus seems to believe that they use higher quality quartersawn wood and therefore don’t need to use scarf joints and site breakage issues with the scarf jointed EPIs. I have both and fortunately have never had a headstock break in almost 50 years. A good friend has had 2 on the same Les Paul Supreme. (Guitar not Bass)

I love Gibsons, I really do but that is something the Sex Pistols would put an an album title! Quarter sawn will do nothing for it's strength, that's just an excuse to stave off criticism. Quarter sawn "can" help with stability of timber provided the grain is straight with it but wavy grained timber even if it is quarter sawn can be unstable too. I bet there are 20 one piece headstock breaks to every one with a scarf joint, honestly that test I did years ago was an eye opener; in fact there is a video with something similar in it floating about on YouTube somewhere