bjordan61
Electromatic
A good professional wood shop should be able to do it easily with a CNC. I'd have them show you their work on a piece of scrap wood before committing to the guitar, though.
Is it possible to turn a painted g to a Carved g on a Gretsch 6120?
- Thread starter Francisco
- Start date
1adam12
Gretschie
Geez...I love the responses of this whole thread. I look at my (painted G) Roundup and think about it now ugh! Of course it is possible. I would inspect one that has been done that you can see, touch and marvel at before considering.
I will say this, whether or not their painted, burned in or carved, they look sorta the same in a photograph or 20 feet away or so... if your playing live.
I wish I could buy some leather binding and fastener/pins to do the perimeter of my particular Roundup.
I will say this, whether or not their painted, burned in or carved, they look sorta the same in a photograph or 20 feet away or so... if your playing live.
I wish I could buy some leather binding and fastener/pins to do the perimeter of my particular Roundup.
postbopordie
Electromatic
Sometimes it’s better to focus on practicing, ear training, technique, learning tunes.
pblanton
Electromatic
Why risk it. Just get one that's already carved. They're only $69 and apparently they are very comfortable, fit well, and are super soft.
For what it's worth, I don't really understand what's going on here but thought it was interesting nonetheless.
For what it's worth, I don't really understand what's going on here but thought it was interesting nonetheless.
afire
Friend of Fred
But other times it's best to focus on the three dimensionality of a guitar's ornamentation. This is one of those times.
afire
Friend of Fred
They vary so much it's tough to say. Here's an early '55:
Well defined edges, Rare slight gap between the G and the underline.
Early '56:
Way gnarlier, fuzzy edges, shorter underline with no gap.
My own (former) late '56:
Kind of in-between. Not so gnarly but not entirely defined edges and short underline with no gap.
There is certainly the possibility they were all routed with a simulated branding effect applied, but I don't believe that to be the case and trust Dan Duffy that he saw an iron (although it would have been retired by the time he got there in 1957). My guess is that the early ones were routed and at some point they decided to go all in and actually brand them. And the most powerful argument in favor of early ones being routed is the 6120 shown in the '55 Guitars for Moderns catalog:
It's missing the underline altogether. And that's not an illustrator's error. A GDP member owns that very guitar. And it's also not a prototype. Just a regular production '55 6120 whose maker evidently forgot to underline his G and somehow this slightly "defective" example wound up being photographed for the catalog. So I would say that at least some of the early ones were definitely routed rather than branded.
smudgey6120
Electromatic
Yes it is possible,
I did it to my 1993 6120 Nashville Western .
You will need a steady hand and a modellers router and flute bit…. To remove that silly stem between the base and the G you will need to thicken the outline a little … set the router to a depth of no more than 1.5mm .
Once you have carefully routered, you will end up with a natural wood finish ….this will need to be darkened to get that branded look.
Here is a photo of how mine turned out .
Hope this helps
Attachments
smudgey6120
Electromatic
No .. they were all branded… two or 3 piece brand ….that’s why you get a bleeding of the branding over the years on many of the finishes … it bleeds into the orangeThey vary so much it's tough to say. Here's an early '55:
Well defined edges, Rare slight gap between the G and the underline.
Early '56:
Way gnarlier, fuzzy edges, shorter underline with no gap.
My own (former) late '56:
Kind of in-between. Not so gnarly but not entirely defined edges and short underline with no gap.
There is certainly the possibility they were all routed with a simulated branding effect applied, but I don't believe that to be the case and trust Dan Duffy that he saw an iron (although it would have been retired by the time he got there in 1957). My guess is that the early ones were routed and at some point they decided to go all in and actually brand them. And the most powerful argument in favor of early ones being routed is the 6120 shown in the '55 Guitars for Moderns catalog:
It's missing the underline altogether. And that's not an illustrator's error. A GDP member owns that very guitar. And it's also not a prototype. Just a regular production '55 6120 whose maker evidently forgot to underline his G and somehow this slightly "defective" example wound up being photographed for the catalog. So I would say that at least some of the early ones were definitely routed rather than branded.
I once used a wood burner to carve out a stenciled design (cattle brand style) on a telecaster. it allowed me to take time to get the rustic uneven texture of the inset shape. This also darkened the inset shape, but I needed to supplement some of the dark tone to make it dark enough, using a stain and charcoal.
6187LX
Gretschie
Just went through Ed's book and there's a clear pic of a 6120 without the underline of the brand. Also, the Chet Jet in the catalog seems to have this treatment. It's hard to judge from the photographs, but there seems to be some variation in the thickness of line for the G that you wouldn't expect from a router. But others seem quite clean and even.
Toomuchgretsches
Electromatic
I’ve done it three times, only Korean made. I would never do that to a Japanese made Gretsch!!
GretschAddict
Electromatic
Beat me to it. Yes, a soldering iron works perfectly as Gretsch G emblems are burt in. PRACTICE SOMEWHERE ELSE FIRST!!!!
afire
Friend of Fred
I don't have a firm opinion. I can't say that they weren't all branded. Or all routed for that matter. It's the variation that makes me feel like they weren't all done the same way. Routing could be given a realistic branding effect by hand, introducing variability. Or each time they branded it with a hot iron, the outcome was a little different depending on how hard they pressed or how long they held it there. But it's all just speculation on my part.
JC higgy
Gretschified
They vary so much it's tough to say.
There is certainly the possibility they were all routed with a simulated branding effect applied, but I don't believe that to be the case and trust Dan Duffy that he saw an iron (although it would have been retired by the time he got there in 1957). My guess is that the early ones were routed and at some point they decided to go all in and actually brand them. And the most powerful argument in favor of early ones being routed is the 6120 shown in the '55 Guitars for Moderns catalog:
It's missing the underline altogether. And that's not an illustrator's error. A GDP member owns that very guitar. And it's also not a prototype. Just a regular production '55 6120 whose maker evidently forgot to underline his G and somehow this slightly "defective" example wound up being photographed for the catalog. So I would say that at least some of the early ones were definitely routed rather than branded.
No doubt a quirk in me, but there is only one person I know who I would trust to do this on a Pro-Line Gretsch -- Curt Wilson (Hopewell, New Jersey). (A.K.A. Old School Guitars)
mschafft
Synchromatic
Don't do it.
rshack
Newbie
I know zip about this, but I wonder if the bracing is the same for real vs painted f-holes... I'd wanna know that before I tried something that might be impossible: upgrade the bracing, if it's different between the 2 versions...
