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painting a guitar - does it change the sound?

StuffnJunkStuffnJunk Posts: 896
edited July 2010 in Musicians and Gearheads
i was thinking of buying one of those cheap Gibson SG faded models as a backup guitar for when my band plays live...and they only come in brown and red....but i want a green SG, so i would want to paint it, would that change the sound for the worse???

is there a certain kind of paint to use that wouldnt effect the sound?

i know the Beatles painted their guitars...
"I'll tell you what: If all I had was Pearl Jam, and I didn't have another band in the world, I would not be worried. Because in there is the essence of making great music. You don't have to use it all at once, but it's there." - Neil Young
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,171
    i don't know too much about this, but i do know that depending on the paint you use it can definitely alter the sound. i would go with nitrocellulose finish because it is thinner and allows the wood to breahte. and in several years the finish will break down some and you can get a sweet relic looking finish. i would either google it or ask a professional at a guitar repair place near you. my rule of thumb is before i paint anything i would ask someone who knows more than i do...good luck.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • OffHeGoes29OffHeGoes29 Posts: 1,240
    800$ is cheap to you? Fuck'n Ball'n!
    BRING BACK THE WHALE
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 Posts: 23,171
    i am thinking it would be better in the long run for you to just buy a green one. what kind of green are you talking about? i have seen the very high end sgs and the robot ones in green. i have seen some in like a fender style surf green. perhaps you can ask the gibson custom shop if they would paint a faded one for you? the gibson factory might have a green one as well. go to your local gibson dealer and see if they can help you.
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • StuffnJunkStuffnJunk Posts: 896
    edited July 2010
    i've had this idea for a guitar for a while, since i'm 100% irish and i play in a cover band in irish bars in front of probably a lot of irish people, kind of an idea to get a "cheap" crowd reaction, or maybe i am more full of irish pride than i thought-

    a green guitar, with a shamrock framed by the colors white and orange, the colors of the irish flag...the guitar is green and the inside of the shamrock is green, but the borders of it are white and orange

    and i'm not the kind of person to ever wear green or any type of shamrock or "I'M IRISH!!!" type shit, but i've had this vision in my head for a while, and being in bar band seems like the perfect time to try it out
    Post edited by StuffnJunk on
    "I'll tell you what: If all I had was Pearl Jam, and I didn't have another band in the world, I would not be worried. Because in there is the essence of making great music. You don't have to use it all at once, but it's there." - Neil Young
  • StuffnJunkStuffnJunk Posts: 896
    OffHeGoes29 wrote:
    800$ is cheap to you? Fuck'n Ball'n!
    well, thats as cheap a gibson SG as you can get
    "I'll tell you what: If all I had was Pearl Jam, and I didn't have another band in the world, I would not be worried. Because in there is the essence of making great music. You don't have to use it all at once, but it's there." - Neil Young
  • OffHeGoes29OffHeGoes29 Posts: 1,240
    StuffnJunk wrote:
    OffHeGoes29 wrote:
    800$ is cheap to you? Fuck'n Ball'n!
    well, thats as cheap a gibson SG as you can get

    Its cool, I'm just giving you a hard time. :D
    BRING BACK THE WHALE
  • Uncle NeilUncle Neil Posts: 176
    I've got a Gibson SG-3 with a faded white finish and I wouldn't change it for the world. The thin finish actually improves the tone and sustain, it really helps the wood sing out. You might get a faded one and end up not wanting to change it...
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