White Bronze T,, what do you think?

[Trimmed&Burnin]

I've been experimenting with a product called Luminore. So far I've used Bronze, Nickel Silver, and now White Bronze. This is a spray on metal, mixed with an epoxy and comes in about 8 different metals including Iron, Stainless Steel, and even Copper. Initialy I was interested in using it on my Resolectric Swamp Thang guitars but found that it subdued the tone of the carved top so I decided to try it on a Jelutong body that I built. I like the tone of Juletong but it is pretty easy to ding, the metal finish is very tough and adds a high level of protection against dings.
I like the white Bronze far better than the Nickel Silver which was a suprise to me. I'm having trouble geting the right light for photo's so you cant see just how deep the polish is on this piece but you get the idea. This body came out at 4lbs 12oz with two applications of the white bronze,,, still wieghs less than a LP . It feels great in my hands, cool at first but it warms up with room temp and body heat to be very comfortable, almost soothing. The jury is still out as to how it sounds,,, I'll get the neck out of the finish room in a few weeks,,,,, I'd appreciate your feedback as to the asthetics of the White Bronze. I'll be taking more pictures to see if I can get better lighting.. Thanks!

[BB]

I like it Shannon. While I would like to see ( as you said ) better pics, from what I do see, it looks very cool.

[TheDev01dOne]

Yeah more pics, the other 'colours' too if you can be arsed, I think a Tele in the stainless steel, if it's actually that shiny, would be pretty cool looking.

I like it though, dunno how it would sound but it looks very cool.

[EunosFD]

Very nice choice! It's very refreshing to see something different than the same ol' same ol'. Would love to see the other colors as well.

When I finally get around to building up a parts Tele I'll probably end up doing something quite similar finish wise...well, likely white gold leaf, but along the same lines. Metallically speaking anyway.

[jwells393]

So ......... what is that ....... a metallic gray? I think we need pictures taken outside without the lamp reflections.

[Trimmed&Burnin]

Originally Posted by jwells393

So ......... what is that ....... a metallic gray? I think we need pictures taken outside without the lamp reflections.

Thanks for the feed back ya'll,,
Jack, you're right about the glare from the flash,,, These pictures were taken outside but they are still not showing the depth and richness of color. It may be the processing from large file to smaller file. This is not paint, it's a metal alloy in powder form sprayed from a gun. The pictures look grey but first hand it has a grey/blue with a hint of the bronze color at certian angles. It was my intention to go with the Nickel Silver but it came out blotchy,,, not satisfactory. The White Bronze is really nice,,, I wish I could get a good picture. When I get the guitar assembled and playing right I'll get a photographer with some good lights and a tripod.
I think I'll try a Copper body in the near future,, I've been thinking about it for awhile but time is kinda tight right now. The metal will oxidize,, These have to be sanded, worked with buffing compounds, then I go over it with Meguires show and shine but eventually the wax wears and the acid from your hands will start a "patina" process.

[hekawi]

ooh, i like that!

maple of rosewood neck?
i'm usually a maple man, but i think rosewood would look better with that color body.

suggestion: paint the headstock with the white bronze too so it matches the body.

[Trimmed&Burnin]

Originally Posted by hekawi

ooh, i like that!

maple of rosewood neck?
i'm usually a maple man, but i think rosewood would look better with that color body.

suggestion: paint the headstock with the white bronze too so it matches the body.

Good Idea! I've tried to mask the maple off so that I could finish the face of the head with the White Bronze but it seems to weep and discolor the wood around it,, especially when I try to buff it out or sand it. I did test it on a"Plain" maple,, it was pretty messy and I've done quite a bit of masking. I've even thought about finishing the neck with it as it is really smooth and warms nicely to the hand but it is so messy on the fret board. Lacquer WILL NOT stick to it,,,Workin on it,,
I have plans to machine my logo in the head, fill it with copper, go over it with White Bronze then sand it down to where the copper shows through the White Bronze.
The neck that goes on this is some nice birdseye maple with a killer flamed/figured Eastern Maple fretboard w/abalone dot inlays.

[boris bubbanov]

Rosewood board, please! 21 fret if possible.

We're gonna need a lot of photos. This stuff is kinda foreign, I'd imagine, to most of us, so we're having a hard time deciding what we're actually seeing.

I'm just going off my experiences, where people get excited about one guitar based on the web picture, when in person anyone would go straight to the other guitar.

Exciting new project, I'm jealous.

[stinkymommasboy]

i'll take it

[charriman]

I'm intrigued, yet cant seem to google any info on it.
Thanks,
Chad

[BroadMaster]

Nice, Shannon! I get a glimpse of how nice in the second group of pics. How much did the body weigh before the metalizing? Looks real nice.

Have you done a piece of scrap wood with the finish similar in thickness to the body and tested it for response to bumps and scrapes?

[Trimmed&Burnin]

I've already commited to a maple Fret Board Boris ,, but Rosewood would really be a nice choice.
In the original post I misspelled the name of the product,,sorry,,, it's LuninOre http://www.LuminOre.com This stuff has many uses as you will see when you go to their site.
The Body weighed 3lbs 12oz before it was sprayed, the LuminOre is about 8-10 mils thick at this point, thats two applications which was needed on the somewhat soft Jelutong.
I have tested it for it's ability to withstand bumps, dings, and scratches. As White Bronze, or any Bronze, is a soft metal it will scratch but you have to put some effort into it,. I have samples on MDF, Jelutong, alder, and on another guitar that I built out of Red Gum. It really does not not ding, chip, or collapse when hit with small hammers and tapped against work table corners when allowed to cure properly with the exception of the Jelutong but you have to really mean it when you hit it with the hammer.
I have to say that LuminOre is not the easiest product to spray, on curved surfaces. When spaying the second coat you have to get complete coveage and you cannot sand through because the coat, layers, do not meld together but they do adhere very well in preped properly.. We did have one instance where the second coat cracked and seperated from the first because the prep work was not done right and the humidity was much to high. It is far easier on flat surfaces though.
This picture is the first guitar that we did with "regular" Bronze. It is a Swamp Thang Resolectric that is designed to be both electric and acoustic. It sounds awsome when being played through an amp but I have to say it does not sound as good acousticly as it did before applying the LuminOre. Over a period of just a few months of being played the finish is turning slightly greenish where my hands touch the body. It's really very nice and can be brought back to the original shine and color with a fresh coat of car wax but I like the natural patina so I've been letting it go as you see in the rest of the pictures. I think a Copper guitar would be cool but it would not stay the same like paint does and I'm sure it would start looking like the Statue of Liberty over the years!. The more I play the Swamp Thang the more I enjoy the way it warms so quickly to the touch.

[Trimmed&Burnin]

I got to finish this guitar up today,, it's been awhile since I've had time to work on it. I played it through a 15 watter with two Weber 10A150's, a 35 watter with two Weber 10A150's, and a 50 watter with two Weber 10A150's and two Weber 12F150's,,,,, played all afternoon ,,,,
I really like the GRS Mini-Humber that I have in the neck postion, I put a coil tap on the volume knob. I'm not so crazy with the GFS Fat Boy in the neck position with the Mini-H. It's not that I dislike it,,it just does'nt excite me although it offers a lot of tonal range. I like the Fat Boy with a Tele single coil in the neck but I found myself playing the neck pickup the most. Overall I'm really pleased with this guitar but I may switch out the Fat Boy for a Lindy Fralin Blues Special.
I'm going to take this guitar with me to the Seattle Vintage Guitar Show this sunday to see how others respond to it. Man,, this guitar feels great,, plays gresat, and sounds killer,,, I jammed out with Greg Allman for awhile,,, sounds great as a slide guitar with that Mini-Humbucker!!
I took Jacks advice and took these pictures outside,, got a little sun! The photo's of the guitar are still not anywhere near as nice as the guitar in person. The White Bronze finish did not "dampen" the tone at all that I can hear. The body is made out of Jelutong whiuch is a soft but very toneful wood, the White Bronze is very hard and protects the soft wood from dents,,,

[Trimmed&Burnin]

I wish I could capture the depth of the shine in this White Bronze,

[TheDev01dOne]

Looks great man, good luck at the show. I think it's weird where the jack socket is but I guess you'd get used to it. The pale maple neck suits it well, glad it's not a piss stain yellow neck.

[Trimmed&Burnin]

Originally Posted by TheDev01dOne

Looks great man, good luck at the show. I think it's weird where the jack socket is but I guess you'd get used to it. The pale maple neck suits it well, glad it's not a piss stain yellow neck.

Thanks,,, Allot of people think the jack placement looks weird untill they put a strap on and play,,, or especially sit down with it. The jack does'nt get the pressure on it that it does when it's so far away.
The maple will yellow over the years as it's finished with nitro but at least it will be a natural yellowing instead of a tint.