"seam lines" or any other problems with black finish??

[companydamned]

hi there,
I'm looking at ordering a custom G&L legacy or asat and am thinking of getting it with a gloss black body color. Black seems to be the hardest color for manufacturers to execute flawlessly, and i'm just wondering how you guys with black G&L's have found the finish. My biggest pet peeve is being able to see the seam or grain lines in the finish when held up to the light, and black shows these the easiest. Has anyone experienced this with their black G&L? also, if an employee happens to read this, i would be interested to know if any extra steps are taken with a body prepped for black or what, in general, they do to prevent seeing seams or grain with a solid color finish? FWIW, I notice this phenomenon on a large number of fender (and some gibson) guitars out there (mostly nitro finished ones, but some with poly) but haven't seen enough g&l's to form an opinion on their finishes. I'm a picky guy and I'm wondering if i can order with confidence....
thanks alot!

[darwinohm]

I do not believe this is a paint or finish issue but rather the wood thickness changing over time and it will always show at the seam. The perfect solution is a one piece body and the grain needs to be filled properly and the finish thick enough , especially Poly as it shrinks very little over years. Nitro finishes continue to shrink and harden for years. One technique I have used on transparent finishes is to apply several coats of transparent color to fill the grain completely, then wet sand and perfectly level before applying the top coats of poly. This will enhance to grain and the results are sometimes stunning, depending on the grain of the wood especially if the wood is Ash. -- Darwin.

[companydamned]

thanks for the info darwin! So has anyone experienced this at all with any of their black or dark color g&L's?

[sirmyghin]

I had an alder DC135 (carvin) and after a few years it had seems everywhere in the paint, but none in the clear. A bit annoying but you could see them tracing the grain. Something there is not much you can do about it. Darwin has the right of it.

[companydamned]

i appreciate all the info. the main point of my question is if i can order a custom black G&L guitar with the confidence that i will not end up with this phenomenon when it arrives. It bothers me enough to not want the guitar, and a custom order is non-returnable from most g&L dealers....

[GDub]

i appreciate all the info. the main point of my question is if i can order a custom black G&L guitar with the confidence that i will not end up with this phenomenon when it arrives. It bothers me enough to not want the guitar, and a custom order is non-returnable from most g&L dealers....

If you're that worried about it, don't order black. Although, because black guitars sound the best (well documented in the old G&LDP), you might want to ignore the possible miniscule aesthetic "flaws" in favor of superior tone. Just saying.

--GDub

[darwinohm]

When you buy the guitar new it may look perfect for some time or forever. This doesn't show until the guitar ages for some time. It may never show or the seams could become visible in 6 months. it depends on the wood. I would not worry about it as many guitars show this to a slight degree. I have noticed this mostly on Alder Fenders and have not seen it on any of my Swamp Ash G&Ls. If I were concerned about that I would order a Black guitar with a Swamp Ash body. Some of my Ash G&Ls are 10 years old and do not show seams at all.-- Darwin

[Muleya]

Just don't order black! How's that for amazingly helpful advice!! Never liked black guitars, myself...don't care how much better they sound!!

[companydamned]

ok, after some thorough research on the subject, I have come to the conclusion that this seems to happen FAR more often with alder bodies than ash (good observation darwin). Some particularily picky guys (like myself) even seek out one piece bodies if they're using alder for a build, not for any tone reasons, but to eliminate this phenomenon. It probably seems crazy to some, but this small issue can drive an o.c.d. guitar owner (once again, like myself;)) crazy! Bottom line is, I have decided to go with an ash body for my gloss black legacy order. This does, however, make me curious about something else- Since ash usually has a far more open and deep grain pattern than alder, can i be confident the guys at G&L will be able to get a completely flat, "glass like" finish, especially considering that gloss black is so unforgiving? much the same as me not wanting seam lines telegraphing through and being visible, I also don't want something similar with grain and pore lines. If this is possible, then I believe I found the best solution in a swamp ash body with the gloss black colour. Soundwise, I can never tell the difference between the two anyways, leaving this strictly an aesthetic issue. Thanks alot for the advice!

[yowhatsshakin]

... Since ash usually has a far more open and deep grain pattern than alder, can i be confident the guys at G&L will be able to get a completely flat, "glass like" finish, especially considering that gloss black is so unforgiving?

Here is a 'quote' to Legasat contribution to last Tuesdays Lunch report.

... Our Webmasters BLack Knights

What do you think?

- Jos

[truckdub]

I have a black "Gimourish" Legacy and it is flawless. Seems to me most solid color guitars aren't one piece....specifacally to hide the multiple lines. I bought this new but we'll see what happens over time. A good as this sounds and plays I doubt it will bother me if any thing starts to show.

[companydamned]

hey yowhatsshakin, are those guitars all ash bodies?

[yowhatsshakin]

hey yowhatsshakin, are those guitars all ash bodies?

Unfortunately, they aren't mine but rather belong to Dean McCoy. According to his registry entries, the body wood is thus (L-to-R):
ASAT III Signature: swamp ash
Cavalier: swamp ash
Comanche V Signature: alder
ASAT Signature: swamp ash

Hope this helps,

- Jos

[Scott Granger]

I am a few years late in catching this one, but have a related experience from just this week and Google brought me right to this thread once I commenced research. I just purchased a Cantrell USA Superhawk in the aged white/cream color. Fantastic guitar, btw. Also, as a preemptive strike of sorts, I have never had much of an issue with QC on my G&L’s.

Onto the issue….since the guitar was shipped to FL from Vermont, I waited >24 hours to open the box and case. Once I finally did, I noticed right off what appeared to be slightly visible sanding lines under the coat of paint on the face of the headstock when held in certain lighting. Whereas the body is concerned, you can also tell where the center seam is, although just barely. That’s not so much an issue for me, but the headstock paint deal was a real bummer. It also looks like the decal wasn’t sufficiently buried, so there are parts of the edging that are visible. I have contacted the retailer in VT to ascertain if this is an issue with the others in their inventory and am currently awaiting their response.

At the end of the day, this appears to be too thin of coats that have shrunk after the VOC dried. I’m just super surprised as the owner of other USA G&L’s. I wish I weren’t so particular, but this cost a pretty penny and I’m contemplating my options. I wish there were something else wrong with this that would prevent me from bonding, but I literally bought this for $1099 with shipping on a short window blowout sale. I have the unsigned warranty, case candy and all…but am bummed with the mentioned issue. The following picture will give some idea as to what I am looking at, although this is not a shot of my guitar:



Thoughts?