Dan is awesome! Sometimes these videos teach me how to do something, and sometimes they teach me that it should just be taken care of by a good luthier.
I love Dan's videos. Straight and to the point. In three and a half minutes he shows us how it is done. This same video by any of the other RUclips luthiers would have been 10 minutes plus - with half of it talking. Thanks, Dan!
I just skimmed your comment and saw the words magnificent repairman has passed and had a heart attack. And then prayer hands. You gotta be more careful lol
Nice work! I specially like the idea of how you let the lacquer harden on a piece of Teflon, and then used it to melt into the crevice. great tips there! :-)
Thank you. This is just what I needed to see. I was worried about how orange-peeley my lacquer coat was looking and didn't think it would buff out. But it looked even smoother than yours before you started sanding and buffing. I love these videos; please keep them coming!
Dan another fantastic video. If you don't live close enough to have you fix guitar problems, you sure give us a way to fix them ourselves. You are smart! Thanz
I've been a tech since 77, and this video is precisely why I've always stayed away from heavy finish work. Sure, I'll do an occasional drop fill and use the Stewmac markers in creative ways. I'll even seal damage with shellac if it's appropriate, but I send anyone with this type of lacquer repair to a luthier (several towns away). Let him mess this up. Nice job Dan!
Mind Turd Don't ever change strings on a new guitar. It won't be original anymore. It will devalue it by about 95%. Know what?! An ignorant SOB like you doesn't have enough sense to get a job that pay's you enough to ever buy a new guitar!
I'd just leave this to the pros... I can tackle almost anything 'mechanical' or 'electrical' that might need attention on a guitar, but when it comes to finishes... I have a lot of respect for those who wield the air brushes, sandpaper, and buffing wheels. That's the tricky stuff that's pretty closed to an art. Dan's the MAN!!
Wow, this guy is really awesome. Now I know what makes guitar like Gibson, Fender and other popular guitar names "extra" expensive- its the labor put into it. (Tone is my # 1 :))
great tips. great result. Looks fab! I've got a Dent in the neck of my acoustic, I wish I could get tips off you to sort that out. The neck is mahogany. so Dent is obviously creased and slightly lightening due to the crease. only about 20mm (3/4") but really bugs me
The thick laquer flake , produced with the teflon material is a pretty "slick " trick. This video qualifies as "trade secret"for sure. The alternate route, builing up laquer a drop at a time ,would take much longer. Good one. Thanks.
Nice video. Frustrating that I can’t do the drill buffing because the only time available for me to work with guitar is late nights when my kids n’ wife are asleep , as well as neighbors lol 😂. I don’t wanna wake them up. Is hand + rug buffing not that bad?
All of StewMac's material says to start with Medium compound if using 1200 (or finer I suppose) paper. But here Dan uses 1500 & then starts with Coarse compound. What's up with that? I'm having major swirl mark issues with my guitar & I thought it was because I accidentally went from 1000 grit to Coarse compound & un-did my work. Now I'm totally confused.
I have this old acoustic that I adore since it's my very first one, but it's in a very bad shape and pretty much unplayable. There are no proper repairmen where I live, let along of this caliber, I can only imagine what my guitar would be like had it been fixed by this genius!
That stuff at the end, the preservation polish, is that appropriate for removing light scratches? I want to clean up my guitar and get the little scratches out of it but I’m afraid to mess it up more, Maybe Dan will help me? Lol
Great video, very inspiring! Do you have any videos on cleaning/polishing a 67 sunburst Stratocaster? Mine has some gummy area on the bottom horn, and (I'm guessing) the other horn rear, looks like maybe a rag (textured) may have had some kind of chemical on it and was laid on the guitar long enough to leave a reaction like textured finish. Thankfully that is a small spot no bigger than 2"x3" . Thanks for your time.
Unfortunately, we do not have any videos on cleaning and polishing a 67' Stratocaster. 1967 was one of the last years that Fender sprayed nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, so it may be possible to repair the area with the textured finish on the back of the upper horn. However, if the textured area is due to a chemical reaction, you may have no choice but to strip and re-finish the area (which will likely lower the value of your vintage instrument). It's really impossible to say for certain without being able to inspect the instrument. Either way, we recommend using some of our Preservation Polish to clean up any dirt, grime, or gummy areas on the finish. www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Cleaners_and_Lubricants/Preservation_Polish.html
I thought nitrocellulose was really a necessity for the Archie Ark top of a maple LP; So the grain could breath; right ? I'm sure the guy put a nitrocellulose on the strength of the time question of necessity of it other than the fact Fender wanted to sell them because of the aesthetic? So... Blah...
Hi mate ignore my photo, it's old. I'm 37. I have a few gibsons. my the ones I want advice on is a 2002 Brazilian board 59 reissue and a 2003 1957 gold top reissue. sadly I've played them a lot and not kept them clean. I have issues with major nickel corrosion and dull areas where my strumming arm sits. I want to clean up the nickel and get my tops shiny again. Most shops say hey they are reissues, that's what people want. Okay I know they are reissues but I don't know why I can't get safe advice. I have no dealers I trust near me to look at these, I don't want to screw up my potentially expensive guitars. I just can't polish out the dull hazy look to my tops, My 57 has a spot ding on the face and it's not gone through the lacquer, It's tiny but I know it's there, because it's a gold top I am drawn to it. Any way my main questions are polishing up the tops, the 59 has gone dull and the 57 has in the same place, it's like cloudy. Take the gold top, where it still shiny you can see the sparkle effect, where it has gone foggy it's just gold, no definition. The 59 top bothers me more because it's a beautiful burst. I play them, I've neglected to wipe them down. As your a pro I thought you could advise me on how to shine the tops up. I'm good at DIY but on a $10,000.00 I'm terrified of making it worse. It annoys me when people say they are re-issues they are meant to look old. I'm into the heritage just not into the beat up look from the start look. these guitars are around 15 years old, I just love a shiny top, I just can't seem to polish out the cloudy parts with Gibson cleaning products and cloths, never used other brands. If you can give me any advice I would appreciate it. I didn't notice how bad they where until I got a new custom shop modern a few weeks ago.Thank youAndy
When buffing black Nitro color coats to a satin what buffing wheel would you prefer? I did a Gibson 70s Tribute repair and I don't believe it is clear coated. Trying now to match the gloss sheen to the factory satin. Would synthetic steel wool work?
Great info, but I dont understand why people worry about a "ding" on their guitars. Those come from playing over time and, though I take care of my guitars, I dont stress about the aging. Theyre meant to be played after all. Plus, taking sand paper to a scratch is even worse than a chip in the finish.
The lacquer film tip is awesome! My only critique is that the silkscreen LP logo was cleared over. This being a historic reissue, the look of a satin "Les Paul" decal is key to the vintage vibe. Clearing over makes for a flawless end product; however, it changes the vibe. I guess you pick the lesser of two evils: a flawless headstock vs blotchy repair and semi intact logo. I would have done the same but gotten rid of the logo. Then at a later date find a silkscreen, and repair that part correctly, over a properly fixed headstock, correct to the 50's period.
I could watch this man all day.
"That's what I learned at Gibson in the 60's"... It must be nice to have the know how AND the tools.
Dan is awesome! Sometimes these videos teach me how to do something, and sometimes they teach me that it should just be taken care of by a good luthier.
These videos are excellent, what a guy, what a skill set.
I really enjoy watching these videos. Such attentive craftsmanship is really inspiring.
I love Dan's videos. Straight and to the point. In three and a half minutes he shows us how it is done. This same video by any of the other RUclips luthiers would have been 10 minutes plus - with half of it talking. Thanks, Dan!
I really hope that this magnificent repairman has passed his knowledge to as many apprentices as possible 🙏
I just skimmed your comment and saw the words magnificent repairman has passed and had a heart attack. And then prayer hands.
You gotta be more careful lol
Mr.E is a national treasure and a literal encyclopedia in EVERY aspect of guitar repair !!! ABSOLUTE MAGIC👍👍👍
the irony is he will probably be asked to relic the next guitar and remake the same mark he is trying to remove.
You are the best!!! Learned the right way to accomplishing repairs.
Nice work! I specially like the idea of how you let the lacquer harden on a piece of Teflon, and then used it to melt into the crevice. great tips there! :-)
God that came out awesome .I am still stunned .just amazing.that piece of cured lacquer over laid and melted into the dent is really cool.
How lucky to have Dan do your work. Man.
Dan it's been the man for a long long time.
Great to see a true professional at work- superb finish.
Thank you. This is just what I needed to see. I was worried about how orange-peeley my lacquer coat was looking and didn't think it would buff out. But it looked even smoother than yours before you started sanding and buffing. I love these videos; please keep them coming!
a master at work wish these videos were longer
UNBELIEVABLE result - what an excellent technique!
Many thanks!
Wonderful finish repair, plus some great tips about melting into the hole. Thanks a lot! Does Gibson still offer that 1960's class? Ha-ha...
Mr. Dan = Legend. I could watch & Learn from him - all day. oNe LovE from NYC
Dan another fantastic video. If you don't live close enough to have you fix guitar problems, you sure give us a way to fix them ourselves. You are smart! Thanz
No replacement for experience. Flawless.
Once again - learned a new trick from one old dog to another.
I always enjoy the Stew-Mac videos.
These little videos are great, guitar Lutheran know much more than I, nice to see them working on guitars, nice to watch and learn, thanks,
+Terence Malloy He's a fine luthier, alright. I don't know anything about his religion though.
I've been a tech since 77, and this video is precisely why I've always stayed away from heavy finish work. Sure, I'll do an occasional drop fill and use the Stewmac markers in creative ways. I'll even seal damage with shellac if it's appropriate, but I send anyone with this type of lacquer repair to a luthier (several towns away). Let him mess this up. Nice job Dan!
You Are The Best In The Game .... !!!! Thank You For Sharing Your Art and Craft Dan !!!
Always something good from Dan, Thank you! (Erle-wine, gets better with age!)
The teflon is such a great trick.
The lacquer film trick can also work with a pane of glass and a razor blade to lift the film.
That repair looks better than it did new!
Mind Turd id bet you no one would be able to tell the better anyway, devalue my ass
Mind Turd The fact that Dan did the repair probably added value.
Mind Turd you would never be able to pick it out. As far as you know any guitars you've owned have had this happen.
Mind Turd Don't ever change strings on a new guitar. It won't be original anymore. It will devalue it by about 95%. Know what?! An ignorant SOB like you doesn't have enough sense to get a job that pay's you enough to ever buy a new guitar!
It must hurt being this stupid.
Looking like new. Nice job Dan. Thanks for posting.
I love stuff like this. Using the skills to keep guitars in top top condition. Not like the road worn rubbish fender are selling.
Great job, and thanks for the tips on flash coat.
Brilliant using the chip of lacquer off of the teflon sheet!
True artist in his craft.
Man your good. That's years of experience
Only legends like him & Gearmanndude make surfing YT worth your time.😘🍺
I'd just leave this to the pros... I can tackle almost anything 'mechanical' or 'electrical' that might need attention on a guitar, but when it comes to finishes... I have a lot of respect for those who wield the air brushes, sandpaper, and buffing wheels. That's the tricky stuff that's pretty closed to an art. Dan's the MAN!!
Nail varnish has worked for my in the past, however the lacquer trick is a good one.
Absolutely incredible...as always.
he's good, knows his stuff, thanks.
Great job,Dan!
Love the sticky block trick, never seen that before, thanks.
Wow, this guy is really awesome. Now I know what makes guitar like Gibson, Fender and other popular guitar names "extra" expensive- its the labor put into it. (Tone is my # 1 :))
Dan working on a guitar probably adds value to it!
Beautiful finish and a great job.
Incredible work, man!
Fantastic craftsmanship!
Awesome as usual Dan ! Great job...
Very nice. I find finishing is the most difficult aspect of guitar building.
Wonderful restoration!
Amazing job Dan!
Great work Dan!! Thank you for sharing such valuable information!
what a fantastic repair and thanks for sharing these tips.
great tips. great result. Looks fab! I've got a Dent in the neck of my acoustic, I wish I could get tips off you to sort that out. The neck is mahogany. so Dent is obviously creased and slightly lightening due to the crease. only about 20mm (3/4") but really bugs me
Nice job Dan..!
Some people pay extra 3000 bucks or more to have a lot of dings like that...
You sir are a magician
This is so good on all levels! kudos!
Incredible work...
Super informative about a great process!
What an awesome job
Looks Better than new !!
Beautiful work
You are a true genius!
Beautiful work!
Wow, nice job!
Superb repair.
this is why I like Fenders... they look good beat up!
The thick laquer flake , produced with the teflon material is a pretty "slick " trick. This video qualifies as "trade secret"for sure. The alternate route, builing up laquer a drop at a time ,would take much longer. Good one. Thanks.
Amazing job!
Dan is a Genius!! Love ya Dan
Nice video. Frustrating that I can’t do the drill buffing because the only time available for me to work with guitar is late nights when my kids n’ wife are asleep , as well as neighbors lol 😂. I don’t wanna wake them up. Is hand + rug buffing not that bad?
Like magic.
You sir, are a master.
Simply the best.
I'm curious about wool. I'm buying foam but I think I might order some wool. There's so many options with compounds and pads that it's hard to choose
Beautifully done. Looks like new to me.
A beautiful job!
Nice, looks great.
All of StewMac's material says to start with Medium compound if using 1200 (or finer I suppose) paper. But here Dan uses 1500 & then starts with Coarse compound. What's up with that? I'm having major swirl mark issues with my guitar & I thought it was because I accidentally went from 1000 grit to Coarse compound & un-did my work. Now I'm totally confused.
I'd like to see one on modern polyurethane clearcoats as well.
I have this old acoustic that I adore since it's my very first one, but it's in a very bad shape and pretty much unplayable. There are no proper repairmen where I live, let along of this caliber, I can only imagine what my guitar would be like had it been fixed by this genius!
That stuff at the end, the preservation polish, is that appropriate for removing light scratches? I want to clean up my guitar and get the little scratches out of it but I’m afraid to mess it up more, Maybe Dan will help me? Lol
Great video, very inspiring! Do you have any videos on cleaning/polishing a 67 sunburst Stratocaster? Mine has some gummy area on the bottom horn, and (I'm guessing) the other horn rear, looks like maybe a rag (textured) may have had some kind of chemical on it and was laid on the guitar long enough to leave a reaction like textured finish. Thankfully that is a small spot no bigger than 2"x3" . Thanks for your time.
Unfortunately, we do not have any videos on cleaning and polishing a 67' Stratocaster. 1967 was one of the last years that Fender sprayed nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, so it may be possible to repair the area with the textured finish on the back of the upper horn. However, if the textured area is due to a chemical reaction, you may have no choice but to strip and re-finish the area (which will likely lower the value of your vintage instrument). It's really impossible to say for certain without being able to inspect the instrument. Either way, we recommend using some of our Preservation Polish to clean up any dirt, grime, or gummy areas on the finish.
www.stewmac.com/Materials_and_Supplies/Cleaners_and_Lubricants/Preservation_Polish.html
I thought nitrocellulose was really a necessity for the Archie Ark top of a maple LP; So the grain could breath; right ? I'm sure the guy put a nitrocellulose on the strength of the time question of necessity of it other than the fact Fender wanted to sell them because of the aesthetic? So... Blah...
Hi mate ignore my photo, it's old. I'm 37. I have a few gibsons. my the ones I want advice on is a 2002 Brazilian board 59 reissue and a 2003 1957 gold top reissue. sadly I've played them a lot and not kept them clean. I have issues with major nickel corrosion and dull areas where my strumming arm sits. I want to clean up the nickel and get my tops shiny again. Most shops say hey they are reissues, that's what people want. Okay I know they are reissues but I don't know why I can't get safe advice. I have no dealers I trust near me to look at these, I don't want to screw up my potentially expensive guitars. I just can't polish out the dull hazy look to my tops, My 57 has a spot ding on the face and it's not gone through the lacquer, It's tiny but I know it's there, because it's a gold top I am drawn to it. Any way my main questions are polishing up the tops, the 59 has gone dull and the 57 has in the same place, it's like cloudy. Take the gold top, where it still shiny you can see the sparkle effect, where it has gone foggy it's just gold, no definition. The 59 top bothers me more because it's a beautiful burst. I play them, I've neglected to wipe them down. As your a pro I thought you could advise me on how to shine the tops up. I'm good at DIY but on a $10,000.00 I'm terrified of making it worse. It annoys me when people say they are re-issues they are meant to look old. I'm into the heritage just not into the beat up look from the start look. these guitars are around 15 years old, I just love a shiny top, I just can't seem to polish out the cloudy parts with Gibson cleaning products and cloths, never used other brands. If you can give me any advice I would appreciate it. I didn't notice how bad they where until I got a new custom shop modern a few weeks ago.Thank youAndy
you are the man
I'm doing a similar repair. How do you keep the black from bleeding into the clear when you spray the clear?
Awesome tip!
Great video!
amazing to watch
This is awesome!
When buffing black Nitro color coats to a satin what buffing wheel would you prefer? I did a Gibson 70s Tribute repair and I don't believe it is clear coated. Trying now to match the gloss sheen to the factory satin. Would synthetic steel wool work?
Great info, but I dont understand why people worry about a "ding" on their guitars. Those come from playing over time and, though I take care of my guitars, I dont stress about the aging. Theyre meant to be played after all. Plus, taking sand paper to a scratch is even worse than a chip in the finish.
The "Les Paul Model" is Silk Screened on Dan, Not a decal. It never has lacquer on top of it..
The lacquer film tip is awesome!
My only critique is that the silkscreen LP logo was cleared over.
This being a historic reissue, the look of a satin "Les Paul" decal is key to the vintage vibe.
Clearing over makes for a flawless end product; however, it changes the vibe.
I guess you pick the lesser of two evils: a flawless headstock vs blotchy repair and semi intact logo.
I would have done the same but gotten rid of the logo. Then at a later date find a silkscreen, and repair that part correctly, over a properly fixed headstock, correct to the 50's period.
Awesome, thanks!
Hi Dan.
To do the job you had cover the entire peghead with varnish, invlusive the "Les Paul" script logo, right?
Very nice!
flipping heck that was just skill
Perfect.