SG Tribute Refinish - What Color?

[tifftunes]

I bought this SG because it has a baked maple neck, which stays in tune better than the mahogany... AND because I want to refinish it in a custom color... Just the body... I'll leave the neck as is (it's either a satin clear coat or unfinished maple).

First choice is a pale TV yellow, because you can see the wood grain (opaque) through it.

Second choice is called Mojave Gold, the color of my first car ('72 Chevelle).

While I weigh my two options, I'm curious what your opinions are.

 

[cerebral gasket]

Opaque is solid color, grain not visible, and translucent is where the grain is visible through color.

I prefer TV Yellow (translucent) with the grain visible through the color also known as Limed Mahogany.

No canary, taxi or safety yellow.

Think Spicy Brown Mustard. A reddish brown grain filler needs to be used to make the grain pop through the mustard yellow color to mimic the spices in the mustard.

 

[TheDixiePig]

Had to do a search for a Mojave Gold Chevelle, and I really like that. Being a bit of a car nerd, I've always liked auto paint colors, especially metallics/ flakes. Hot Rod custom paints are a fave. I bought a bass a couple of weeks ago, and though it was what I wanted functionally, what sold it was the Gold Metal Flake paint job.

 

[cerebral gasket]

When life deals you lemons, paint it gold.

 

[MR D]

Opaque is solid color, grain not visible, and translucent is where the grain is visible through color.

I prefer TV Yellow (translucent) with the grain visible through the color also known as Limed Mahogany.

No canary, taxi or safety yellow.

Think Spicy Brown Mustard. A reddish brown grain filler needs to be used to make the grain pop through the mustard yellow color to mimic the spices in the mustard.

GULDEN's Spicy Brown Mustard is my All-Time favorite mustard, NO DOUBT ! That guitar looks great w/it all over it !!!

BTW, CB, I am just going to ask...are the BB Pro's in Single Coil mode (GIBSON sez P-90 position!) a good representation of a REAL P-90 ? I have the BB Pro's on a Les Paul Standard and the P-90 Mode (Volume Knobs UP) has an 'AIRY' type TONE (if that makes any sense at all !). I have never owned nor played a guitar w/P-90's on it....... and am thinking of the TV Yellow 2021 Lester Special w/Bound DOT Fret-Board & P-90's but it would be a purchase just to get the bound dot fret-board and P-90's......an expensive move for 2 such minor spec considerations...

So, SIR Gasket, Do you think the BB Pro's in single coil mode a real P-90 TONE ? as GIBSON USA claims they are ? IDK, and have no reference point to know...that is why I ask, yes?......AND, I respect your opinion.

Been meaning to ask you this for months !

 

[cerebral gasket]

GULDEN's Spicy Brown Mustard is my All-Time favorite mustard, NO DOUBT ! That guitar looks great w/it all over it !!!

BTW, CB, I am just going to ask...are the BB Pro's in Single Coil mode (GIBSON sez P-90 position!) a good representation of a REAL P-90 ? I have the BB Pro's on a Les Paul Standard and the P-90 Mode (Volume Knobs UP) has an 'AIRY' type TONE (if that makes any sense at all !). I have never owned nor played a guitar w/P-90's on it....... and am thinking of the TV Yellow 2021 Lester Special w/Bound DOT Fret-Board & P-90's but it would be a purchase just to get the bound dot fret-board and P-90's......an expensive move for 2 such minor spec considerations...

So, SIR Gasket, Do you think the BB Pro's in single coil mode a real P-90 TONE ? as GIBSON USA claims they are ? IDK, and have no reference point to know...that is why I ask, yes?......AND, I respect your opinion.

Been meaning to ask you this for months !

I don’t have any experience with BB Pro’s. From my experience, split humbuckers always sound weak to my ears.

Real P-90 at the neck for cleans is my favorite.

Humbucker or Hum Cancelling P-90 at the bridge for hi gain use.

I’m not a purist.
Don’t care that a Hum Cancelling P-90 may not sound like a true single coil P-90. Not a fan of any type of single coil at bridge position.

 

[Norton]

neck material has near ZERO to do with staying in tune.

 

[cerebral gasket]

neck material has near ZERO to do with staying in tune. the neck out of mud and see how well that stays in tune.

Construct the neck from mud and see how well that stays in tune.

I can understand the OP probably prefers maple vs mahogany neck to minimize flexing since so many SG have thin necks and the nature of the neck joint.

I only play SG with thicker rounded necks, so the maple vs mahogany argument doesn’t really matter to me.

 

[Decadent Dan]

Construct the neck from mud and see how well that stays in tune.

I can understand the OP probably prefers maple vs mahogany neck to minimize flexing since so many SG have thin necks and the nature of the neck joint.

I only play SG with thicker rounded necks, so the maple vs mahogany argument doesn’t really matter to me.

I’d like to see a R7 neck on a SG.
That would be a balancing act in wood selection.

 

[laza616]

Get another copy and have them painted both finishes
Because honestly, i Googled that gold you mentioned and i mean, i would not know how to decide there.
Both are very nice

 

[JimH]

My vote is for the Mojave Gold. That would look sweet with black plastics and pickguard.

 

[Norton]

Ceramaxx Guitar Co.

Ceramaxx Guitars are ceramic, hollow-body guitars handmade to your order. We offer hundreds of customizable options. This guitar will sound better than any that you have ever seen!

ceramaxxguitars.com

mud guitars...

the point being.. .the OP's maple neck will not be a practical factor in whether his guitar stays in tune or not.

 

[MR D]

I don’t have any experience with BB Pro’s. From my experience, split humbuckers always sound weak to my ears.

Real P-90 at the neck for cleans is my favorite.

Humbucker or Hum Cancelling P-90 at the bridge for hi gain use.

I’m not a purist.
Don’t care that a Hum Cancelling P-90 may not sound like a true single coil P-90. Not a fan of any type of single coil at bridge position.

NICE ONE CB,TNX 4 That....I've learned that GIBSON will say (and maybe even do) just about anything for a sale, the proof for me is when I get the guitar in my Hands/Rig.........and let her RIP !

I'm neither a purist nor an expert...I just know what I like/want.........and appreciate it when I find it......I can not deal w/Single Coil Pickups...they just sound too thin, are lacking Heavy-ness (? Word?)...the BB Pro's in single coil P-90 mode do have an 'AIR-y' type Tone and its not what I look for and it looks like the TV Yellow Lester Special w/P-90's is dead in the water for me........its sold out almost everywhere anyway......

I do have one other question, an unusual bridge height question, but I hijacked this thread once already, can not do it again..

TNX CB.....U Frikkin ROCK !

 

[Jason]

Baked maple? You mean the fretboard?

 

[Honorrey45]

I just saw a TV Yellow SG. Honestly, I think I will vote for the TV yellow.

 

[tifftunes]

neck material has near ZERO to do with staying in tune.

I beg to differ... My maple neck SG and ES135 stay in tune better than my SJ acoustic, ES330s, ES335 and SG... Also, my vintage Carvin DC150 is solid maple, and almost never goes out of tune.

My hog necks go out of tune just sitting in my studio rack! Haha!! Hence, the purchase of the maple neck SG...

Ceramaxx Guitar Co.

Ceramaxx Guitars are ceramic, hollow-body guitars handmade to your order. We offer hundreds of customizable options. This guitar will sound better than any that you have ever seen!

ceramaxxguitars.com

mud guitars...

the point being.. .the OP's maple neck will not be a practical factor in whether his guitar stays in tune or not.

ALL of my Gibsons have the "larger" necks. I simply cannot play the so-called "slim-taper" necks.

Baked maple? You mean the fretboard?

The whole SG neck is "baked maple." And, maple wood is very stable. Mahogany, not so much... Even my mahogany hull boats would demonstrate instability. They nearly sink when first launched, until the mahogany swells and seals the seams.

I have 2 "rock maple" Carvins I bought new in the early 80s. I can leave the bass alone for months-to-years at a time, and rarely need to tune it. Same with the guitar, although it may require a tweak or two... The studio humidity varies from 40% to 54%... and that seems to effect the tuning of all guitars except those with maple necks. I've one vintage 60s acoustic guitar with a mahogany neck that is sealed with a poly finish, and it seems quite stable.

Mahogany necks seem to change, as they are played... Warmth and humidity always play a roll. Maple necks seem immune to warmth and humidity. This is my observation over the past 55 years. Think what you want, but this is my experience.

 

[Col Mustard]

I own a 2012 SG special with a baked maple fretboard.
The baked maple was a substitute material that Gibson was forced into using... The government had raided Gibson's warehouse and confiscated all their rosewood and ebony (and maybe mahogany) and. accused Gibson of obtaining the wood on the black market.

It's possible that the charges were justified. Or not.
Whatever the results of the legal proceedings, I purchased an SG with a maple neck and a baked maple fretboard. I actually loved the concept and wanted one as soon as I heard about it. I still love
this guitar, and the maple neck does stay in tune better.

Other guitarists (including a large vocal section on this forum) actually hated the concept and refused to buy any Gibbies with "substandard"
baked maple fretboards. The response was generally negative...
like "WTF Gibson!" ...and the sales of the 2012 models was slow.
I never ventured over to MLP and checked out the response there
to Les Paul guitars with baked maple fretboards... I'm sure it
was scathing.... but undeserved.

I took advantage of this closed minded bull-taco, and watched and waited while the prices fell. *grins I finally bought my Silverburst SG special when it was about $600. So I got a great instrument at a
really decent price. Nine years later I'm still very happy with this SG.


The maple neck is very rigid and strong, and it's very stable tuning wise. Leo Fender figured this out in like 1949, but Gibson has been
trapped by their traditions and has difficulty marketing innovations until recently.

Anyway, the maple neck and baked maple fretboard give excellent
service. Mine has for nine years now. It's a fine choice.

What color do I recommend then? Silverburst, of course.

 

[Kirk Dahnke]

I bought this SG because it has a baked maple neck, which stays in tune better than the mahogany... AND because I want to refinish it in a custom color... Just the body... I'll leave the neck as is (it's either a satin clear coat or unfinished maple).

First choice is a pale TV yellow, because you can see the wood grain (opaque) through it.

Second choice is called Mojave Gold, the color of my first car ('72 Chevelle).

While I weigh my two options, I'm curious what your opinions are.

Is it the one in your avatar? Wow. I have a SG tribute in cherry and it looks nothing like that fretboard. Mine's maple too. I'd go for gold or a flat white. Kind of like Parchment.

 

[tifftunes]

My avatar is a 2010 "Classic. Not the tribute.

Two years ago, I bought a Warmoth Tele neck. They called it "roasted" as opposed to "baked." It's possible that my SG Tribute has a "roasted" maple neck. The idea was baking/roasting the maple wood to "seal" it, instead of applying a "finish." I thought Gibson listed it as such.

The fingerboard on mine is definitely raw (uncolored) Rosewood. I recall the ordeal when ICE confiscated Gibson's stash of wood. What a PIA!

 

[tifftunes]

I own a 2012 SG special with a baked maple fretboard.
The baked maple was a substitute material that Gibson was forced into using... The government had raided Gibson's warehouse and confiscated all their rosewood and ebony (and maybe mahogany) and. accused Gibson of obtaining the wood on the black market.
View attachment 47924
It's possible that the charges were justified. Or not.
Whatever the results of the legal proceedings, I purchased an SG with a maple neck and a baked maple fretboard. I actually loved the concept and wanted one as soon as I heard about it. I still love
this guitar, and the maple neck does stay in tune better.

Other guitarists (including a large vocal section on this forum) actually hated the concept and refused to buy any Gibbies with "substandard"
baked maple fretboards. The response was generally negative...
like "WTF Gibson!" ...and the sales of the 2012 models was slow.
I never ventured over to MLP and checked out the response there
to Les Paul guitars with baked maple fretboards... I'm sure it
was scathing.... but undeserved.

I took advantage of this closed minded bull-taco, and watched and waited while the prices fell. *grins I finally bought my Silverburst SG special when it was about $600. So I got a great instrument at a
really decent price. Nine years later I'm still very happy with this SG.

View attachment 47925
The maple neck is very rigid and strong, and it's very stable tuning wise. Leo Fender figured this out in like 1949, but Gibson has been
trapped by their traditions and has difficulty marketing innovations until recently.

Anyway, the maple neck and baked maple fretboard give excellent
service. Mine has for nine years now. It's a fine choice.

What color do I recommend then? Silverburst, of course.

Nice Silverburst!