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Anyone got any ideas on how to replicate it? Or even better, anyone who makes it?

Thanks.

Gretsch? There was guy selling online few years back. Unfortunately, I can't remember that source. I'll look around...

There was also someone that had a homemade recipe that was either in the G.A.L. publications -or- The Stew Mac Trade Secrets Book? Sorry to be so vague, but at least its a lead.

Tom

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Tom Krebs

You might be able to cut it from stuff you strip off a drum. Gretsch drums used the stuff--probably where they got it for their guitars.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Call DrumWraps. They will sell you a sheet of gold sparkle wrap. It about .060 thick, so you will need to use other binding with it. They told me they can sell cut offs (I was looking at the pearl stuff), but the do sell sheets long enough for bass drums. You will have to cut it on the bandsaw yourself.

I think they are out of the west region...maybe arizona or colorado..

Joe

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Joe

This is greatness. Thanks a bunch, I didn't even think of that, but now that you mention it, I seem to remember hearing that Gretsch cut their bindings out of the same wrap material that their drums were coated with.

This is where I get what I use:
http://www.precisiondrum.com/html/sparkles.html
It is tricky around the tight radius bends. It likes to delaminate in those areas. You can saturate it back together with super glue.
One thing I found out is that you need to put a barrier coat of something before nitro. Nitrocellulose lacquer will make it craze, and not in a cool way. I spray a two part poly over it, let it cure for a couple days, scuff it, and then continue on with my normal lacquer routine.
Another tricky deal with this stuff is that the color coat is a very thin layer and easy to go through. Around the body this is not too much of an issue, but on the fingerboard edge, it is difficult to complete the edge of your fingerboard in a comfortable way. You have to leave this stuff alone, and can't radius or shape it like a normal celluloid or ABS binding.

Good luck!

Here is a guitar I used this stuff on:

Wow Saul,
That is a beautiful guitar. Nice job.

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Thank You Chuck!
It was my take on a White Falcon or Penguin.

Cheers,
Saul

Saul welcome to the OLF!

That is a beautiful guitar and I would not mind seeing more of it if you would post more pics please?

Instead of using cat poly which is nasty why not spray first with KTM-9 or other waterbased finish before spraying on lacquer?

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Thanks so much. This is an amazing forum. So much talent and ideas here.

Here are a couple more shots of that guitar:




And here is a guitar with the same material on the top. I used a vacuum bag to glue it to the carved surface:


I still use it for bindings on Gretschy sort of things, but for tops, I now prefer to spray the flake, rather than use this drum wrap. I had one instrument returned because of delamination. It was on a stand on the stage at an out door summer concert. It bubbled up a little...
It was a pain to remove:

It came off only in little chips

That might work, but I haven't tried it. I used what I normally have in the shop. I thought about trying a simple shellac mix as a barrier. That might do the trick as well.
I don't understand the chemistry of the reaction I was getting. When used for drums, it is not normally over coated. The untouched surface of this material is quite shiny. But in my case, I wanted a continuous film over the back and sides, bindings etc and decided to put my finish on it.