Paint/Stain/Detail

[richardlpalmer]

How the heck do they do it? One of the aesthetic draws to PRS guitars has always been the "binding" (don't know what else to call it -- it's not really a binding, it's the edge of the wood top without stain). How in the heck do they pull this off? It's so freakin' perfect!

For lack of a better word, it bugs me. I've dealt with stains, paints, washes, etc. for years (when younger -- I don't physically work much these days, other than typing at a keyboard). And with any sort of taping you can easily get bleed. Once something has bled it's not like you can just "erase" it.

I guess they could use wax or some other substance but how in the heck could they apply it with such accuracy? Anyone have a video? Bugs the crap out of me how their finish is so perfect. Not in a bad way, more of maddening that I can't figure it out!

[MEII413]

You should try to attend the prs experience and you will see how they do it first hand.........................

[Mike Dresch]

There's a two or three (maybe more) different ways to do it.

1. You can tape off the edge of the body and then apply the stain.
2. You can tape off the top, spray a sealer coat or a clear coat to prevent the stain from seeping into the side wood, remove the tape and then stain the top.
3. Stain the top and then physically scrape or sand the stain off.

[leroy4403]

Ask Paintguy. He just did it for me!:dude:

[richardlpalmer]

Hmmmm, maybe I'll have to hit up this Experience thing. I've done a search for it on prsguitars.com but it's pulling up all sorts of things (from 2007 is the first items).

[jetydosa]

Best I remember from the DVD they tape up the sides, then paint it and pull the tape off.

[Rusty]

The only way I am able to cleanly spray top color and leave a clean - no bleed edge, is to spray with very light volume coming out of the gun. Every other method I have tried ends up bleeding including hand application. Not that bleeding is so bad since you can remove it after if the stain isn't too bad (and I think most everyone has experienced and dealt with it at some point) You have problems if the bleed is really deep though. Tape helps and so does clear coating the edge in order to prevent absorption, but if the application is done wrong it will still bleed.
This is just me though and I'm no expert. Paintguy has been doing refins for a while..

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/rustynails75/Build%20004/IMGP0286.jpg


http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/rustynails75/Build%20004/IMGP0288.jpg

[paintguy]

Mike Dresch and Rusty have pretty much covered it.:)

[richardlpalmer]

The only way I am able to cleanly spray top color and leave a clean - no bleed edge, is to spray with very light volume coming out of the gun. Every other method I have tried ends up bleeding including hand application. Not that bleeding is so bad since you can remove it after if the stain isn't too bad (and I think most everyone has experienced and dealt with it at some point) You have problems if the bleed is really deep though. Tape helps and so does clear coating the edge in order to prevent absorption, but if the application is done wrong it will still bleed.

This is just me though and I'm no expert. Paintguy has been doing refins for a while..
Well if that don't beat all...

I think I'd still like to see it. Honestly, I must be hamfisted in this department. I just don't see any other explaination. Because I can see myself getting a good "line" here and there, but the consistency I see (your pictures being a prime example) is just too, well... consistent. http://richardlpalmer.com/media/emoticons/idiot.gif

Anyway, thanks again for the esplainin'. http://richardlpalmer.com/media/emoticons/moon.gif

[Rusty]

Richard,
Here's a something a little different I did since I've been laid off for the past 3 hours.
I sprayed the maple binding red and there was no bleed. I had to do as I said before and spray with very light volume and make about three passes. I also used the gravity factor and shot away from the edge of the tape instead of in towards it if you know what I mean.
Good luck - you can do it..

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/rustynails75/Alpha%20002/IMGP0592.jpg

[richardlpalmer]

Richard,
Here's a something a little different I did since I've been laid off for the past 3 hours.
I sprayed the maple binding red and there was no bleed. I had to do as I said before and spray with very light volume and make about three passes. I also used the gravity factor and shot away from the edge of the tape instead of in towards it if you know what I mean.
Good luck - you can do it..
Cool, I like it. And I did get what you were talking about. Looks like the concept is easier in practice than I thought it would be (or at least you make it seem easy).

As for me, I'm leaving that type of thing to those that do it. I have no real desire to do that sort of thing. I've just been admiring the end product -- and still do!

[Rusty]

Cool, I like it. And I did get what you were talking about. Looks like the concept is easier in practice than I thought it would be (or at least you make it seem easy).

As for me, I'm leaving that type of thing to those that do it. I have no real desire to do that sort of thing. I've just been admiring the end product -- and still do!
Oh - my bad. I thought you were doing some of this. Carry on then..:)

[bullfrogblues]

I did it once on a Les Paul style body by taping off the whole guitar except the 1/4" binding area. I sprayed that with a few very light coats of nitro lacquer. The top I then sprayed with water based dye stain, one solid color first, then a darker color around the edges of the top for a burst pattern. None of the dye/stain bled into the binding. Then a few coats of sanding sealer followed by top coats of clear nitro finished it off. Came out pretty good, though I don't have any pictures to prove it. Not all that hard to do.
I've never understood why some of the colors that PRS uses can't have the clear binding? I would think if prepped properly, the stains wouldn't bleed to the binding. But they are the experts, I'm not. IE, I have a tortoise shell CU24 and one of violin amber. The tortoise shell has binding, the amber does not. You'd think a darker stain like tortoise would bleed more than the amber if it was going to. Just pondering.
Allan.

[GC Ron]

I've never understood why some of the colors that PRS uses can't have the clear binding? I would think if prepped properly, the stains wouldn't bleed to the binding. But they are the experts, I'm not. IE, I have a tortoise shell CU24 and one of violin amber. The tortoise shell has binding, the amber does not. You'd think a darker stain like tortoise would bleed more than the amber if it was going to. Just pondering.
Allan.
My theory is that some have the color edge to make certain colors more identifiable by a quick look. Examples: Whale and Royal blue, Ruby and Scarlet red. For a period they offered wrap burst on some colors like Tobacco and Dark Cherry Burst to mix things up.

My other theory is that Paul and company like screwing with everyone here by trying to get us to figure out what they are thinking sometimes. :D