The Guitar Magazine – September 2019

OPPOSITE This swivel-

headed craft knife makes

cutting curved checking

lines a lot easier

ABOVE TOP The pickups

used here are a pair of

late-1960s Gibson Patent

Number humbuckers that

were a lucky find on Reverb

ABOVE Small patches of

masking tape are placed

onto the headstock to mark

the screw positions for the

truss-rod cover

LEFT TOP The truss-rod

adjustment slot has been

elongated and it has extra

thickness in the area

adjacent to the nut

to accommodate the

cover screw

LEFT BOTTOM The bridge

is a gold-plated Gibson

Patent Number ABR-1

with nylon saddles

simulate lacquer checking on our Goldtop
project, I’m keen to do more of the same.
I’ve been happy with the results I’ve
achieved with a hot-air gun and an inverted
air duster in the past, but it’s a bit too
random to guarantee a vintage Gibson look.
Besides which, I’m not convinced that the
factory base coat will allow the lacquer top
coats to check using that method.
Fresh blades are needed, so I visit The
Range (therange.co.uk) and find a craft
knife with a tiny blade that swivels (product
code 132493). It’s designed for cutting
smooth curves and since that’s something
I struggled with during the Goldtop project,
I figure it’s worth a try.
Using pictures of vintage Flying Vs as
a visual guide, I inflict a few minor dents
and dings before setting about cutting
the checking lines. When you have to do
an entire guitar, it’s a long process, but
watching the transformation is a blast.
The swivelling knife blade makes cutting
the lacquer feel more like drawing on
the lines. So, if you’re planning on trying

DO IT YOURSELF

GUITAR MAGAZINE 131