Sparkle finish steels

W. Van Horn · Post by **W. Van Horn** » 28 Dec 2013 3:20 pm

Any of y'all have a sparkle finish steel? Like they do on drums and six string guitars. I'd love to see pictures, and I wonder how its done. Did you send the body to a guitar finisher? Or get someone to make custom mica?

Richard Sinkler · Post by **Richard Sinkler** » 28 Dec 2013 3:35 pm

Carter used to offer their guitars with drum set finishes. I don't know if they made any with sparkles, but the made some with other patterns.

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 28 Dec 2013 3:49 pm

My D-10 Marlen has red sparkle paint on the necks and a strip across the front apron. As far as I know, it's the only one with that paint scheme. Here's a link with a picture of it. It's faded and hard to tell, but it is sparkley.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... ght=marlen

Lee Warren · Post by **Lee Warren** » 28 Dec 2013 4:37 pm

Hi Will,
I seem to recall Mickey Adams had a stunningly beautiful steel that had a pearloid finish, like you would find on drums.
Many years back, I sourced some white pearloid sheet and laminated the headstock on a strat, to match the pickguard.
I've wanted a sparkle or pearloid pedal steel, but never gotten the money together to get it done ...

Lee

Tom Gorr · Post by **Tom Gorr** » 28 Dec 2013 5:23 pm

There was an awesome looking green sparkle guitar prior owned by a well known steel player on ebay last week.

I'd take sparkle over mica anyday. But would take a burst lacquered maple over anything.

Ian Stynes · Post by **Ian Stynes** » 28 Dec 2013 6:13 pm

Jackson made a pretty sweet sparkle finish steel for Robert Randolph:

-Ian

W. Van Horn · Post by **W. Van Horn** » 28 Dec 2013 7:12 pm

Edward - beautiful Marlen! So that still was laceured correct?
Richard - I've sen some of those. I read somewhere on the forum that carter stopped using the drum wraps for a specific reason, maybe it was tone?
Beautiful Jackson! So on that guitar is it a piece of sparkle mica?
Thanks y'all!

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 28 Dec 2013 7:38 pm

Thanks Will!

it's painted black. I really don't know if it's a laquered or oil base. It had a peculiar copedent and e9 was located to the back when I got it. One knee lever. Looks like it may have had more @ one time, but they're missing. It has great tone and stays in tune well...unless a bellcrank becomes loose, and they do periodically. I have full intentions of restoration, but it may be a while. Nearly everyone gripes about the changer, but they really ain't that complicated. This guitar definitely lets you know if it likes/dislikes any adjustment you've made!
I'll for sure have a restoration thread going, step by step, when I can get around to it.

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Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 28 Dec 2013 7:49 pm

My fender 400 is a gold-sparkle finish, but it's not painted or sprayed. It actually looks like it was a sheet of plastic that was vacuum-molded onto the guitar, since it's one piece and there are no seams. It's far thicker and tougher than any Fender finish. I don't know if it was a Fender experiment, or just someone's creation, someone who had access to some very unusual equipment.

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 28 Dec 2013 8:13 pm

Will Van Horn wrote: I read somewhere on the forum that carter stopped using the drum wraps for a specific reason, maybe it was tone?

I read or heard the same thing. And I seem to recall John Fabian saying that it hurt the tone and/or cut down on the sustain. I could be mistaken.

John LeMaster · Post by **John LeMaster** » 28 Dec 2013 8:43 pm

Johnny "Dumplin" Cox and his Zumsteel Encore with red, white and blue sparkle.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 28 Dec 2013 9:27 pm

Mike Perlowin wrote:
Will Van Horn wrote: I read somewhere on the forum that carter stopped using the drum wraps for a specific reason, maybe it was tone?
I read or heard the same thing. And I seem to recall John Fabian saying that it hurt the tone and/or cut down on the sustain. I could be mistaken.

A thick laminate never seemed to hurt the sound of the Emmons guitar, or the Carter/Zum/Mullen/et al., but John Fabian's opinions are things to consider.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 28 Dec 2013 9:50 pm

I have bought laminates from these guys before:

http://www.arpaindustriale.com/americas

It was a sorta teal color with subtle sparkles.

They are a slightly different thickness than standard. I remember Paul Franklin Sr needed to double up the laminate on a guitar he built for me. He thinks that was why that S12 sounded so solid and full.

I know of a JCH that used the Arpa laminate also.
It is very different stuff than drum covering.

I would look into car wraps if I wanted to change the look of a guitar that was already built.

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 28 Dec 2013 10:09 pm

I don't play good enough to have a sparkle guitar, attracts to much attention.

Greg Johnson · Post by **Greg Johnson** » 29 Dec 2013 11:15 am

Someone might make a wrap like that. Check out this forum thread. http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... fiber+wrap

W. Van Horn · Post by **W. Van Horn** » 29 Dec 2013 12:27 pm

That zum steel is killer! That's gotta be mica or something...
I'm wondering if one could just send a piece of mica to someone like Marty Bell and have him paint it.

Herb - I think the problem was drum laminate being too thin, not too thick. Just what I read, have no first hand knowledge.

Bob - those laminates look cool. I will probably check out auto wrap first to play around with, but I'm thinking long term I may want to go for a pretty outrageous look that will be best accomplished with something other than auto wrap.

Anyone noticed an audible difference in tone post auto-wrap?
Sparkle steels are pretty sweet! Please keep pics comin if any y'all feel like it.

Danny Letz · Post by **Danny Letz** » 29 Dec 2013 4:39 pm

I went to one of Larry Tolivers steel schools where Johnny Cox was the guest instructor. He said there that he had an Encore special ordered with drum wrap.

Brett Barton · Post by **Brett Barton** » 29 Dec 2013 4:55 pm

Here is Mickey Adams' Mullen that was mentioned earlier.

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Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 29 Dec 2013 6:27 pm

Herb Steiner wrote: A thick laminate never seemed to hurt the sound of the Emmons guitar, or the Carter/Zum/Mullen/et al., but John Fabian's opinions are things to consider.

I think that the deadening or tone-altering effect, if any, could probably be eliminated by simply not mounting the metal parts (changer, neck, keyhead) on top of the laminate. Machine out the laminate so that the parts mount to the wood, and the laminate butts up against the parts.

It only stands to reason that different layers of anything between the metal parts and the body would affect the tone.

Julian Goldwhite · Post by **Julian Goldwhite** » 11 Jan 2014 4:25 pm

I am, admittedly a sucker for all things bright and shiny, so I had this steel made for me by ETS in 2012. Aluminum body, sprayed with silver holoflake like a hot rod...

Edward Rhea · Post by **Edward Rhea** » 11 Jan 2014 4:31 pm

SWEET!julian

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 11 Jan 2014 4:37 pm

What about the finishes Fred uses on the Justice guitars? Some of those are pretty.

W. Van Horn · Post by **W. Van Horn** » 12 Jan 2014 8:55 am

Julian - Awesome ets!!
Marty - I haven't seen any sparkle zums

Drew Howard · Post by **Drew Howard** » 28 Mar 2015 12:36 pm

Wow, Mickey, beauty of a Mullen!

Frank De Vincenzo · Post by **Frank De Vincenzo** » 28 Mar 2015 12:48 pm

Precision Drum Co. in NY has exactly what you are looking for. When I was researching the finish for my steel I came across them. Look in their WRAPS section.
www.precisiondrum.com