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Gloss, VOS, Aged?

CatManDoo88

Active member
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
156
From what I've seen recently it's gloss, gloss or gloss anyway if you're getting a new CS produced gat, you can spec VOS but they ain't vos'd like they used to be prior to the Murphy Lab guitars coming on board in '19/'20.
eg, my '22 M2M 335 spec'd VOS is gloss, but I don't have a problem with that.
Post some pics if you can, I'd be interested to see them.
I don't have photos but I can back up @1allspub on this. My 22 64 335 definitely was a true VOS finish. When I was polishing off the VOS gunk, there was a clear border between the surface I polished and where I hadn't. In particular, when I first took the pickguard it was like night and day. Very clear border between the polished area and unpolished area under the pickguard which had residue all over it.

Personally, I would prefer being able to buy Custom Shop reissues in gloss, but it is impossible to find them here in Canada. VOS for me as a result as a quick polish gets me pretty close. I will say that the lacquer on my 22 VOS does feel harder and less plasticky than what was on my 15 VOS LP.
 

goldtop0

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Aug 19, 2003
Messages
8,931
I don't have photos but I can back up @1allspub on this. My 22 64 335 definitely was a true VOS finish. When I was polishing off the VOS gunk, there was a clear border between the surface I polished and where I hadn't. In particular, when I first took the pickguard it was like night and day. Very clear border between the polished area and unpolished area under the pickguard which had residue all over it.

Personally, I would prefer being able to buy Custom Shop reissues in gloss, but it is impossible to find them here in Canada. VOS for me as a result as a quick polish gets me pretty close. I will say that the lacquer on my 22 VOS does feel harder and less plasticky than what was on my 15 VOS LP.

Cheers for this.
I'll look on the Long & McQuade site and see if there are any there.
 

PBZEPP

Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2022
Messages
32
Gloss. It’s hilarious the more “aged” they are, the more expensive they get.
 
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CatManDoo88

Active member
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
156
Cheers for this.
I'll look on the Long & McQuade site and see if there are any there.
No need to look, I've already got my dream Gibson. I did do a full search of L&M and the better, smaller dealers like Lauzon, Cosmo, Diplomate etc. (For any Canadian posters, I highly recommend the folks at Lauzon or Cosmo over L&M.) I think the only one L&M has in gloss is a 68 Les Paul Custom RI. Lauzon and Cosmo typically have much better Custom Shop inventory than L&M.

My only remaining hunt is for a Brownie-esque 56 Strat reissue, I'm probably going to have to do a custom order from the Fender Custom Shop for that anyways since I don't like the 6105 narrow tall frets Fender is putting all of their stock reissues these days, both the new AV2 and Custom Shop.
 

golfnut

Active member
Joined
Apr 18, 2016
Messages
196
I don't have photos but I can back up @1allspub on this. My 22 64 335 definitely was a true VOS finish. When I was polishing off the VOS gunk, there was a clear border between the surface I polished and where I hadn't. In particular, when I first took the pickguard it was like night and day. Very clear border between the polished area and unpolished area under the pickguard which had residue all over it.

Personally, I would prefer being able to buy Custom Shop reissues in gloss, but it is impossible to find them here in Canada. VOS for me as a result as a quick polish gets me pretty close. I will say that the lacquer on my 22 VOS does feel harder and less plasticky than what was on my 15 VOS LP.

I don't mind the VOS finish on my new R8. 6 months after I take possession of any of my gloss guitars and they're VOS anyway. I play them, sweat on em and couldn't be bothered to clean them mostly. I'd rather be playing them than wasting my time cleaning and shining them up.
 

CatManDoo88

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Mar 3, 2019
Messages
156
I don't mind the VOS finish on my new R8. 6 months after I take possession of any of my gloss guitars and they're VOS anyway. I play them, sweat on em and couldn't be bothered to clean them mostly. I'd rather be playing them than wasting my time cleaning and shining them up.
Yeah, it's not so much an aesthetic thing for me, but more the feel. I don't love the tackiness of the VOS treatment under my hands. Which is why I polish it off right away, I'm not the type that obsesses over keeping guitars clean and shiny. If anything, my aesthetic interest in a gloss finish would be knowing that all the dirt, grime, wear, and hardware patina was put there by me playing the guitar rather than the factory.
 

golfnut

Active member
Joined
Apr 18, 2016
Messages
196
I'm not sure why but my VOS R8 does not feel tacky. It looks and feel almost like a gloss but not quite as high shine as the gloss. I don't know if maybe I wiped it off the first time I did clean the guitar. Through out the summer I'll give it a wipe down once or twice through out as it gets pretty caked up with sweat right where my arm rests. But I only use a damp cloth. I don't remember the finish having anything sticky like they caked anything on it.
EDIT: I just took a real close look at it. The finish does look a little cloudy like theres shit all over it. But I haven't wiped it with a damp cloth since September so who knows whats on there. I really should clean it up. Les Pauls are such pretty guitars. My 2 custom shop Fenders (tele & strat) I don't even wipe the arm wear sweat off. They're journey man relics so they have absolutely no gloss.
 

CatManDoo88

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Mar 3, 2019
Messages
156
I'm not sure why but my VOS R8 does not feel tacky. It looks and feel almost like a gloss but not quite as high shine as the gloss. I don't know if maybe I wiped it off the first time I did clean the guitar. Through out the summer I'll give it a wipe down once or twice through out as it gets pretty caked up with sweat right where my arm rests. But I only use a damp cloth. I don't remember the finish having anything sticky like they caked anything on it.
EDIT: I just took a real close look at it. The finish does look a little cloudy like theres shit all over it. But I haven't wiped it with a damp cloth since September so who knows whats on there. I really should clean it up. Les Pauls are such pretty guitars. My 2 custom shop Fenders (tele & strat) I don't even wipe the arm wear sweat off. They're journey man relics so they have absolutely no gloss.
Yeah, to be fair, the tackiness came off very quickly for me and was much, more subtle than my 2015, so normal playing and cleaning would likely do it in very quickly. I also don't how long your R8 was on the wall in the shop before you bought it. Some playtests could gotten it off. Mine had been delivered to the dealer right before I bought it so It was truly factory fresh.
 

fredrogers75

New member
Joined
May 28, 2018
Messages
12
Mequiars no. 7 best de-VOSer for me. Gets um shiny. Gloss all the way.
I concur. Got a cme lp custom in VOS a couple years ago and the neck would literally get gunked up when I would play. I'd use the standard polish but a week later it started again. The Meguiar's polish works like a charm and is basically the last stage of finishing process. Gibson stops at the rough compound stage and leaves the red compound on the guitar. That's the gunk.

TL/DR:
Gloss is good. Meguiar's works as advertised.
 

Jethro Rocker

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Joined
Nov 6, 2022
Messages
274
No need to look, I've already got my dream Gibson. I did do a full search of L&M and the better, smaller dealers like Lauzon, Cosmo, Diplomate etc. (For any Canadian posters, I highly recommend the folks at Lauzon or Cosmo over L&M.) I think the only one L&M has in gloss is a 68 Les Paul Custom RI. Lauzon and Cosmo typically have much better Custom Shop inventory than L&M.

My only remaining hunt is for a Brownie-esque 56 Strat reissue, I'm probably going to have to do a custom order from the Fender Custom Shop for that anyways since I don't like the 6105 narrow tall frets Fender is putting all of their stock reissues these days, both the new AV2 and Custom Shop.
I prefer new to look new n glossy.
I also clean my guitars, I cannot stand the crustiness of filth on them.
That said the only Reissue other than Made to Measure I can find in Canada thru LnM are glossy finish but ugly fake rusty beat up hardware.
One would think you could get an R0 with new hardware.
 

CatManDoo88

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Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
156
I prefer new to look new n glossy.
I also clean my guitars, I cannot stand the crustiness of filth on them.
That said the only Reissue other than Made to Measure I can find in Canada thru LnM are glossy finish but ugly fake rusty beat up hardware.
One would think you could get an R0 with new hardware.
Yeah, the current hardware aging is not my favourite and is what turned me away from a Murphy Lab for my 335. The oxidation is red rust rather than the black/dark grey patina you see on most real vintage examples.

I swapped out the tailpiece studs on my 335 for Throbaks and got a new set of pickguard and truss rod cover screws from @DANELECTRO to get rid of the fake rust. Looks way better now!
 

Jethro Rocker

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Nov 6, 2022
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274
Yeah, the current hardware aging is not my favourite and is what turned me away from a Murphy Lab for my 335. The oxidation is red rust rather than the black/dark grey patina you see on most real vintage examples.

I swapped out the tailpiece studs on my 335 for Throbaks and got a new set of pickguard and truss rod cover screws from @DANELECTRO to get rid of the fake rust. Looks way better now!
Yeah why can't they sell new glossy finish with new glossy hardware?
 

CatManDoo88

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Mar 3, 2019
Messages
156
Yeah why can't they sell new glossy finish with new glossy hardware?
Are you sure you aren't just seeing VOS finishes at your L&M? I'm not aware of gloss models being sold here, they tend to be a limited thing that some special niche dealers like Wildwood get and in fact do have gloss hardware from the photos on their website:
01645_lg5.jpg

You might be confusing the newer VOS finishes for gloss as they are less cruddy as they should be. (Most of the well kept golden era guitars I have seen at my local vintage dealer are actually quite shiny.)
 

Jethro Rocker

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Nov 6, 2022
Messages
274
Are you sure you aren't just seeing VOS finishes at your L&M? I'm not aware of gloss models being sold here, they tend to be a limited thing that some special niche dealers like Wildwood get and in fact do have gloss hardware from the photos on their website:
01645_lg5.jpg

You might be confusing the newer VOS finishes for gloss as they are less cruddy as they should be. (Most of the well kept golden era guitars I have seen at my local vintage dealer are actually quite shiny.)
Ahh so the hardware isn't the only VOS part... they don't word it that way even in the Gibson website. So they have crudded up the body too....
That pic you posted is outstanding!! Perhaps a M2M model.
Thanks, I get it now. Never saw a VOS in stock here so wasn't sure.
 

Azmedian

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2017
Messages
35
I cant stand the fake "aged" or "Reliced" that goes on, genuine play wear shows weather an instument was played/loved or not I speak on this having bought brand new case queens myself I intend to keep "Untouched" as well as used genuine aged guitars
 

Jethro Rocker

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Nov 6, 2022
Messages
274
I cant stand the fake "aged" or "Reliced" that goes on, genuine play wear shows weather an instument was played/loved or not I speak on this having bought brand new case queens myself I intend to keep "Untouched" as well as used genuine aged guitars
I agree. Except I play all of mine. That is what they were made for. Seems criminal to not play them.
 

golfnut

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Apr 18, 2016
Messages
196
I cant stand the fake "aged" or "Reliced" that goes on, genuine play wear shows weather an instument was played/loved or not I speak on this having bought brand new case queens myself I intend to keep "Untouched" as well as used genuine aged guitars
I can't stand all those black guitars out there. Oh wait. I'll stop complaining and just won't buy any.:LOL:
 

Jethro Rocker

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Nov 6, 2022
Messages
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I can't stand all those black guitars out there. Oh wait. I'll stop complaining and just won't buy any.:LOL:
I guess since that was the topic of the thread, after all... one can state their dislike of a finish.That said, I don't understand why anyone would buy a guitar to never play it. What's the point? Missing out on years worth of playing enjoymemt so decades from now it is still mint?
 
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