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A friend brought the resonator from his 1932 Gibson RB3 and wants me to refinish it for him. Approximately 40% of the finish has flaked off the back. Any advice would be greatly appreicated. It appears to me that the finish is on the binding and inlaid rings on the back. Should the finish be stripped or sanded? Did they use lacquer or varnish? He would like to use an aging toner in the new finish. Best place to get materials? Thanks in advance.

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Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.

Hi, Casey.
I'm no finishing guru, but I'll bet if you post some pictures of your resonator situation, you'll get lots of good advice from the finishing gurus who frequent this forum. I hope so, because I would like to read their responses, too.

Patrick

I read this one yesterday and thought someone would pipe up. I would be inclined to think that you might not want to go at it with your paint stripper and sander until you have talked to someone (not me) who is in the know. That jo may be worth a few $$$. It is a 32' Gibson even if it is a banjo. Just kidding. I wish I had one myself.

Cheers,
Danny

Yeah, the original neck is long gone but it is still worth $$$$$. I'm sure some purists are cringing at the thought of refinishing this, but it is not completely original and my buddy has owned it for about 18 years and wants to protect the wood.

_________________
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.

Let's see if I have this pic properly resized...

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Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.