Celluloid Binding

[Tom Bartlett]

Hey everyone!
I'm hunting for some cream celluloid binding to match a late 50's Gibson's binding.
I have found white binding, but obviously it's the wrong colour. Does anyone know where to get cream celluloid binding? if not is there a good way to dye the white binding?
will the white binding turn cream over time?
was the original late 50's gibson binding white to begin with, or did it start off cream?
Thanks everyone!

[Jim Bancroft]

After you apply the white binding, you could tint some lacquer or shellac, and apply with a Q-tip. Or, just apply clear lacquer or shellac, it will yellow over time.

Jim

[Tom Bartlett]

will the celluloid itself yellow over time? Given that the celluloid and nitro-cellulose it pretty closely related chemically i wonder if it would. is the switch tip on 50's Les Pauls made from celluloid?

[Greg Mirken]

Tom, I've never found a really satisfactory way to dye binding to look old. It's the lacquer that yellows, and some old Gibsons have become garishly yellow, others much less so. Look at the very edge where the lacquer is worn to tell the true color of the binding. Are you patching existing binding or rebinding a whole instrument? I have a jar of lacquer I keep in a sunny window which has turned a nice amber. I shoot some of that with an airbrush, then follow with a couple coats of clear lacquer to rub out. This looks right because it's the same thing that happens over time, but it's still no easy task to match the color in a patch situation.

[Tom Bartlett]

Hey Greg. i'm doing the whole instrument, so it does not need to be a 100% perfect colour match
are you suggesting i start with the pure white binding and then tint it?
I think thats what i'll do

[Greg Mirken]

That's what I'd do. If you are trying to "relic" it, you can scrape, sand, or buff most of your tinted or aged lacquer off the very edge to simulate wear.

[Doug Collins]

Is this not what you want?

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bindings,_trim/Plastic_binding/Cream_Pl...

Doug Collins

[Tom Bartlett]

hey doug, thats what I've always settled for, but I'm really trying to find some that is the right colour for vintage gibsons (almost white, like a very pale cream) and made from cellulose, instead of ABS, or whatever the stew mac stuff is.

[William F.Eden]

If I was looking I would E-mail Dave Nicole's In New York at [e-mail] if any one would have it Dave will .good luck

[Tom Bartlett]

Thanks for the lead. Unfortunately that email address for Dave is not working.
Do you know any other way of getting in touch with him? Does he have a business in bindings or inlay?
Thanks again!

[William F.Eden]

Tom this is his Fax # [phone] or Phone # [phone] He is a inlay artist but he sales all kinds of supplys Bill.""""""""

[Von Luhmann]

Tom,
I may be able to get you the pale white cream in celluloid. This will take a little bit of time if I can match it. Do you have a picture of it and what length, width and thickness of each pieces or piece?
Von

[Tom Bartlett]

Hey Von. The best I can do for pictures is to point you HERE or maybe you have a vintage guitar dealer nearby that would have a 50's Gibson in stock. Length should be about 60" to 65" 2mm (~.08") wide and 6mm (~.24") high would be large enough for any task I can think of.
If you have access to a maker of celluloid binding I could probably make up a piece of tinted plastic or card of some sort to give you an exact colour to match.