Should I sand the binding of my Les Paul?

April 26, 2007 12:12 AM

Should I sand the binding of my Edwards Les Paul?

I just bought a new Edwards Les Paul - Jimmy Page model. The guitar sounds great and plays great, but the body binding is really sharp. It's practically at a 90 degree angle and rubs the underside of my forearm raw after a few hours of playing.

If you can't picture what I'm describing imagine running your fingers along the edge of your guitar's body. Instead of a smooth edge, it's a sharp line like the edge of a wooden desk.

I don't know if this is normal or if someone at the factory forgot to sand down the body binding. I've never seen another Edwards Les Paul for comparison.

My question is: should I sand down the body binding myself? It seems like an easy enough job. The guitar has a very very thin coat of nitrocellulose so there won't be much between the wood and the sandpaper.

I know once I do this, the guitar will be pretty much unsellable, but it looks so damn good. I'll take the hit. If sanding it myself isn't too hard, how do I do it and what do i need?

posted by atmu to sports, hobbies, & recreation (8 comments total)

It might be worth speaking to somebody from the company. It could be a "faulty" guitar. Considering something like this is (I'm assuming) a considerable investment, it may be worth speaking to the company and seeing if they can swap the guitar/fix the problem for you. Sanding it down could damage the body, and make your guitar even more subject to wear and tear.
posted by cholly at 12:25 AM on April 26, 2007

You need to take off a good deal of wood (or plastic, if that's what you mean by binding) to put a comfortable radius on a sharp edge like this - a set of wood files and rasps are the right instruments, not sandpaper. It'll look ugly afterwards, and if you sand, you will screw up the finish in places where you didn't mean to have the sandpaper ever touch the guitar.

Here's a pic of a similar guitar to yours. You can clearly see that the edges look radiused. If you got your guitar cheap, I'd guess you got a factory second; some grunt at the factory forgot to radius the edge. As a comparison I have a Dillion Les Paul I picked up new for less than $100; one of the abalaminate inlays on the headstock was put in backwards so the white plastic side is showing and the mother-of-pearl is glued to the wood.

My vote is don't do it, because you'll be unhappy with the result.
posted by ikkyu2 at 12:26 AM on April 26, 2007

Yah, I'd just put some non-residue-leaving tape on the sharpest spots, or wear a thicker shirt until the binding wears down naturally over time.

Nah, I'd sand the mofo down to the bare wood to make it look like I'd been playing it for years.

/finds les pauls unplayable
posted by spitbull at 4:23 AM on April 26, 2007

If you live in the United States, there's probably a professional or hobbyist luthier nearby. Contact them, describe the problem, and ask if the job's worth doing and how much it would cost.

A professional-quality job can potentially increase the resale value since it's fixing a flaw, though probably not enough to cover the expense of the repair.
posted by ardgedee at 4:34 AM on April 26, 2007

Sand it yourself - what good is a guitar that hurts to play?

Dont worry about the resale value - it's an Edwards, not a '59 Gold Top.
posted by the cuban at 4:42 AM on April 26, 2007

Take it back. That's not an acceptable flaw in a guitar you paid full price for, and it's likely you won't be happy with even a professional repair job. It will never look like a shiny new guitar again once you start messing with it.

If you end up getting a different guitar, let me suggest the Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany. I just bought one a couple weeks ago-- it's only $800, it plays like a dream, and the Burstbucker Pro pickups are some of the best sounding I've ever played. Not as pretty as yours, but a heel of a deal on a real Gibson.

/finds Les Pauls incredible
posted by InfidelZombie at 9:16 AM on April 26, 2007

oh hell, I meant hell
posted by InfidelZombie at 9:16 AM on April 26, 2007

You'd have to first of all determine that there is enough binding thickness that you can sand/file a decent enough radius without going through to the wood.

Try to get an opinion from a luthier (guitar-maker/fixer). It's my experience that the binding is lacquered, so if you are able to sand to a smooth enough finish, then carefully lacquer the sanded edge, it will look as good as new.

(I got a Dillion Les Paul too. They're sweet, and very good finish)
posted by Artful Codger at 11:18 AM on April 26, 2007