Gibson Nighthawk refinish

Original finish stripped from guitar

The owner of this mid 90's Nighthawk was dissatisfied with the sinkage and cracking that had occurred on the paintwork, particularly on the body so decided that a complete strip and refinish in Pelham blue was in order.......But......

After removing all hardware and fittings, we stripped the finish back to bare wood and were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the timbers used....a nicely figured bookmatched centre joined maple top on a tight grained mahogany back with matching neck. After speaking with the client, it was decided that a sunburst finish would be more appropriate, to show off the maple, along with a stained semi-gloss finish for the back, sides and neck.

Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel
Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel
Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel
Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel

Grainfilling and binding repair

After fine sanding we applied grainfiller to the mahogany, repaired the binding in a few places then base coated the neck and body with a nitro-cellulose sealer, ready for the burst finish. We also flatted back the thick gloss on the headstock ready for re-coating with a thin nitro finish.

Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel
Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel
Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel
Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel

Refinish

With the binding masked off, the yellow and light brown was applied, followed by the outer dark brown tobacco burst around the edge. Once this had dried, we applied clear nitro and hung the guitar up to dry thoroughly prior to buffing and polishing.

Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel
Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel
Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel
Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel

Finished guitar

Once reassembled, it was treated to a full service and setup ready for collection.

Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel
Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel
Gibson Nighthawk refinish © 2025 Guitar Angel
Gibson Nighthawk refinish makeover © 2025 Guitar Angel