GFI epoxy finish

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 11 Dec 2020 1:02 pm

What’s the Epoxy for on GFI.
I took the epoxy off an buffed the End plates, pedal board an the three aluminum trim strips in front of this GFI.
Black Formica an buffed aluminum is hard too beat on a pedal steel.
On the models with colors I can see the reason for epoxy.

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 11 Dec 2020 1:03 pm

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 11 Dec 2020 1:04 pm

Last picture is brushed epoxy finished..

Doug Earnest · Post by **Doug Earnest** » 11 Dec 2020 1:59 pm

"What is the epoxy for?"

It is so you don't have to buff any aluminum and can get on with the business of trying to make a living building these things. GFI is the sales leader so apparently everyone doesn't need to have things shiny.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 11 Dec 2020 2:14 pm

Johnnie,
You did good!!

Erv

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 11 Dec 2020 2:16 pm

I had a shiny Franklin and now have an "epoxy" GFI Expo D-10. I'm perfectly happy with the stock factory finish. And, easier to maintain. No more Simichrome or Mother's Polish to try and keep the polished aluminum shined up. Just set it up, tune up and play.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 11 Dec 2020 3:03 pm

Gene was proud of his epoxy finishes. I remember the first year he displayed the GFI brand at the ISGC. I stopped in his room to check them out. Gene was very friendly and answered questions freely, but the one thing he talked about the most was the finish, how protective it was and that it required almost no maintenance.

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 11 Dec 2020 3:19 pm

Thank you Erv!

Andrew Goulet · Post by **Andrew Goulet** » 12 Dec 2020 6:41 am

Looking good! I want the audience to squint when they look at me under the lights...

Ken Mizell · Post by **Ken Mizell** » 12 Dec 2020 2:05 pm

Johnie - That is certainly purdy - but I have to agree with Doug and Jack on this. I love shiny stuff, and I enjoy polishing it too, but the GFI finish isn't bad at all.

Since you went this far, put some of those shiny corners on it too.

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 12 Dec 2020 4:19 pm

Thanks Ken . The epoxy is fine. I just like the buffed aluminum look better.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 13 Dec 2020 7:12 am

I agree with Ken.
You need to put those shiny corners on also.

Erv

Steve Spitz · Post by **Steve Spitz** » 13 Dec 2020 10:35 am

There is no wrong , and it’s all good. I’ve owned GFI (x2) and like the look.

Johnnie, I think that looks really cool.

Doug, your right, less parts to polish. Mine was the candy blue frame with black mica, keyless. While unconventional looking ( compared to other steels) I thought mine looked really great. Turns out the finish wasn’t as durable as expected, but was easy to touch up and shine.

As for the general reaction to the different look of the GFI , almost every crowd I ever played for never saw a steel before, and even the ones that had , everyone “ thought it looked really cool” , including me.

The only one who ever noticed it was different was the one old steel player I invited to my gig. Regardless, I think the GFI, whether polished, Lacquered, or painted, looks really nice. Plays smooth, rock solid tuning, easy to work on, great customer support, and affordable.

They seem undervalued and underappreciated.

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 13 Dec 2020 10:45 am

People have different tastes. That's the thing about owning something...you can modify, alter, paint, strip it or whatever you want to do with it.

Steve Spitz · Post by **Steve Spitz** » 13 Dec 2020 11:05 am

Oops...double post....

Jim Fogarty · Post by **Jim Fogarty** » 13 Dec 2020 4:40 pm

Good work, Johnnie. As others have said......if it's your guitar, do what you want with it.

I do have to say though, if I were buying another used GFI and that had been done, I wouldn't consider it an upgrade. I like the stock look, and would prefer to buy it un-messed with.

YMMV

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 13 Dec 2020 5:49 pm

:with this an a little elbow grease you can have a shine

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 13 Dec 2020 6:03 pm

Yeah, I said could do it, not should do it...

Andrew Goulet · Post by **Andrew Goulet** » 13 Dec 2020 6:04 pm

My five year old daughter loves to polish the endplates with Mother's until they're like a mirror. I gave her a cut of the guarantee.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 14 Dec 2020 7:28 am

It's ironical, people buy vehicles with all the chrome they can get but they don't want to bother shining up their pedal steels.

Erv

Steve Spitz · Post by **Steve Spitz** » 14 Dec 2020 8:31 am

Erv,
You’re right about that. For me, I never care about the chrome on my car.

My steels stay well polished, and shine!

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 14 Dec 2020 10:37 am

Erv Niehaus wrote:It's ironical, people buy vehicles with all the chrome they can get but they don't want to bother shining up their pedal steels.
Erv

Not much chrome on vehicles these days!

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 14 Dec 2020 10:44 am

Pickup bumpers?
Motorcycles?
Peterbilts?

Erv

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 19 Dec 2020 9:33 am

On the models with color the Epoxy finish works very well for sure.

Dustin Rigsby · Post by **Dustin Rigsby** » 19 Dec 2020 5:02 pm

Doug Earnest wrote:"What is the epoxy for?"

It is so you don't have to buff any aluminum and can get on with the business of trying to make a living building these things. GFI is the sales leader so apparently everyone doesn't need to have things shiny.

I agree with Doug. Iâ€™ve never owned a gfi, but Iâ€™ve always liked their â€œindustrialâ€ style. Puts me in the mind of some of the machinery I have worked with over the years.

In response to Erv, most shiny Harleys spend most of their lives in the garage, most shiny hot rods are trailer queens, and most shiny Peterbuilts are driven by solar powered blow hards

!