Kurt,
A good, or great, painter can enhance a good or great frame. A poor paint job (or other improper finish) can destroy a masterpiece. A good paint job will make a piece of crap look good. A great paint job will make a piece of crap look great. I actually don't do that sort of thing these days; I only paint the custom frames of two top notch framebuilders, yourself and Richard Moon. I have seen (more so in the past) at JB's place some bikes that weren't worth the paint they were painted with. But the result after considerable attention to fixing and prepping the hell out of frames that were made by cavemen, was a beautiful looking professionally finished product. Not uncommonly a product that came back within a short time for a touch-up neccessitated by a frame failier of some sort. Anyone can buy the super paint job. Sometimes the paintjob is more super than you think.
I have to admit, there is special satisfaction in not having to endure the "blinded by paint job syndrome". At least if they are blinded, it's my fault. Makes me feel a little better.
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
The only time I get blinded by a paint job is if it splashes in my eye.
>
> Brian,
> Are you implying that some builders are using painters to cover up sloppy or
> substandard work? Blasphemy! <snicker>
>
> Curt Goodrich
> Minneapolis, MN
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian Baylis" <rocklube@adnc.com>
> To: <REClassicBikes@aol.com>
> Cc: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 26, 2003 9:16 AM
> Subject: Re: [CR]Re: What really sells a race frame
>
> > Martin,
> >
> > There is a running joke amongst bike painters about how much the frame
> > counts compared to what the paint job looks like. I just mentioned to
> > the World Famous Lou Deeter the other day that many observers of lugged
> > bike frames do not know what "IS" lugwork and what isn't. Many can't see
> > past a nice paint job. I've seen a pretty good number pigs made into
> > silk purses by a good painter. Happens every day. Even a bare frame
> > tells only a fraction of the story in regards to what kind of care was
> > taken during construction. All it takes to distract most people from the
> > actual details of a frame is a "pretty face".
> >
> > Since I'm on both sides of the fence I get a laugh out of the situation.
> > Dave Tesch used to get quite upset when he would deliver a new frame to
> > someone and the first and only thing they would say was how beautiful
> > the paint job was. Made Dave crazy to hear that. Dave Moulton knew the
> > "paint principal", which is heavily amplified by chrome, VERY well. I
> > would say he got more out of the paint bit than any framebuilder in
> > history. His reputation was truely built on marketing/promotion/fancy
> > paint (which he picked up in a hurry from a certain few So. Cal.
> > painters) in a way I've never seen before or since. For the level of
> > frames that the paint went on there has not been anyone who got more
> > milage out of slick paint in dazzleing colors than Moulton.
> >
> > It's a fact of life; back in the day, chrome and paint sold bikes in
> > MOST cases. Period.
> >
> > Brian Baylis
> > La Mesa, CA
> > Wish it weren't true; doesn't matter to me if it is.
> > >
> > > All this talk about race material and weight for race frames has not
> touched
> > > on the really important aspect of frame selection. Does it look nice! I
> > > always pick my frames on this principle. I like chromed bits, so they
> usually
> > > end up being steel. Nothing to do with the fact that I weight nearly 200
> lbs.
> > >
> > > Nice paint sells frames.
> > >
> > > Regards
> > > Martin Coopland