Hi. I've been asked to make this for a 50th birthday. Can anyone advise how best to get the colour sort of fading out into the middle? I don't have an air brush. Also what would be best to use as the strings? And lastly, is there any way to get the metallics shining brightly silver? I have the silver dust which I mix with alcohol, but I find it's quite dull and tends come off quite easily once it dries.

http://www.musik-produktiv.co.uk/gibson-les-paul-standard-08-hsb-10052841.aspx

thanks in advance

Hi Meg,
I only feel qualified to help you with the string part of your question. I've made two guitar cakes, but nothing as detailed as the one you pictured. To make the strings, I loosened up some fondant with a lot of Crisco. I fed it through my extruder. I used the disc with the small holes, but I covered the disk with aluminum foil so that only two holes were open. That way when I fed out the strings, I could keep them straight and separated so they wouldn't stick together. I squeezed them out onto waxed paper and painted them silver using the luster dust and vodka. When the paint dried, I placed them on the cake.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjscakes/5198180539/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjscakes/4591825681/in/photostream

Hope this helps...sorry I'm not any help with your other questions.

I just made the almost same cake a few weeks ago (in my gallery). I used an airbrush for the fading colors...I'm not sure how you'd achieve it otherwise, unless you diluted some color paste and sort of smeared it across. For the strings I used jewelry wire, which didn't end up working out too well only because my end pieces were not dried on and stuck to the cake yet to hold the string tight. The silver pieces I did use silver dust and alcohol, and they were not very bright. Regardless, I don't think it took away from the cake as a whole, especially for my first guitar cake!

Good luck!

Hi thanks to you both for your answers. I must say they are all fab guitar cakes, I doubt mine will turn out as good, but I can live in hope!

I'm thinking I may just use something inedible for the strings, but putting something like Krispy treats (the handle will be made from this) at the base of the handle so I can put whatever I use in and hopefully have it held in place well without tearing the fondant.

I think everyone seems to have the same problem with silver, I've not found anything yet that can show up well - unless any other cakesters know some answers?