Thread: First Kit guitar

welcome to the forum mate,

your in thhe right place

kit looks like a good starting point,

is that a setneck?
if so, you are going to have great fun putting the finish on it hahahahaha :P

to answer a few questions,
the worst that could happen:
since its flame maple veneer, the veneer is only 2or 3mm thick isnt it?
so you only have one chance to get the staining right, or you will sand through the veneer...

i dont know about the bunnings stains, never seen anyone use them,
the estapol can wont go too far,
wipe on poly from bunnings may be an option, i have used it with good results...

might be an idea to do a google search on guitar builds and finishing,
there many documentations of how to do different types of finishes/bursts/whatnot

if you look at glenns first build thread on here, he did a nice blue/black burst guitar...

if the headstock looks plain then it needs a logo!

lots of guitars do the solid black/transperant black back, sides, neck, headstock with the burst on the top only...

whats the go with hardware and pups? all included in the kit?

Welcome to the forum Iam,

The veneer will be thin (1mm?), as you have surmised you will get one go at the burst / tiger finish as the stains go in a fair way. I suggest you get a bit of something to practise on first, anything except mdf will probably be OK. Maple is fairly hard but practising on a softwood will bring benefit. I think sanding out the burst would work but hand rubbed bursts look good as well check out James Condino's tute http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworki....aspx?id=30182 I know you dont have water based dyes but solvents are a few aisles down in Bunnies

As for the headstock, why not add a ritzy veneer?

Keep us posted, first builds are a lot of fun.

cheers for the input guys.

I figured I only had one chance at the veneer. I've been doing a hell of a lot of reading before embarking on this. (It keeps you occupied while you're saving the cash.) I somehow missed both of the posts mentioned here tho. I'll have to look them up before I start testing.

Unfortunatly being a kit guitar I don't have any scrap maple to practice on. So I was hoping to a crap load ply with a strong grain I have lying around. Won't be the same but I rekon it should give me a good base to get used to applying the stain. Got tons of turps to thin down the dye so I'm not expecting to run out of solvents .

Andrew: Yep it's a set neck. (I've got plenty of masking tape and newspaper. Just have to be careful with the dye. I was actually expecting a bolt on but if I had of thought about it most Gibsons are either through body or set neck. You asked about the hardware...... I wish I could get the logos on the back of the humbuckers to show on camera. They're cheap Epiphone rip offs. Bloody hilarious. (I'll swap them out later. May even have a go at spinning my own. )

I'll have to have a think about the headstock.

Thanks guys for the input so far. Knew I was on the right forum.

BTW. Andrew love that Bass your working on. I'll be watching your other thread with anticipation.

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

Welcome to the forum Iam,

I think sanding out the burst would work but hand rubbed bursts look good as well check out James Condino's tute http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworki....aspx?id=30182

Sebastiaan,
Just checked out that video. Thanks for putting me on to that. It's visualizes everything I've read and gives me an appreciation for the need to dilute the dye. Total awsomeness.

Question tho: In this vid he wets the wood to bring up the grain. Because I'm using solvent based dye (It was what I could get my hands on localy) would I still wet with water or would I use turps instead?

Originally Posted by IAmSav

Sebastiaan,
Just checked out that video. Thanks for putting me on to that. It's visualizes everything I've read and gives me an appreciation for the need to dilute the dye. Total awsomeness.

Question tho: In this vid he wets the wood to bring up the grain. Because I'm using solvent based dye (It was what I could get my hands on localy) would I still wet with water or would I use turps instead?

Turps and water wont mix. Ive only used the water based dyes so I dont know if the turps will raise the grain. One way to find out is to try it on scrap.

BTW, I think those dyes will need to be diluted with acetone, check the MSDS on the website,

The more I look at the Proof Tint the more I think it's not going to give me the effect I want. Not to worry the colors are OK. just not as vibrant as I was wanting. I think I'm much better off ordering in some water based stuff. I'll still have a play with the other stuff though. I have been wrong before. As a matter of fact I'm wrong a hell of a lot more than I'm right. The water based stuff look to be a heap easyer to control and work with anyways.

Any sugestions of a good supplier either on line or better yet local?

I'm a twit (ubeaut.com.au) Remind me to use my eyes before posting next time

hmmm

my mind is telling me solvents + veneer top = large mess ......

cool, dont think iv ever seen a kit guitar come with a set neck

epiphone or not... any pickups are better than no pickups


as for my bass.....
welll you will have to go look at my thread cause im about to upload a hell of alot of pics.......
thats what happens when i work till 5 in the morning on these things..... lol

Late Reply.

On Friday I ordered some ubeut water based colors. I'll still use the other stuff somewhere just not on this one. The tutorial I was working off used solvent based dyes but after all input you guys are putting in I'm seeing that water based is a hell of a lot easyer to work with. Hopefully the water based stuff arrives today and I can start playing on scrap tonight.

Thanks again for the postings.

Alrighty. Water colors finaly arrived on Friday. Starting testing on scrap today. Hope to start on the guit tomorrow. I'll send photos tomorrow.

IAmSav the build is comming along great Im using the same estapol finish on my 1st accoustic build, it is comforting to see that someone else is using it also.

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f98/1st-accoustic-build-stewmac-93657


Richard

Originally Posted by Dix_Fix

IAmSav the build is comming along great Im using the same estapol finish on my 1st accoustic build, it is comforting to see that someone else is using it also.

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f98/1st-accoustic-build-stewmac-93657


Richard

Test patches went well...... the black aint black enough so I'm using the solvent based stuff for the back and sides and water based for the delicate veneer. They don't react with each other which is good too. Photos on hopefully tonight. The test I did with the estapole went well too. Hopefully the glass like finish will happen.

Post some photos of the finish. I'd like to see what it comes out like.

That is my hope a glass like finish.

Mind you whenever I have bought accoustics i steer well away from anything with a shiny finish, i just love the natural look im not even fussed with satin or matt,,,,,,,,, but hey when it comes to making a piece of art & making sure every little bit & piece is sanded & shaved till your craping sawdust, I want it to shine

Allrighty....... been up to my armpits in dye...... I look like a smurf at the moment.

The tests went well. Darkened the blue a touch on the guit. Didn't like the color on my test patches. so I made a small patch just for the blu. It cam out nice on the guitar itself as you will see. This photo was taken directly after dying so it will lighten up a shade or two on the finished product.

The plan from now is to coat the back and neck with the solvent based black and blend the top in on the unveneered bits. Although looking at how the darker blue looks over the black water based I'm starting to think that I might do totaly water based...... I'll see how it drys before making a decision.

I think the estapol will do the job nicely. I only did 2 or 3 coats in testing and it came out realy well. Even on cheap pine.

The only thing I'm lost on is the headstock. I don't know what I'm going to do there. I have a mate who's a graphic designer.... .he works at a place that can print on transparent stuff... .I might see what he can whip up for me as a logo.


Anyways....... here's the pics so far. I'm still working today so I'll keep you posted.