Thread: Project BC Rich Gunslinger - What wood is this? and suggestions on finish

ok just so im understanding this.. its the stain that does the emphasising of the grains and gives it that color and the lacquer just goes over the top to give it that glassy/wet shiny look? correct?

so i can go for any colored stain etc and then just lacquer over the top to seal and emphasise?

There is an excellent video here:
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworki....aspx?id=30182
Because the grain of the timber absorbs liquid at different rates due to its pourousness (is that even a word?) more stain will USUALLY be absorbed into the darker areas, so you get a higher contrast. Watch the video right thru, it really is very good.

OHHH MANNN thats fricken awesome ... thanks man!! i love that tiger striped look.. you are right its an awesome video.

you really need to do some solid reading
the real art of woodcraft is in the finishing
any dunce can cut bits of wood on accurately set up machinery and get em to stick together quite well

benedetto and hiscocks book's are great staring places

Originally Posted by mongrel

There is always this too:
http://www.bcrich.com/gunslinger_retro.asp

Its alder on this site so...

Did a google on "BC Rich" and "poplar" and there were quite a few hits, so they have and do use poplar. Alder sells a lot of more guitars and looks and weighs the same as poplar with a coat of solid colour on top as well.

But having said all that the advertising blurb definitely says Alder so it probably is alder....but I still see poplar with the green tinge/stains.

Reminds me of a metallic grey holden I was going to buy many years ago. Took my fashion designer sister-in-law to look at it. She couldnt see it from 20 feet away.....the grey one in front of your nose.....she could only see a lilac (ie. sort of purple) car. When I looked closer she was right.

Sometimes I see what I want to see.....but after nearly buying a lilac car and a lot of crap timber I see green poplar, pink alder and 5 shades of white for american maple.

I'll try to upload this shot again where I see the green stains. Hopefully it will work.
The resolution of this shot is not as good as the original.

http://www.bordersstores.com/search/...rchType=Author

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Wood-Finishing-Select-Finish/dp/0875967345/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211374704&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Understanding Wood Finishing: How to Select and Apply the Right Finish: Bob Flexner: Books[/ame]

These are links to Bob Flexner's book on both Amazon and Borders. Even if you can't use these two sellers there, you can surely find the book through one you CAN use. Seriously - this would be the best investment you could make for understanding wood finishing.

coool thanks guys. Ive done heaps of reading on the web just seems everyone has a different method so it can get confusing. I really liked that video though. Its amazing how seeing something being done answers sooo many little questions as opposed to just some steps.. ill look into the book aswell and perhaps get some practice wood and see what i can do with stains and dyes before attacking my gtr body..

if i have further questions or anyone has more suggestions or really good links or an existing thread in this forum that might help me .. please let me know. alllll exciting .. cant wait for a final finish and ill post the end result when i eventually get there..

im considering a nice colored dye/stain (like in the video) instead of the honey colored look. that green dye really did it for me in that video.. i love flashy 80's colors (hence the 87 gunslinger guitar in the firstplace) .. i just wonder how the wood/grains on my gtr body would take to such an effect .. i know what the guy in the video was using was maple ..

once again you have all been most helpful and making it all less confusing for me. i appreciate it.

just get started
if it goes wrong sand it off and start again - you learnt something

I have a sign up in my shed:

"Think less...
...Do more!"
Well said old_picker

G'Day G,
i will throw in my two Bob's worth also, its an easy question.
Tree Wood.

he he..............can't deny that !!!!!!

heheheh nice.. mystery solved!! .. next mystery

anybody know where i can get the wood dyes as per (in Sydney, southwest area)
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworki....aspx?id=30182

bunnings dont stock it .. let alone know what they talking about (depends who u talk to) .. one was telling me they not sure what grain filler is BUT they dont have it .. they told me this RIGHT in front of a section that had sand and sealer AND grain filller(which i found out just by looking myself) (only watyl and some other brand) .. hehe was very funny.. these types finishes wont affect tone as such will they? i mean i know wood is wood and theres no special paint etc for instruments but just wondering.

Im in Sydney and looking for somewhere that might stock those colored dyes .. if not bunnings had some natural wood stays like mahogony red and all but i wouldnt mind those colored dyes .. i want to try something similar to that video (not sunburst persay) but more start with the amber dye then the black dye to bring out the figure in the grain then try a color over the top .. saying that noone in my area seems to know where the timber places are .. i wouldnt mind just getting some offcuts of something similar to the gtr body i have so i can practice first with dyes and methods and techniques ..

any suggestions? thanks ppl

ps. just got an RG550LTD that looks pretty mean in black with mirror pickgard .. a few dings on the body so might have to repaint this puppy too hahaha .. maybe strip it back and start a fresh, lots of cracks and dings. That should be fun too .. told ya i have the bug!

I had a fiddle with "Dylon" (tradename) fabric dyes. They are water based and came out pretty good. The instructions say they can be used on wood and the colour (purple) was distinct and even.
Worth a look, about $6 for a little tin at the cemist, but this stuff is CONCENTRATED, so you only need a tiny bit.
This photo was done with feast watson (from bunnings) over tassie oak. Its mahogany on the outside with golden teak on the inside, and a sealing caot of orange shellac.


Jason