FrankenWashie's Third, The Cliche Black LP

[FrankenWashie]

Well it was going to be solid black matte. A dark metal weapon for the pounding of riff driven hard rock, alt rock anger and Metal BRUTALITY.

That was the spec behind the custom order, solid hog no veneer, no binding stipulation, unadorned and deeply, darkly BLACK.

But Adam had advised, honestly and apologetically that factory had goofed. (oddly enough of factory's 3 goofs on customs in the October/November seafrieght consignment, two now reside with me).

A flamed maple veneer had been applied, would I still accept? The answer? Well yes, at worst I will just sand it off to get what I want.

A matte black, Zero adornment, black chrome hardware LP.

Then we started looking at it.


A lovely dark piece of Ebony, unmarked and unadorned as ordered



There's actually a veneer on the BACK.....



And the b@#$%rd thing is one complete slice AND has figure in it!

But the final hit to my plan for a Matte Black metal weapon upon which Satan himself... or possibly Dedman...would play hard and heavy rock or metal music (or some searing slide if he had a devilish mind to do so)...



A pristine, Flamed Maple Veneer. To be fair not a 100% book match. But beauteous nonetheless.
There is no glue spotting. At all. It's as if the factory is mocking me. I stick to my plan and I cover this up. And I must hate myself for doing so.

The alternative is a gloss black back and sides with a thin black burst to translucent satin clear finish. Which is not what I wanted to do, and sans binding I feel is going to look somehow wrong on an LP.

The edges of both veneers and the profile laminate on the top show prominently, so it is either heavy fill and cover, or experiment with binding. One course leads to covering wood, the other, deep luthiery water that I have not navigated.

A conundrum inside a dilemma tied up neatly with the itchy string of wood desecration angst.

Watch this space.

[Simon Barden]

Buy another LP kit, swap the necks over (if they fit well enough) and make this body into a guitar for feeling nice days?

[FrankenWashie]

Buy another LP kit, swap the necks over (if they fit well enough) and make this body into a guitar for feeling nice days?

The days I play metal/rock/blues (jazz, reggae and classical) are the feeling nice days Simon. If it a feeling bad day I'll play something from the Smiths. Or The Cure. Or country. <shivers> I really don't like those days.

[wazkelly]

Wow Frankie, what a dilemma!

I have devilishly contemplated doing something similar to Arzi's Barncaster that would require using Black Ink Jet Ink and reckon it might just work on this. Here are some ideas.....

Wipe the black ink on with a rag and allow it to get touch dry and then wipe off as much as you can on the front and back with a 'just damp' (not wringing wet) cloth to soak up as much of the black as possible but leaving all that you can on the edges to act as a black border. Remember to keep rinsing the cloth out in a bucket of water so that it can absorb more ink on each pass.

Leave to dry overnight or 24 hours if possible then hit it again with another damp cloth wipe to see if any more ink comes off. The grain should be popping by now. If things don't look dark enough repeat step one again. After a second drying period and subsequent damp wipe the grain should be popping off the dial. Don't forget to do the back of the neck and maybe headstock face too at the same time. Don't think it will need a 3rd ink session as you run the risk of too much soaking in. Did this on my Blue Tele and it brought the best out in the flame maple top and reckon It would look unreal in shades of black through to grey.

As I have had best results with TO that would be my choice for top coats however anything goes over ink provided you give it plenty of time to fully dry so that leaves you with lots of options.

[gavinturner]

A tough decision Frankie! Personally I reckon stick to your guns and do the build you saw in your head, .but that is a nice piece of veneer!

cheers,
Gav

[FrankenWashie]

I'm going to give it a quick rear and side sand to see how it is going to clean up.
I've a feeling that there may be a need for some hefty grain filling about the edges where the laminated top/veneer/main body come together.
What happens next will probably depend on the out come of that and further decisions can be made from there.

Part of me wants to agree with you @Gav, without a binding on it, its going to look odd with a burst or a plain front. I might have to be a philistine and just work to the plan I had. Though it won't hurt to try Wazkelly's suggestion just to see how it comes up. If it all becomes smeared in brown, sand back, Prep and ...

BLACK

[Andyxlh]

My first build is a flat black LP copy with an orange stripe...... they do look good that way! I painted it with White Knight epoxy enamel and it has lasted a few years well, done a few gigs and a fair few rehearsals too. Polish it with silicon spray and it almost has a leather finish to it.

[wazkelly]

That's the spirit, Eh Bro!

Any plans for a silver fern logo somewhere on it?

Cheers, Waz.

[FrankenWashie]

That's the spirit, Eh Bro!

Any plans for a silver fern logo somewhere on it?

Cheers, Waz.

Ha! I'd almost forgotten that conversation Waz! No, no fern on this one either. That would be adornment. This build is intended to be anti-adornment.

If I could get flat black fret wire, the silver stuff would be coming out.

[FrankenWashie]

My first build is a flat black LP copy with an orange stripe...... they do look good that way! I painted it with White Knight epoxy enamel and it has lasted a few years well, done a few gigs and a fair few rehearsals too. Polish it with silicon spray and it almost has a leather finish to it.

Oh me LIKEY!!