How do I get back to Kansas?

[Moose60]

Sir,
So I bought an Es335 Bass kit. it's beautiful. All of the pieces fit together well. It's really a great job. And I'm really excited about putting it all together and playing it! I wanted to stain it rather than paint it to preserve the natural tone of the wood. I chose a color that I thought I'd like from Wudtone - Surfer Girl - which in the pictures looks like a pair of faded well worn blue jeans but turns out to be greenish in color. I sanded down with 220 grit, wiped down and applied a base coat. ...It's just ugly! I'm convinced I didn't do something right but before I throw in the stained towel and paint it white I wanted to know if there's any way to sand back down to the flame-top and start over. I'm also convinced now that I'm all musician and no luthier! I've learned my lesson! Please Mr. Wizard! Get me back to Kansas! If that's not possible can I seal the stain and paint over it without bleed thru?

[Fretworn]

Can you provide more info about your process. How did you sand before staining? How many coats of stain are in the picture? Do you do any grain filling prior to staining, if so what did you use?

[Moose60]

Can you provide more info about your process. How did you sand before staining? How many coats of stain are in the picture? Do you do any grain filling prior to staining, if so what did you use?

Thanks for the reply. Here are the steps:
I wiped down with a dry cloth
I hand sanded lightly with 220 grit. (barely raised any dust)
I wiped down again and then applied a base coat. (I didn't apply filler)
I let the base coat dry for 2 days and then used fine steel wool to smooth out.
I wiped down with a dry cloth and then applied another base coat. The picture is the final result.

[dingobass]

Wow... Can see why you are not a happy camper....
It has been a while since we stopped supplying wudtone so my advice at would be to contact the manufacturer for help and advice.
In the mean time, give it a light scuff sand with 400 grit and try another coat.
Sometimes the first coat can look like hell.

[Moose60]

Thanks Dingobass. I'll try your suggestion. I will contact Wudtone though I'm not real confident about the result after this and being misled on the color. If all else fails can I seal this bad job up and paint over it?

[dingobass]

Thanks Dingobass. I'll try your suggestion. I will contact Wudtone though I'm not real confident about the result after this and being misled on the color. If all else fails can I seal this bad job up and paint over it?

Yes, you can scuff sand and apply a good quality finish over it.
My recommendation would be to use a Nitro finish such as Behlen which is available in rattle cans.
They make a really nice Seafoam green, as close to the original as it gets.

[Dedman]

Hate to say it but to me it looks like you've sanded right through the veneer

[Moose60]

Thanks Dedman. The pictures don't really tell the whole story. The veneer is still intact. I only hand sanded once. The stain job is really that bad. I don't know if I didn't wait long enough between applications before applying the next coat. I thought 48 hours would be enough.

[Simon Barden]

I'm just wondering if (apart from the obvious colour deviation from expected) that it's the worst case of glue seepage I've yet seen on a PBG. The veneer should have easily absorbed the stain easily and evenly if it wasn't a glue issue.

Can you take some more photos from a bit closer of the finish?

[Moose60]

I'm just wondering if (apart from the obvious colour deviation from expected) that it's the worst case of glue seepage I've yet seen on a PBG. The veneer should have easily absorbed the stain easily and evenly if it wasn't a glue issue.

Can you take some more photos from a bit closer of the finish?

I'll send more pics today. It looked to me like glue spots too. Maybe a bad batch of stain but It looks to me like it's kind of adhering to something other than the wood. I tested on a 2x4 pin and the stain went on OK with no splotches on the first application.