Barnseys spalted ES-1s

[Adam Barnes]

12 months ago a friend cameover and showed me the pitbull website and said we should build a guitar each. That was the start of something that has become somewhere between a hobby and an obsession. In a year ive built an es1tl, es2v, gr1sf and im finishing of the rc1m, 4 guitars in a year? I was out of t/o and needed some more to finish and couldnt help myself so I've ended up with this turning up today with the t/o, got some tonerider rebel p90s with it since i dont have any single coil guitars, i was going to mix some bondi blue and black stump to get a smokey blue like this but the spalted top looks so good i don't know if i want to stain it or not. Its maple veneer looks amazing as it is

[JohnH]

Nice score on that spalted top!

[Adam Barnes]

Thanks john

[Adam Barnes]

And i forgot to thank all the people on this great forum for there help

[Grubsta]

The spalted top looks really nice nice score indeed.

[wazkelly]

Nice grain Adam.

Coolangatta Gold looks good on spalted tops should you choose to use a DT stain.

[FrankenWashie]

That is a tasty top. Great score Barnesy!

[Andy40]

mmm smokey blue mmmmmmmm

[Adam Barnes]

mmm smokey blue mmmmmmmm

Hey andy any ideas on how to achieve a smokey blue colour ?

[Andy40]

Hey andy any ideas on how to achieve a smokey blue colour ?

Good question barnsey. I'd start with ebony timbermate. always looks a bit "husky" when you do that. but I found that the bondi blue still came out quite a brilliant blue after a few stain coats (but that was the look I was going for).

I reckon you got two choices, mix the black stump with bondi, like you said. I'd test that on scrap first.

or lay down a black stump first, then lightly sand back (1500 grit) and then put a bondi down. The spalted cap can handle it. the first layer of BS looks grey anyway. probably only needs one (maybe two) stain coats of bondi.