Hi from Melbourne

Happy Easter Sunday to all.

First time would-be kit builder looking forward to the arrival of my LP-1 kit sometime this week, Australia Post permitting.

Looking forward to some interaction with fellow enthusiasts and isolated types, especially the ones like me looking to fill in the spaces of a sports-free television environment!! :rolleyes:

I am rather taken with the Gibson blueberry colour and that's probably the clear-colour toning I am going to run with.
One thing I am interested in is feedback from those who have used the Dingotone blue stain/oil, and how colour-fast you have found it.

Have read and listened to many who said their blue-topped guitars faded noticeably within one-two years whether stored in a case or not. Professionally I am aware that water-based stains will almost always fade and of course the deep pigment colours of blue and red are the most prone to fading, particularly so in our Australian sunlight. Therefore I think my best chances of finding a longer-lasting fade-resistant colour rests in an oil-based finish. I've seen one youtube video where a professional luthier rubbed oil artists paint directly into the wood for instance, thinning it out with spirit/turps and I'd imagine that might produce a longer lasting depth of colour.

Looking forward to your feedback and interaction over coming months.

Mike
Melbourne

Hi Mike, a happy Easter Sunday to you as well!

Unfortunately I don't know much about the UV/fade resistance of stains or dyes. I am building my tele with a solid metallic blue using Duplicolor acrylic lacquer. My assumption is that since the paint is made for cars, it should have some reasonable resistance to fading. The other thing to watch with any blue finish is making sure you don't use a clear coat that is known to yellow over time. Otherwise your guitar will turn green.

Welcome Mike

Hi and welcome to the forum Mike