ATL-1SW Question

Hello Chaps, new member here, I have ordered an ATL-1SW which is in customs but can't really open it until Christmas.
I will have a quick look at it when it arrives to check for damage.
While looking at yootoob vids etc. to research the build some questions come to mind.
Therefore I wonder if anyone can answer these questions.
1) Are string trees provided in the hardware pack ?
2) How thick is the veneer ? Is it the sort of thickness used in marquetry or a bit thicker ?
I ask as I am looking at a dyed and rubbed on guitar finish but don't want to take off too much on the initial sanding.
Thanks in advance, FB.

I’ll take on the veneer question. Veneers are 0.6mm thick (or 0.023622 of an inch). Avoid sanding as much as possible and I would stick with 240 grit. A rough grit will sand through the veneer, a fine grit inhibits dye absorption (or so I’m told).

It should come with string trees.

You really shouldn't need to sand the veneer. If you use a water based stain, then that will raise some grain so you'll want a very light rub down afterwards. I'd go finer than 240 for that, maybe 800. Just rough enough to catch and remove the loose grains without affecting depth. And that s a very light sand.

What you will need to sand is the ash body. This will also need grain filling as ash is an open pored wood, so it will take ages to fill in the pores with finish if you don't grain fill (assuming you want a smooth body finish).

What you will need to check for are glue spots around the edges of the veneer and along any veneer join lines. Use turps, white spirit or meths (metho if you are Australian) to wet the veneer. Don't use water as it raises the grain. Any areas with glue on the surface will show up lighter as the glue prevents the absorption of the liquid. Take a photo when wet, so you don't forget where any of the areas are.

If you have got glue spots, then you'll need to use a glue remover like Goof Off (any proprietary glue remover should work). Rub it well in with a toothbrush or similar and apply several times. Let it dry and then wet the top again to see how well things are progressing. Repeat as necessary until it's all gone.

You may find it hard to mask the very thin upper edge of the binding on this guitar. If so, I'd use a water based stain/dye rather than a spirit based one. Spirit based stains are a bit easier to use than water based IMO, but they have less surface tension so get into the micro-cracks in the binding, and to a much greater depth than water based stains. Water stains tend to just surface fill larger cracks and which can almost always be scraped away with a sharp knife. I use a scalpel for this.

Even when masking up, you'll end up with some stain on the binding, but a quick scrape will restore the finish. I used a spirit-based stain on one guitar body, and ended up having to paint the binding as I couldn't remove the numerous stained cracks by scraping - even quite vigorous scraping. You simply can't see the cracks with the naked eye on plain binding, but they will be there. The micro-cracks are far more numerous where the binding goes round tight curves (as there is a lot more stress). On a straight edge, you're unlikely to have any at all.

Thank you both for your detailed and helpful replies.
Particularly Simon after what you have gone through with the ES-3 build !
I was looking to use the Crimson Guitars water stain, a red sunburst or light red to dark on the outside
finish on the outside.
Thanks for the Ash filing tip, I was looking at using their filler for the body https://crimsonguitars.com/store/gra...ancing-filler/ and also bringing out the spalted maple somehow.
Final finish would be their finishing oil(s).
Crimson do some instructive yootoob vids on how to do this.
Anyway, it is now in the UK and out for delivery.
Once I have checked it is OK then the OH will detain and wrap it until Dec 25th.
Cheers, FB.

Have you had the PO's 'duty and tax to be paid' card through the door yet? You won't get the kit until that has happened and you've paid up. The card normally takes about a week or so to come through after the kit's in the UK. You can pay the fee on line and then it's normally delivered two days later, or you can go to the PO depot, pay and take it away with you. It would be nice if it were quicker, but it's not.

Hi Simon,
Thanks for your help and interest.
Yes, I collected the kit from my local post office today.
Once I saw that it had cleared customs I rang Parcelfarce and gave them the tracking number.
They then gave me the wrong reference number which I did not discover until I tried to pay for
the Duty/VAT/Handling.
Another call got that sorted, paid online and out for delivery the next day.
They missed me by 5 minutes so took it to the local P.O. for collection.
Total fees of £65 which is what I was expecting, the card/letter arrived the day they tried to deliver haha.
I managed to have a look inside - 'just making sure all is OK' and the body looks nice.
Can't check all the hardware yet but the upgraded tuners are in the box.
I had a quick look at the neck, the fret edges on the side of the neck are rather sharp so will need some work.
Exactly what they need I am not yet sure but most likely will involve banging and filing/rubbing down.
Next thing for me to look at is neck finishing.
Handed the box to the OH, won't see that for another 5 weeks :( hey ho.

I am pleased with the delivery, ordered on 12/11, shipped 13/11 and arrived UK on 15/11.
The weekend followed, released on 18/11, delivery would have been 21/11.

Again, thanks for your replies, more research on the cards.
Hope to start a build log in early January.
Cheers, FB.

Simon helped me a lot my first time through - thanks Simon. I would add that a Reed Knife (oboe, bassoon, available at any woodwind supplier) is THE solution for binding scraping. You can hold it firmly by the blade and it won't cut you, yet it is sharp as F***. Attached are 2 pics. Attachment 32816Attachment 32817

Agus, who would have thought to use one of those ?
Thank you for your input.
Looks like Simon has a lot of knowledge.
Wish I still lived in Reading, a beer would have been in order !

@fatboy, I've played saxophone since I was in single digits. To keep my scholarship at university I got put on oboe for a year and a half. I was also a piano major and there was a bit of a turf war you might say... and double reeds became my punishment. Anyway, you make your own oboe, bassoon & english horn reeds because they are $$$$$$ and half the time the store-bought sucks.

- first time I was scraping a binding with a razor knife, I thought "Wait - this seems familiar..." ;) Dug it out of the closet. WELL WORTH THE INVESTMENT FELLOW BUILDERS! No cuts in my fingers ever.