Jon's 335-style build

Looks stunning. I agree that there is so much contrast and texture with the burl that a stain isn't needed.

Agreed. I always feel that burl veneer just needs clear or a very light amber tint at most, as you want to see the wood grain, not hide it. If you want to stain, don't get burl.

Looking good with lots of interesting detail.

Here it is after about 10 coats of TO, with a light sand after every fourth. The veneer really is a rough job - it even has chunks missing in places. Fortunately it's not anywhere near as noticeable as it would be on a less figured top.

I did four coats of TO on the neck, sanded back, and then put one more on. I think I'm going to leave it at that, as it feels really smooth and fast.

Attachment 35549Attachment 35550

That is stunning!

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Originally Posted by jonwhitear

The veneer really is a rough job - it even has chunks missing in places.

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Perhaps almost inevitable with burl unless its a really high priced job. Seems to me that a lot of veneers would get thrown away if they insisted on every one being perfect. I admire anyone who can work with it, its way beyond my skill set.

Still, that does look nice.

One thing I did with my tru oil instrument, where I was filling over an inlaid headstock veneer, was to build it up with repeated layers of tru oil sealer filler, literally dripped on thick and left to cure, until I was eventually able to sand it flush. Some layers were so thick they wrinkled up when curing, but now its sanded and polished I can't tell. Might be worth trying if you haven't filled your drop outs another way.

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Originally Posted by JimC

Perhaps almost inevitable with burl unless its a really high priced job. Seems to me that a lot of veneers would get thrown away if they insisted on every one being perfect.

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Yes, I need to remind myself that this is a kit guitar that cost hundreds of dollars, rather than a production guitar that cost thousands!

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Originally Posted by JimC

One thing I did with my tru oil instrument, where I was filling over an inlaid headstock veneer, was to build it up with repeated layers of tru oil sealer filler, literally dripped on thick and left to cure, until I was eventually able to sand it flush. Some layers were so thick they wrinkled up when curing, but now its sanded and polished I can't tell. Might be worth trying if you haven't filled your drop outs another way.

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Thanks for the tip. Can you use the sealer filler over the top of TO?

I think I'm about done with the finish on the back. It's not the flattest finish, but it's shiny and I'm happy with it.

Attachment 35737

That's very nice looking indeed!

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...but it's shiny and I'm happy with it.

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Shiny is good! Very nice.

Looks good. It's giving me some surface of Io vibes:
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