Hello folks

Hey Geoff, how are you and welcome to the site. Easiest way to stain is use a product called Angelus Leather Dye. It applies easily and they have a massive amount of colours I've used the red yellow and orange. And you can mix the colours easily. I know Angelus is available in UK as my buddy Jamie uses it. Just make sure you get the leather dye. The red and yellow is amazing.Then when you are ready you can use either acrylic spray in either gloss or satin. If your not into spraying use Crimson Guitars guitar finish supposed to be a clone of true oil in bigger bottle cheaper. Supposedly had two chemists to work on the formula and improved on it. There's enoughin one bottle to do one guitar gloss or two guitars satin. Make sure you wear gloves using the Angelus not because it's incredibly toxic. It just loves to attach to your skin and likes to stay there. The beauty of the Angelus dyes is they blend beautifully. Have fun enjoy your guitar.
Best Wishes
Kimball

Guitar Finish for UK builders
https://crimsonguitars.com/shop/luth...nishing%20-oil
Angelus Dyes for UK Builders
http://www.streetlab.co.uk/products/...eather-dye-3oz
P.s just use the leather dyes not suede and leather versions Geoff
Loads of other places do the Angelus Leather Dyes even flea bay as DB calls eBay.co.uk

Here's a look at the colour chart and will give you an idea of colours only check out the red then the picture of the actual red I used. The other pics are yellow and orange mixed final pic no gloss finish was red orange and yellow.

Hello mate
Thanks for your message. I had already ordered the Wudtone by the time I got your message but I have checked out the site you gave and yes it is something I will look at on my next project. I too like the look of the yellow.

Hi guys

I am doing the ES-3 kit, a friend has offered me a vintage wiring harness which has short shaft pots, does anybody know whether short shaft will fit this particular kit?
The kit did come with the various pieces but I can't distinguish between short or long as this is my very first build so this one has pretty well thrown me and having one which is ready assembled and ready to fit is going to be a bonus.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers guys

Hi Geoff, have you received the kit yet ? best way to know will be to put the nut on the pot shaft about half to a full turn and see if it fits over the thickness of a pickup hole edge, it should be about the same thickness as the control area

Hi mate
Yes I have the ES-3 kit, I am just about to begin my project, the Wudtone arrived yesterday so I've got the weekend planned for a start.
I have a mate who lives in another part of the country who has a complete harness from an Epiphone ES-175 ready assembled but he says it is made up of short shaft pots, he says pre-1977 models all had long shaft and my dilemma is I don't have any way of knowing which era the ES-3 is modelled on, part of me would assume latter which would mean the short shaft pots will fit, but as my mate lives the other end of the country it isn't so easy to try the gear he's offered me.
My kit came with pots etc but I don't know if they are short or long, having never got up close to the electrics of a guitar before I'm sort of baffled by it all, would you know the length between the two if so I could measure the ones which came with the kit then I'd know if they are short or long.

Hi Geoff, have you got a set of digital verniers ? Measure the thickness of the body at the pup route edge, it is probably 3 to 5mm thick. Then tell your friend with the harness he can measure how much thread is on the short pot.
The pots that come with the kit are cheap Chinese pots so who knows what they are. They are probably in between short and long.
The main issue is if you can get a nut on the thread of the pot when it's inserted. The knob should fit fine.

Personally I think the short pots should be fine as the face on these hollowbodies is typically thin ply. If anything, long shaft pots would be too long.

cheers,
Gav.

Hey Gav, I agree but you could put a nut spacer on a long shaft (that sounds rude haha) if needed but short pots will be much easier to install in the F hole

Cheers guys
My mate measured them and they fit against the Epiphone which is the same thickness as my ES-3 kit so it's all systems go.
The harness is USA built using high quality components so I'd be mad to let that opportunity slip by and it will spare a lot of soldering!
I appreciate all the tips though, I will probably need more as I progress with my build.

nice score Geoff, a wiring harness will make the job much easier