First Build: TLA-1Q

Hi everyone!

ordered my first kit in early April and am waiting eagerly on it's arrival (patience is a virtue in these times).
Ive already got crimson stains as im planning on a nice blue colour. Im also replacing the pots and pickups with genuine fender components that my dads friends got down the road.

Some questions i have
What would people recommend for that classical yellow neck look? i'm trying to figure out what id need to get to get a good result for that.

apart from that ive got both my design teacher at school and said dads friend down the road for other things (planning on lacquering the body at school)

Thanks will keep this thread up to date

A lot of people have used Feast and Watson Golden Teak stain with a poly coat over the top. Here's one example but you should be able to find others with search.

If you got your hands on Crimson stains, it sounds like you are in the UK. Not sure if you have access to Feast Watson stains there. I'm not a fan of them anyway.

If you are in the UK you should be able to get your hands on Wudtone products fairly easily. I'm sure Simon will have some ideas.

I didn't realise Crimson was a brand. So I was puzzled by how a blue guitar was going to arise from crimson-coloured stains [emoji848]

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Tru Oil will give a slight yellow tinge to the wood, which will deepen over time. But I use amber tinted nitro lacquer. Tins of clear and tinted amber tinted nitro lacquer always seem to spray well, though you do need to use a vapour mask when using the stuff. More layers = darker tint. So you may want to then spray a couple of coats of clear over the top once you get it dark enough. Bright yellow or orange isn't a good look for a neck!

alright cheers will have to head to bunnings thursday (last exam on wednesday)

Is there any issue with wiping the poly over the frets? (new to this whole business)

You'll always end up with some finish on the frets which will normally clean off fairly easily. Mask off the board with masking tape so that you can sand and polish the frets to get rid of any clinging finish. It's almost as easy to do a complete fret levelling exercise at this point, as you don't need to do much more work and you'll end up with a much better p[laying guitar. But you'll certainly need a notched straight edge, a fret file and ideally a 12" radius block, all available fairly cheaply from Amazon or eBay.

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Is there any issue with wiping the poly over the frets? (new to this whole business)

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Hi Jasper, and welcome.
I think we're presuming you have a maple neck with maple fingerboard, but you haven't specified that or whether you have a or maple neck with rosewood fingerboard.

The difference being that a maple fingerboard, yes, clear coat over the frets as Simon described. Rosewood fingerboard, no clear coat on fingerboard.

Also further to what Simon mentioned about using "tinted" clear coat, this method will provide a more even colouring as opposed to staining the neck timber.
It's not that you can't get an even finish staining, but it can be hit or miss depending on the timber itself.

And to further quote Mr Barden:

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Bright yellow or orange isn't a good look for a neck!

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I learnt this the hard way... not one of my better finishes, but it plays like a mofo!

Attachment 35281

yep forgot to mention maple fretboard. Im going to stain with the teak stain and then wipe on poly. Im going to just make a notched straight edge, but file and the radiused sanding block are on the way.

the kit was backordered and i ordered April 8th so does anyone have any idea when it will be here? im not in a hurry or anything and obviously there are difficult circumstances around, im just very excited!!

I ordered Straw ColorTone based on a StewMac YouTube vid where they used it to match a vintage neck repair. I didn't want too much amber in mine.

Haven't used it yet maybe get to that next week.

After reading some other posts on the forum, it seems that using timbermate with a water based stain can cause some issues.
Is there any way to get around this or should i look for a different grain filler?

You've already got the stains, so I'd use a different (non-water based) grain filler. Best to use a spirit (alcohol) based stain with water-based grain fillers, as the water in the stain will loosen the grain filler and the pores won't be as filled as before.

If you've got concentrated ColorTone, then you can always mix it with alcohol (isopropyl or metho) instead of water. But it it's the pre-diluted with water type, then you can't do that.

yep pre mixed with water type, will have to head to bunnings tommorow

I have read about people having trouble with Timbermate and water based stain, as well as shrinkage with some paints, but I have to say I've not encountered these issues.

This ash Tele (TLA-1 kit) is ebony Timbermate and water based dye (ColorTone and U-Beaut) with DIY wipe-on poly.

Attachment 35342

And this Stra-Tele is Timbermate under acrylic lacquer (over basswood).

Attachment 35344

Neither one gave me any problems (apart from the Stra-Tele which got painted 3 times due to other paint difficulties :mad:)

NOTE: Please see my next post #19 re: lacquer on the Stra-Tele.

What a gorgeous tele!
right you've given me faith, just need to get the dye, poly and some turps from bunnings for the neck then.

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What a gorgeous tele!
right you've given me faith, just need to get the dye, poly and some turps from bunnings for the neck then.

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Thanks.
Hopefully my experience was not just an anomaly. I don't want to be held responsible if yours goes pear-shaped :(

I just thought my experience was worth sharing, not to be explicitly contradictory IYKWIM.

I have to say I've had no luck at all with timbermate. It's entirely possible it's operator error, but I feel like I've had a good crack and just can't get good results.

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Originally Posted by McCreed

I have read about people having trouble with Timbermate and water based stain, as well as shrinkage with some paints, but I have to say I've not encountered these issues.

This ash Tele (TLA-1 kit) is ebony Timbermate and water based dye (ColorTone and U-Beaut) with DIY wipe-on poly.

Attachment 35342

And this Stra-Tele is Timbermate under acrylic lacquer (over basswood).

Attachment 35344

Neither one gave me any problems (apart from the Stra-Tele which got painted 3 times due to other paint difficulties :mad:)

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Water based dye is fine, timbermate swells under lacquer it pretty much bad news a month later it will shrink back if your painting a colour why tempt the devil there is better ways to grain fill which has no issues, nice job on the teles 👌

Thanks phrozin.
After reading your post, it dawned on me that there is a very good chance I sealed the Stra-Tele with shellac after the Timbermate and before I primed it. I can't 110% that is the case, as I have a mind like sieve.
I do use shellac a lot because of its compatibility with practically everything you can put over it. It's my go-to sealer if I have any concerns about possible incompatibility.

So, the shellac may be the key to why I've not had any issues with the lacquer on that one. That finish would would have gone on around December 2018.

I think I'll make a note in my previous post referring here :)

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Originally Posted by McCreed

Thanks phrozin.
After reading your post, it dawned on me that there is a very good chance I sealed the Stra-Tele with shellac after the Timbermate and before I primed it. I can't 110% that is the case, as I have a mind like sieve.
I do use shellac a lot because of its compatibility with practically everything you can put over it. It's my go-to sealer if I have any concerns about possible incompatibility.

So, the shellac may be the key to why I've not had any issues with the lacquer on that one. That finish would would have gone on around December 2018.

I think I'll make a note in my previous post referring here :)

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I think the thinners is the problem it sucks any fluid up, lacquer takes a month or so to really harden fully so most guys polish after a week and that's fine if you're underlying base is good ie grain-filled, with timber mate it just keeps shrinking so by the time your where it's not your paint is thin and very easy to sand through. I haven't used timbermate for ages now

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I haven't used timbermate for ages now

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Despite my success (luck?) with it, I'm considering trying Aqua Coat next time I need to grain fill.
After some info from Simon Barden, it's far less cost prohibitive than I had previously thought.

However I need to complete the two guitars I have already painted before I purchase any Aqua Coat.

what other grain fillers should i get then?
dont really want to risk the timbermate if i dont have to

Yeah, I'm also interested in that, because I just picked up some ebony timbermate...

Update

The kits arrived finally and its all looking nice - I'm very happy with the quilt on top

Ive roughly shaped the headstock but will obviously need to do more sanding when not doing a history task
Next up on the list will be widening the bridge cavity for aftermarket pickups, then goof off on the bodies glue spots.
Im also planning on doing some custom fret dots at the twelth but not sure about that yet

Ive know stained the body entirely, and I like the blue and think it shall look nice once bindings are scraped and lacquered. Ive also added in a casing fret dot and the 3rd for a bit of flair

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Originally Posted by McCreed

I learnt this the hard way... not one of my better finishes, but it plays like a mofo!

Attachment 35281

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That's *not* one of your better finishes?

@ fender3x - It passes the "2 metre test" but there are flaws present on closer inspection. I'm just not humble enough to point them out! :o

The two main defects are the vibrato route that I filled with Tassie Oak blocks developed an "outline" as the finish settled. You can't feel it and it's only visible at certain angles. It also inexplicably (to me anyway) developed some patterns of tiny tiny white dots in the clear coat. It wasn't visible until days after I polished it. Again only visible at certain angles.

I don't know I'll ever get a finish that is literally flawless.