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Hi all, as the title suggests I want to use black magic woman as a neck finish. I remember seeing someone do it a few months but I don't remember seeing the finished product and I can't seem to find it.
Does it work? Is the maple of the neck too dense to absorb it properly? Ideally I would like a pretty much solid black neck, but I'm not sure if this is possible.
Also, has anyone tried it on a fretboard? Or is that a stupid idea?
You need your fretboard to be slick and quick! Not going to happen if you paint it!Quote:
Quote from pablopepper on June 6, 2013, 19:17.
Also, has anyone tried it on a fretboard? Or is that a stupid idea?
Hi Pablo, you may not have noticed, but we've now added a "Wood Suitability Profile" to every Wudtone finish. This is what the Black Magic Woman says:
Product Description
Black Magic Woman includes:
Base coat
Deep colour coat
Highly suitable for:
Basswood
Ash
Alder
Mahogany
Suitable for:
Walnut
Unsuitable for:
Maple
Please ask about other woods.
Edit: This information was taken from a spreadsheet Andy (Wudtone) prepared, so I would take his advice.
Righto, thanks chaps. *scribble. I must have misread that chart.
You could always test it on a headstock offcut and see how it goes (assuming you have some BMW already). I've found BMW to be pretty challenging to get an even colour depth across the grain variations on alder and I suspect it would be a lot tougher to use on a maple neck. My guess would be that the first deep colour coat would be the key (just keep going over it and over it and over it), and would soon show whether the colour could actually be made to work.
I'm hoping to do a black neck on one of my projects as well, but fortunately it has a mahogany neck rather than maple.
Hi Scott, the BMW works well on a mahogany neck, maple is a no go.....just don't try and paint the actual fretboard!
Hi Pablo. I am in the process of finishing a kit with Dark Onyx and Goldenrod. The Body Back, Neck and Headstock are Dark Onyx (I'm not sure how close Dark Onyx is to BMW). I found it a bit of a challenge to get the maple to take the dark onyx, but it seems to have come out alright (I note that the Wudtone page for Dark Onyx says it is suitable for maple).
With a rosewood fretboard, I typically treat it with Tung Oil which tends to also darken it quite a bit (still brown though, not black).
Cool, thanks. Gavin, I promise not to use Wudtone on the fretboard, this will be my first time using it so it's better for me to ask. I am still in the planning phase of this new build, so expect some possibly 'out there' questions of you old hands. I do want to stain the fretboard to make it darker, so I might use Tung oil and see how that goes. As for the neck, does anyone have any suggestions as to how to stain it black?
Hi Analyst,
can you please post some pics of the neck with dark onyx ?
Dark Onyx is more a blue black and has a white mixing bottle to lighten the colour as required. BMW is probably the hardest colour I've used to get consistent cover. I remember seeing a BMW neck on a build diary but can't remember who did ut or what model, could have been an SG ?
I have applied BMW to a SG headstock took ok but took quite a few coats
Pablo you better take the advice and not apply it to the back of the neck, unless you try apply a bit on the bottom of the neck that will sit in the neck pocket that you won't see, what model axe is this for ?
IB-1. I'm really just trying to nut out my options at the moment. If it ain't doable, I won't do it.
Pablo I found the build diary with BMW on the neck/body of an SG built by 4runner, see pages 4 and 5 for photos, looks like the BMW didn't soak into the maple that wellQuote:
Quote from pablopepper on June 7, 2013, 09:44
IB-1. I'm really just trying to nut out my options at the moment. If it ain't doable, I won't do it.
http://pitbullguitars.com/?page_id=4...wtopic&t=217.4
sure DB can give you some other options for a black neck if you aren't happy with the results 4runner got.
Since the IB1 is a bolt on why not try 2 or 3 deep coats of BMW on the neck heel ?
Yep, that's the one I was thinking of, cheers. Doesn't look like it turned out as well as I would like. Oh well, this is why I asked.
Hi Wokka
Photos of the neck are below.
I didn't get a white with the Dark Onyx, only the Deep Colour, Base Coat and Top Coat. That's okay as that's what I wanted (or thought I was getting).
I used all of the Deep Coat (on the back of the body and the Neck/Headstock). It was quite reluctant to really take on the neck and it still has some transparency in it (has a sort of purply tinge in natural light) which I sort of wanted (although, I had wanted a transparent grainy look, but it came out a bit more like transparent streaky look).
Not sure how this will wear over time...
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...607_124212.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...607_123718.JPG
Analyst,
thanks for the pics that neck and body look great. Sounds like you are happy with the deep colour and wouldn't want to lighten it with a white mix.
What model axe is this ? Cutway look like a PRS that I've built but mine didn't have binding or spring cavity for a floating trem ?
This was a kit I got pre-pitbull days from a now defunct supplier. It is a PRS style with a strat style tremolo (which I am replacing with a PRS style tremolo).
It was a bit of a crappy kit actually (came with straight pickup surrounds that don't fit the arch top and the 6 screw strat style tremolo would have been a bugger to mount level on the arch which is why I'm switching it to the 2 pole pivot tremolo).
I have some doubts about whether it will all come together properly in the end but am trying to apply DBs philosophy (There is always a work around to solve problems, mistakes and other guitar building gremlins.....) to get this one complete. My wife is very generous, but, I may not be able to buy more until I finish the ones I have....:o
yer ok Analyst,
that is average getting a kit that pickup surrounds and bridge won't fit the shape of the body !
sure it will end up being fine with your mods. So golden rod on the front of the body ?
gee if I only had one guitar to build at a time I'd go mental ! haha
Yep Wokka, Goldenrod on the front (quilted maple).
I've actually got two more kits that haven't come out the box yet (other than to check them out...tele with binding and ash strat), also both non-pitbull (I've gotta get some of these done and then I can get some of the great looking pitbull kits).
I tend to only work on one at a time due to a lack of workspace (I bring them into the loungeroom while the wudtone dries). I also work a bit slow (the wudtone on the PRS copy has been going on slowly over the last two months).
Still from the photos - looks pretty nice...
I am just finishing my 335 in BMW with gold highlights - it has been a real challenge - starting to look ok - but I dont think I will use it again - keeping the beading clean is also a challenge. but combined with the gold furniture and the aged vintage yellow neck - it may turn out ok. So far so good.
Hey Pedro, have you got photos of your build in the build diaries ? if not can you please post some pics ?
Do you mean keeping the white binding strip near the top cap is a challenge to keep clean ? you should steel wool this after every coat.
I found BMW the hardest wudtone colour I've used to get a consistent even finish, think it's best you steel wool between coats during base coats, highlights and even a light steel wool between top gloss coats.
Don't forget the hardest part of the build is yet to come - the wiring ! Check out Gav's post on the 335 wiring.
Keep at it Pedro !