robs ST-1 (Lyn #4)

Hey Guys and Gals,

I was a bit slack with progress updates on this one, so not so much a build diary as, ta-dah, its finished.

Yes its another ST-1. I dub thee Lyn #4, for the sole reason it is my 4th build. This time in a Jarrah stain, finished in (apologies in advance) Tru-Oil. (I know, I know, just point me in the direction of the Naughty Corner.) I also went with a vintage look to the neck and headstock also in T-O.

I thought I would lavish a bit of love on this one, so she got a few upgrades. Firstly a set of Tonerider P'ups, the "7 sound" wiring mod, and the treble bleed "fidelity mod" courtesy of Phil (Dingobass) and lastly a black scratch plate.

I also got some black P'up covers and control knobs to match the black scratch plate but the holes in the covers didn't line up with the Tonerider's pole pieces, so I had to stick with white covers. Not my first preference but it is slowly growing on me. Sort of like warts I suppose.

I have ordered some more black covers, I'll see how I feel when they arrive. But as I'm not too fussed with appearances she will probably stay as is, and I'll use the black covers on an upcoming project I'm planning for one of the youth at church.

Anyhoo a Post is no good without photos, so here she is:

Cheers
rob
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...5-FG_028-2.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...13-B_020-2.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...0a-H_021-2.JPG

And a couple more:
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...j2h-CU_020.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...4av-BA_030.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...unpk-B_010.JPG

She's a beauty. I like the white pups. I think it would look too dark with black pups. That jarrah really pops, well done.

Wow Rob...that finish looks impeccable.
I also think the white pups look fine, especially with the white knobs and switch.
Well done.

looks awesome well done Robin, got to be happy with the finish, I am thinking of tru oiling my camphor scratch body, I really love the level of gloss you are getting on these builds. I might join you in the naughty corner for saying that !

A beautiful finish, as always, Rob. That Tru-Oil really does shine. What do you think of the Toneriders?

With all the interest in Tru-Oil that you've stirred up... maybe Gav should add a Wudtone vs Tru-Oil to his N!$&@ vs Wudtone sound comparison (although I doubt DB would ever forgive him if he stripped Wudtone off an axe to put TO on it).

Wow. That's pretty. Dan's right, the white bits were absolutely the right choice.

Once again Rob, you've knocked it out of the park. A very attractive guitar.

yes the tru-oil finish ,, my preferred of finishes ,, so easy to put on and get a good gloss ,, looks great , and yes weirdbits i think that should be in the test !!!

Thanks so much guys for all your comments and encouragement. Those that know the back story of these builds will know how special each one of these guitars is to me and each one is a labour of love.

So it looks like I'll be keeping the white accessories. Thanks guys for the feedback.

@ Woks,
be careful mate, you don't want to spend too much time in the Naughty Corner, you'll get a bad reputation.

@ Scott,
I am probably not the right person to ask about pups. I've never owned a Fender so not that experienced. But the difference between PBG pups and Toneriders was not as marked as I was anticipating.

Output of all three Toneriders was marginally greater than the PBG's with the biggest difference being the bridge pup which was noticeably louder. The Toneriders were definitely brighter but that may have something to do with the crisp new strings.

Build quality was definitely far superior with the TR's which would probably indicate a more consistent product where as with the PBG's it might be a bit more hit and miss. I might have been lucky with the PBG's that are in my original ST-1.

I will be putting some In the future project I mentioned above for one of the Church youth. I used the City Limits in mine, might go for Vintage Blues next time and then compare.

I've already bought some for MY next project, a TL-1 'Tele'. So will be interesting to see how they go in that

Also I think Gav has spent long enough in the Naughty Corner, you can't ask him to do more 'time'. Lol

Thanks again guys

rob

Robin, roughly how many coats of tru oil did you apply and what curing time did you give between each coat ?
I agree keep the white pup covers and white volume/tone knobs looks excellent
I also agree Gav has put in enough time and money into the wudtone versus nitro sound experiment.

Looks great Rob, that glossy finish of the proprietary product which shall remain un named looks awesome - well done

Yet another knockout Robin - great job!!!

Good grief, that is stunning... Hats off to you!

Wow that is SUPER nice. I agree with the rest on that gloss finish - very interested in more info re: tru-oil (regardless of how unfashionable it might be ;) ) Can you apply the T-O over anything (such as Wudtone?) I quite like the effects the Wudtone stains give but would like a sure fire way to get a glossy finish if the build called for it.

Once again, awesome build - I'm starting to appreciate natural wood finishes a lot more since discovering these forums.

Quote:

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/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from wokkaboy on August 20, 2013, 16:28
Robin, roughly how many coats of tru oil did you apply and what curing time did you give between each coat ?

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Warren, drop me an email at: robin (dot) jeffery (at) optusnet (dot) com (dot) au

rob

Nice job Robin.... I am almost ready to forgive you for putting gun stock oil on her :)

I agree with the other guys, leave the white bits on, they bounce off the colour really well.

Maybe for a future build you might try out Stewmac's Golden Age pups.
They blow most other comparably priced and more expensive pups clean out of the water.

Typically, a set of Tele pups will set you back around a hundred bucks with around thirty bucks postage via DHL.
Well worth the investment.

Great job Robin, another super result!
As a tru-oil user myself, I would also like to now how long you wait to let the tru-oil harden up. I've had some problems with my other builds in that the tru-oil seems a little soft, but I'm thinking that mIght be it's related to cure time. Some other forums recommend a secondary covering like poly or nitro to harden it up, but I don't want to go there... Would be great to get your opinion/experience.

Congratulations again!

Cheers,
Gavin.

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/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from robin on August 20, 2013, 21:27

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/<\\/p>[/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/]<\\/p>/Quote from wokkaboy on August 20, 2013, 16:28
Robin, roughly how many coats of tru oil did you apply and what curing time did you give between each coat ?

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Warren, drop me an email at: robin (dot) jeffery (at) optusnet (dot) com (dot) au

rob

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Rather than doing it privately, set up another instructional thread!

Wow Guys, thanks so much for the compliments.

We build these guitars to play, but its nice when other people appreciate the effort we ALL put in in making these gems. Every guitar on this site is unique and irreplaceable.

Thanks again
rob

Hey Guys,

I have been asked a few times to detail how I use Tru-Oil, so I thought I would jot down a few points.

BUT FIRSTLY I RECOMMEND YOU READ DINGOBASS' THOUGHTS ON TRU-OIL HERE:

http://pitbullguitars.com/?page_id=4...wtopic&t=367.6

Over the years DB has acquired a vast knowledge of all things Luthierie compared with my meager 3 months and his insights are to be ignored at your own risk.


As I said above I have the vast, accumulated knowledge of nearly 3 (yes, count them, 3) months using Tru-Oil and the best method of using the stuff is still a continually moving target for me.

What I have changed since my earlier attempts is to apply extremely thin coats. Don't be tempted to cut corners and apply a thicker coat. You have to keep asking yourself, am I wiping it on, or rubbing it off? I apply it with a small (approx 8 to 10 cm) square of cotton t-shirt material. Working the oil around a small area until it starts to get tacky. Move on to the next section and try and blend it in with long strokes with the grain.

When finished, I will hang the guitar under the house to try and avoid dust, then after about half an hour (weather permitting) I hang it on the clothes line in the sun for a few hours. I'm in Queensland don't forget, so it might take a tad longer down south.

The bottle says to re-apply every 2 hours but I tend to leave it about 3 hours. That way I can easily apply 3 coats a day. After half an hour it is usually touch dry, and a couple of hours in the sun just to make sure.

I will give it a very, very light sand with 1000 grit paper at the start of each day and if I can feel any dust or deposits on it I will give it the merest whisk with the same paper between coats. Because the coats are so thin it is important not to apply any pressure but just let the paper do the work. During any sanding process I will use White Spirit as a lubricant. It dries quickly and allows me to apply the next coat of T-O immediately.

I don't know the correct terminology but poly and nitro blend with previous coats as you apply them, T-O does not. It sits layer upon layer, and it is quite easy to sand through a layer and leave a "witness line".

Also because it does not blend it does not level out. So surface preparation is vital. Follow DB’s mantra to the letter, sand, sand, sand………….

With Lyn #4 after 20 coats it was looking OK. So I let it cure for about a week, I guess the longer the better, then I just hand buffed it up with a very fine cutting compound. I used Silvo because it is all I had on hand but I am sure there are other and better compounds around. I have no idea what’s in Silvo so I have no idea what long term affect it will have on T-O. So be warned.

You should only use water or spirit based stains with T-O because the solvents in T-O can lift an oil based stain. So I am not sure how it will go over Wudtone, as it is an oil based finish.

I don't think T-O will ever protect you guitar from the bumps and grinds of everyday life as well as poly or nitro. I guess it will sit somewhere between those two and Wudtone in terms of protection. I am not a working muso but I doubt it will stand up to the rigors of a working band unless you like the relic look.

Sorry this has been so long winded but I have tried to include everything.

Cheers
rob

p.s. I've done a quick calculation and I figure that with "Good Behavior" I could be out of the Naughty Corner by Christmas 2035!!!! 8O

2035 you would be hoping with comments like that ..

Thanks for the rundown Rob, good to know some of the more detailed info - after reading that I don't know if I'd actually have the patience to use it anyway!! Your guitars DO come out looking great though.

@ Tim,

Hahaha, I did say with "good" behavior. Maybe I should have made that Angelic ;)

@ Matt,

Yeah mate, it is a bit tedious. But time is the one thing I have in abundance and I enjoy all aspects of these builds, from hours of sanding to applying 20 coats of "that" product and everything in between. It's probably not for everyone when Wudtone can achieve super results with less effort.

Cheers guys
rob

Rob, you are excused from the naughty corner :)
There is no way we can wait 'till 2035 for your next Masterpiece 8-)

Great advice thanks Rob

@DB
Wow, a Royal Pardon from DB. ;)

Thanks for the compliment Phil, just waiting for some parts and I'll be able to start on the new Tele.

@Stan
Hope it is of some help mate.

Cheers guys
rob

Hey Rob,
i am building an lp1 but have used water based colour tone stains. this is my first build and i am only 15 so i have no experience with nitro etc. How hard is it to apply nitro evenly and achieve that high gloss finish?
i have researched tru oil and it looks good but I'm concerned i may ruin the guitar.
Where could i buy tru oil and how much would i need to do a whole body and neck to achieve a high gloss finish with it and polishing compounds?

thank you very much :)

Nice axe, great job with the build and finish

Quote:

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/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from LPBuild1 on September 28, 2013, 12:32
Hey Rob,
i am building an lp1 but have used water based colour tone stains. this is my first build and i am only 15 so i have no experience with nitro etc. How hard is it to apply nitro evenly and achieve that high gloss finish?
i have researched tru oil and it looks good but I'm concerned i may ruin the guitar.
Where could i buy tru oil and how much would i need to do a whole body and neck to achieve a high gloss finish with it and polishing compounds?

thank you very much :)

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Hi LPBuild,

Tru-Oil is not too difficult to use (heck, if I can do it anyone can) it's just a bit tedious if you apply lots of coats like me. If you check out my Post at the top of page 3 of this thread I try to explain how I do it. I am not an expert but this method works for me.

I'm afraid I can't tell you what long term affects Tru-Oil will have on a guitar. Dingobass has concerns about Tru-Oil and he is a very experienced Luthier so make sure you check out the link in the above Post for his comments.

You should be able to buy Tru-Oil from most Gun Shops, but I had problems finding it here in Brisbane and ended up buying it online from a Gun Shop in Sydney through eBay. I just chose the cheapest. I bought a big bottle (240ml) and I was able to do 4 guitars and 5 necks. If that is too much for you, it does come in smaller bottles.

I don't polish my guitars but just use a cutting compound to give it a high gloss. I use Brasso and Silvo as cutting compounds and I just bought those from Woolworths. You can also buy automotive cutting compounds from places like Supercheap and Repco, but try and avoid anything that contains Silicone.

I hope this helps.

Cheers
rob.

P.s. I wish I had started making guitars when I was 15. Good on you for trying something that few adults would even try.

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/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from 57strummers on September 28, 2013, 13:06
Nice axe, great job with the build and finish

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Thanks Chris, appreciate the encouragement

Cheers
rob

Hey rob,
thanks a lot for the quick reply and great tips i will try to make my mind up soon haha