Cobs TLA-1 First build

After the possibly the slowest start on record I'm underway with my first attempt. It is an ash TL with maple FB. I received the kit back in November but have just started in the last few weeks.

I took the earlier advice and put the whole show together to make sure it all fits and works, so far completed, head stock cutout, arm and belly body contours, all hardware fitted, strung up and tested.

Have gone for the Black grover machine heads, Tone Rider HC Pups, 6 saddle string through bridge, black pickguard with white middle ply.

Have just pulled it all down to start working on the finish. There appears to be a thin laminate covering the entire back of the body, have just notices the edge splintering slightly whilst sanding the edge and visible glue line, do all the tl have this laminate cover on the back?

Cobba, what a great start (better late than never). No kits have laminate on them. probably just glue. A fair amount of sanding is required if you want a great finish, especially to get rid of the glue. as its an ash body you wont have any trouble there.

Great effort on the string through. especially on a first build.

:cool:

Great start, if there is anything you are concerned about take a closer pic and the team will chime in

Thanks Andy for the feedback, photo shows (hopefully) what I mean, originally I thought it had had a coat of some sort of sealant or wood treatment etc. on the back but as I got into the sanding and trying to put a bit of a radius on the edge it looks almost like a quilt top or something? Shall I just sand it all the way back?

Was it already like this when you received the kit? If so, then this shouldn't have passed a quality check to my opinion...

There's been a few cases where the factory has put a veneer on the back of a body, but it's not common. I'm only guessing but it may either be an error where they've routed the wrong side and shipped it as a standard body or had a good multi-piece blank with some unsightly grain that couldn't be used without a veneer.

Do you still have the missing chip from the veneer?

out of the box the edge was reasonably clean but quite sharp, the texture was rough and had a milky white finish over it which now appears to be the glue of the veneer. As I was sanding the edge it started to splinter all the way around. I wasn't expecting a veneer so didn't give it any thought. I don't see any other choice but to sand it all the way back and see whats underneath?

Surprised the veneer on back did not show up when doing the rear belly cut profiling? Is there a veneer on the front too?

Looks like a full sand on the back is the way to go. Hopefully it is not hiding something sinister as Weirdy suggested.

Or try to repair the spots? I mean, look at that veneer, it's really looking nice so it would be a waist to sand it all down. In addition, what to do if you end up with something horrible?

Certainly a veneer on the back. If you kept it, it would probably look better as a burst, so that the dark edges cover up the veneer join. On the other hand, that means that the back of the guitar (which isn't going to be seen much) is driving your choice of finish, which was going to be a transparent dark red.

Could you take a closer picture of just the front of the body, as the figuring looks rather plain to me and more like basswood, not ash? I'm probably wrong, but something's not quite right here, as the rear veneer shows.

What wierdy said makes sense. It shouldn't have had a veneer but clearly looks like it does, which is a shame, because if you had known (and posted about it) we would all have told you the perils of sanding through a very thin veneer and maybe some tips to get rid of glue spots.

The TLA is supposed to be a solid body, no veneer. sanding should have been a breeze. It looks salvageable, easily by patching, leveling and painting. Intermediate by patching and staining, but a dark colour burst as Simon said is a great option.

Let us know how you get on.

Thanks guys for all the suggestions, some photos to below show the front as it is now after sanding with 400. Also the belly cut query from earlier, it wasn't super obvious (like it is now) at the time that it was a veneer back.

I think I will go for a reasonably solid finish with no or little grain viable as the front grain is not that appealing where it will be most visable with a burst finish and there are some other imperfections (which I had hoped might improve with a good sand) such as on the top side where you can see the top piece of timber is not complete in the middle of the cut in (which would be hidden in a burst finish I know), the timber joins are visible and are not square to the rest of the guitar, you might be able to see that against the switch rout or the neck Pup rout if you look close enough, its miles out.

So from here I have some questions:
- How far do I go with sanding before applying the timbermate grain filler?
- Do I only need to do one coat of timbermate?
- How long does the timbermate need to dry before sanding back?

Cheers!

Hmmm, belly cut didn't give up too many clues that there was a veneer on the back but the strong differences in grain from front to back where the 3 sections of timber used are visible is a giveaway that something was not quite right.

Shame that the 3 bits of ash vary so much as the left section may come out darker than the middle and right hand side. If going with a solid paint colour Phrozn mentioned on a recent post about timbermate shrinking back into the grain when applying top coats and it could be would reading before deciding what to do.

Your dark red stain is still achievable, just may require a bit more delicate work to pull it off - 2 or 3 shades lighter on the left and the colour you want in the middle and RHS might work.

I decided to sand back the veneer and see what was lurking underneath, surprisingly there wasn't too many nasties, just a couple of character adding imperfections. After a lot of sanding over the last week and many tiral and errors (on scrap timber) this is what I have ended up with, the stain is still a bit damp in these pics.

That really strong grain pattern at the top bouts sort of seems out of key with the rest of it which matches a lot better. In saying that it does impart some character, and i really like that red, is that a DT Stain?

Tonight I couldn't help but sit the hardware against the body and see what it looks like. Very happy with how its looking thus far. The photos tonight didn't pick up the colour very well, but it is a very deep burgundy which looks great but I don't think I want it to go much darker. My original plan was to have a high gloss finish but seeing this as it is now I'm thinking more of an oil type finish, just to seal it and enhance the colour a bit, maybe a true oil or something similar. Will this make the finish much darker?? Any other suggestions?

Also really like the contrast with the lighter neck and fret board, was thinking possibly the same oil on this. Does the fret board require any special treatment other than a good oil? Also I assume it will golden up a little even with a clear oil?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FrankenWashie

That really strong grain pattern at the top bouts sort of seems out of key with the rest of it which matches a lot better. In saying that it does impart some character, and i really like that red, is that a DT Stain?

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It certainly does stand out as the grain is bigger and runs the opposite way to the rest of the body, but I don't mind it. The stain was a Feast and Watson mahogany.

Nice save Cobba. Lovin the look with the hardware. Very cool :cool:

looking great Cobba, worked out fine sanding the veneer off, at least its ash timber underneath - no one will ever know

Satin wipe on poly might work better that Tru Oil as it tends to gloss up.

Everyone has different ideas and opinions on what to do with maple fret boards and almost anything works from lemon oil to wax to lacquered type finishes and all up to what look and feel you are chasing.

Like the contrast in those shots and looking good.