First build: JRM-1DC

[TommyJ]

What's that we have here?



This is my first proper build. I've built a kit guitar before, but there I treated that as just an assembly job - didn't need to do any woodwork, just finish it and bolt it together. That didn't go well: a combination of not enough research and - more importantly - not enough patience.

So I'm not going to try to do anything fancy yet. I do have plans for fancy stuff in upcoming builds, but let's start small and get the basics down first! A set neck means there's no getting around it, I have to be careful and get the important parts right first time.

The big question I have at the moment is: stained or solid finish? That's a 3-piece body and in person, it's quite obviously so - more so from some angles than others. Maybe that'll look really nice under a stain, or maybe it'll just highlight the mismatches in grain.

Secondly, if I do go for a stain, I was originally going to go for the Wudtone Emerald Isles, but it's a reasonably red piece of wood (it is mahogany after all!) - will I be able to get a rich green, or will it always come out slightly browny? I'd like it to come out nice and bold, so if green won't do that on this wood, I'll go red or amber instead.

[Richy17]

Looks like a nice kit mate

As for your emerald over mahogany - yes you can definitely achieve a green look. It’ll also depend a little bit on what top coat you’re going to use. If just using a regular clear it’ll stay almost the same as your stain but if you’re going to use True Oil it will be much more of an amber colour so you’d need to stain the guitar more blue so that with the amber it’ll look more emerald, but keep in mind it’ll continue to change colour as it ages.

Here’s my build here http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=8783Mine is probably more Teal than Emerald. Mine is Nitrocellulose Clear which is pretty yellow too but not nearly as dark as True Oil.

Good luck with it all

[Fretworn]

Welcome Tommy. Green and blue stains often tend to be a bit patchy. If you really want green it may be better to go with solid colour.

[Andyxlh]

I have a poorly matched body on my Tele and rca kits (link below), I did a sunburst on one and a straight stain on the other, looks ok, I'd not worry too much if you really want a clear or translucent finish

[TommyJ]

Welcome Tommy. Green and blue stains often tend to be a bit patchy. If you really want green it may be better to go with solid colour.

It's not that I really want green, so much as I think a good green stain could look really nice. If I were to go solid, it'd be something else: order of preference would be trans green -> trans blue or purple -> trans red or amber -> solid colour, probably red - unless the grain mismatch (which isn't as bad as I first thought) would be exaggerated under a stain.

Well, it's partly that I think a stain could look really nice, and partly that I don't have a space for spraying, so I want something I can apply by hand, indoors, and that leads me to stains -> rubbed oil finishes.

[Fretworn]

It’s been a few years since Wudtone was used a lot on Pitbull builds. The experience with Surfer Girl especially was that it could be patchy. If you look back at the earliest build diaries you will find some peoples experiences with Emerald Isles, these may be helpful in helping you decide how you want to go.

[TommyJ]

It’s been a few years since Wudtone was used a lot on Pitbull builds. The experience with Surfer Girl especially was that it could be patchy. If you look back at the earliest build diaries you will find some peoples experiences with Emerald Isles, these may be helpful in helping you decide how you want to go.

Unfortunately Dingotone doesn't ship to the UK, so my options were limited. My thinking was I can get the whole package (dyes, grain filler, final coats) in one, rather than have to work out what combines well with what.

I did find this thread on using Emerald Isles Wudtone on mahogany, which is encouraging: I'll just remember to be assertive with that deep coat.