This project has been on hold for a while while I worked on the Tele build...also incredibly slow. As I have stated elsewhere, I have been having trouble with General Finishes High Performance top coat on necks... I thought the Tele neck was done, until I noticed some problems in a couple of other maple necks and decided to refinish the back and sides of the Tele neck. While it is curing, I decided to start work on the Jazz Bass neck.
I taped off the rosewood fingerboard, and put blonde shellac on the rest of the neck to give it a little color. This will be the first neck that I have finished completely with Crystalac Brite Tone Instrument finish. No finish on the fingerboard, except some block oil when I am completely done with the rest of the finish. The back will be Brite Tone satin. I am using Brite Tone gloss on the front of the headstock.
So far I have just started with the front of the headstock. Four coats under the decal, and four coats over. Not sure how many coats I'll have total. I use at least 6-10 over the decal with GF top coat, but with the BT, I may need more since it goes on thinner.
It takes some practice and patience to get the Brite Tone on well with the brush, but my technique is improving. I am having less drips and runs, and a LOT less brush marks than I got with the GF. It may require a few more coats, but hopefully it will sand out easier.
In the last post I had applied a wood hardener, and attempted to use it as a sealer and filler as well. I would consider it well sealed and harder, but it's not perfectly filled... So next step after the neck will be doing some filling with a new product that is supposed to rival Timbermate, but with less odor (which is important to my wife). More as the project progresses...
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