Thanks guys. Yes Chungkee I have lots of ideas about how I would like my builds to look like. I have already started a diary over in the build diary section. I really like RIC's variations on red and burgundy. I adore the deep burgundy Basses that are all over the web. So although I failed in my first attempt to colour my RC-1 the way I wanted and went with a rattle can gloss black instead, the failure allowed me to then sand and fill smooth the sharp ridges around the rear of the front of the guitar body (I don't know the terminology to describe to the rear of the saddle and bridge?) and file and shape the f-hole a bit more to a RIC shape. Thus shaped, I am happy to go forward with a black RC-1.
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The RC-4 is being stained (my version of) RIC Burgundyglo slowly using artist oil colours. The way I am doing it (after failing the first time attempting to make things dry more quickly) , is a very slow process where most of what colour I put on 24 hours previously gets wiped off and then another round of staining goes on. So on and so forth. It is like french polishing but done very very slowly with artist oil colours which take forever to dry. I am happy with the colour I have. So for the moment I am sticking with my method. It is working for me. I have time between work shifts to do it this way. :-)