Marcel's ES-1TL

[OliSam]

just my two cents worth.
at first i didnt like that colour but after the last couple of shots i can see that it has some really nice depth to it
maybe green burst to black??

[Marcel]

This build has been one of my most problematic there Olisam. If it wasn't one thing it was something else, and at every step of the way I have needed to make changes to accommodate those pesky issues. The colour is just one of the dramas.

I put a few layers of Shellac on today and the colour seems to be evening out, well it is the same shade/hue across the whole build. There is still a lot of blotchyness in colour intensity that is characteristic of basswood but with the Shellac the angle of the light and the contours of the body plays tricks on the mind so it becomes easier to believe the colour is smoother than the more Emerald/Jade almost metalic Green it really is.

One thing that is coming up well is the body edge and the binding, and even though it has just a few coats on I'm quite surprised on how good and comfortable a Shellac'd Maple neck feels

I also got the headstock logo done. Sandwiched it in between a few of the Shellac layers.

Just gotta keep going at it until the body is smooth and glossy....

Got a non-build question for anybody, Does anyone have a Catalinbread Echorec Delay/Echo Pedal? Are they worth the money?

[FrankenWashie]

Hey now, that's sparked up nicely! It's mellowed to a sort of jade green/ NZ greenstone and it has really evened out. I like the fact the sanding has brought some of the grain structure to prominence. You'd have to be pleased with how that's turning up eh? Nice work Marcel!

[Marcel]

Yeah FW, it is getting better and developing character as I put more work (elbow grease) into it.

I spent 4hrs today doing the French polishing thing with the Shellac and I'm starting to reap the rewards. Still a little uncomfortable with the colour but there is little that can be done about that now.

Hopefully when the Black electronicy bits and the many chromey bits go on all those nasty thoughts and feelings will fade away

[wokkaboy]

looking good Marcel, how many more coats of shellac does it need ? starting to get a gloss. The colour will grow on you don't worry !

[Marcel]

Not too many more coats there Wokka... I gave up today because my arm got tired.... RSI from millions of little circles...

The camera lies just a little... there is more grain visible within the Green in real life than in the pix, which is probably a good thing in the long run if this axe ever makes itself famous...lol

[Simon Barden]

Starting to look really nice, Marcel. Just been catching up on all your woes and having been (and still am) in a similar situation, I do commiserate.

Just keep going and I'm sure you'll get a lovely shine on it.

[Marcel]

Thanks Simon. It has been a battle, and I do empathise with your ES3 build

[FrankenWashie]

Yeah FW, it is getting better and developing character as I put more work (elbow grease) into it.

I spent 4hrs today doing the French polishing thing with the Shellac and I'm starting to reap the rewards. Still a little uncomfortable with the colour but there is little that can be done about that now.

Hopefully when the Black electronicy bits and the many chromey bits go on all those nasty thoughts and feelings will fade away

Thats definitely creamy jade, I know its not what you wanted but I got to say I'm loving it. How does it look across the body/neck heel transition now with the shellac on?

[Marcel]

I'll get a pic of the heel up tomorrow for you FW. If I can get the glare out of the photo you might even get to see some of the grain that photos so far have been unable to show.

It isn't the best looking heel (pretty ugly really) but (thanks to a Sharpie colouring kit) it does have the Green hue.

The overall neck and the body back are close in colour which is great though the best thing is how the neck feels in the hand with the Shellac on it... Doesn't matter to me if it's TruOil or Shellac or poly I'm a bit of a stickler for fewer thin coats on the neck , and with the slimmer neck of this build it's just feeling so nice to hold right now.. She may not be the prettiest neck in town, but.... damn!, she feels so nice... particularly if once it has dried and hardened a bit it has had one or two very light rub overs with 800.

Listening to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJy1IY747cE at the moment.... Love that "One of these days..."