My 1st Build - ESB-4SC

[wazkelly]

DT needs all the help it can get to penetrate and display a decent amount of colour. Don't be afraid to drop back to 120 and then a light dusting with 180.
The smoothness is easy to achieve through multiple layers of top coats.

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[TonyW51]

Crikey you’re right, I cut back to 180 and I still have areas that aren’t taking up as well. The second coat has improved the cover so I am hopeful the third or fourth will get me to where I want it to be. I am giving it 24 hours between coats so it will teach me patience.

[Andy40]

Hi Tony.

I've used DT Bondi on my PRS semi-hollow.

You most definitely need 4 stain coats and 4 intensifying coats. Let it cure well between coats. I don't think you'll get more than that to stick.

[TonyW51]

G'day andy,

Yes, that PRS-1H looks great. I think I am on the way with mine now. I shall post a photo when I can get one that will fit within the Forum limitations.

Thanks.

[TonyW51]

Here are the photos of my staining progress to date. First coat then second coat and second coat on front. I think all should be good by fourth coat

[wazkelly]

I wish you lotsa luck with trying to get some colour into that. Looks like a small amount has been picked up in the open grain but the rest is still very highly polished and may just stay looking natural timber colour.

Might need to re-start with 80 grit and finish on 120. Once some DT is already down it could be difficult to open things up enough unless you are prepared to do a full sand-off and try again.

[Andy40]

I should say that I did grain fill with ebony timbermate first which darkened it up a bit. You don't need to grainfill with maple though. I recall that Adam Barnes did a lighter bondi blue on a semi-hollow and it looked pretty good.

[TonyW51]

Thanks for the tip Andy, I checked out Adam’s “lighter Bondi Blue on a semi hollow “ and I think I may have mine just a little darker now (and I have now run out of stain). Adam’s photos have given me heart though and I have found his build very interesting reading given the problems he encountered with the hollow body build. I have hung the stained body up now for Easter to let the stain really dry off and I shall use the intensifyer next week then head off on holiday for a couple of weeks before using the finish coat.

That’s the plan anyway.

Cheers

[TonyW51]

Keeping to my schedule of no more finishing work until after Easter, I have been checking out the neck fit and I have found some slight anomalies that I would like to correct. BUT I note the caution in the Pit Bull manual, not to sand down the heel or floor of the neck pocket. The gap between the neck rebate face and the front face of the body (sound board) rises to about 2 mm. You can see about 1 mm convex curve on the neck and I have put a little Blue Tack in the floor of the neck pocket and pressed home the neck to find there is about a 1 mm gap in there at the inner part of the heel. I therefore feel I could shape the neck rebate face to the sound board and get a much closer fit. Although this may cause a little grief on the other joint surface matings.

Is there anyone with some experience in this area? Photos below

[Dekka28]

Hi,

I had the same issue when I built mine.

Check my diary but in the end it did not really impact the bass itself.

https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...ighlight=dekka

good luck