Well with another 2 weeks lock down I can't get to my neckthrough blank or wing timber, I still need to order pots and caps, and two of the tuners are still being manufactured. But I did get some paint to play with. I used some maple scrap to try stuff out:



Using a UV stabilised architectural grade water borne urethane clear :



(don't get too excited Simon ) I sealed the timber. The manufacturer claims it can be used as a primer. :



As you can see it's nice and clear with very little if any yellowing.The idea was rather than stain I was going candy. I looked at the list of candies in the range of the manufacturer I was using, and couldn't find one the right colour. I figured I'd have to "coctail" as they say in the custom paint scene. I picked a red called Dirt Track Brown, and a Black which is more of a deep purple. This is what the advertised spray out of the Dirt Track Brown looks like:



and this is what I got on the Maple after 3 coats:



It was cleared using the same stuff I sealed with. If I was to sand and buff I could probably get a more candy like effect.I also discoverd I had already another red called Red Oxide. I don't know why I had this, but this is what the advertised spray out looks like:



And here is what I got after 3 coats :



The over spray of the two one on top of the other looked promising, so I sprayed a 50:50 mix:



I did try a 5:1 mix of Dirt Track Brown to Black, but it was way too dark. Here's what I am aiming for:



That's the original at the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame. I'm thinking the Dirt Track Brown will be fine on it's own.