Greetings! This is my first build and I think it came out decently, although I admit that it's a crude attempt compared to some of the other guitars I see on this site. I play a lot of surf rock and I thought it would be fun to give the kit a bit of a nostalgic vibe. It was a fun project and I learned a lot to be sure!
Kit JBA-4L Swamp Ash Body
Finish: Body -natural boiled linseed oil with Polyurethane clear coat
Head stock: Enamel two-tone (decal was from a defunct brand but I covered it for forum rules)
Modifications: Minimal. Replaced kit screws with better quality hardware, installed Fender style ashtray bridge cover, Ernie Ball Super Slinky strings.
The kit went together fairly straightforward. My only note is that next time I will not go with a natural finish on swamp ash because the pores are very deep and nearly impossible to fill via slurry sanding and poly coat. If I do a swam ash natural in the future I will go for a more rustic finish and spotlight the deep grains instead of fighting them. I have a bit more smoothing to do on the back of the neck to get it silky but it's coming along nicely- I think 2 more coats of BLO applied with steel wool should do the trick.
It's a wonderful playing guitar. Heavy because it's hardwood, but it's got a really powerful sound and the neck is just right for how I like to play.
Sorry for the photo quality, my photography skills are as poor as my building and playing
Reply With Quote