The top is going to need more lacquer on. Far too many grain pits showing, mainly due to sinkage with time I think, as it was flat a while ago. It was always the plan to spray three more coats on the top but I thought I might get away with it. The polishing had also shown up a few areas that need more levelling. I don’t want to hit the amber layers when sanding, so three more coats it is.

As I’m still in the process of lacquering the neck, it won’t hold up the overall build time.

I also found that I need to enlarge the neck pickup rout sideways a bit. A Strat pickup fits in on it’s own (as that’s what’s going in the neck), but when fitted to the pickguard, the squashed springs (or rubber as I’ve tried both) stick out more and catch. So out with the Dremel before spraying, and then there will be lacquer over the newly cut edges. It’s not going to be seen, but I like to know it’s done properly.