First build: secret model #6 - single cutaway guitar

[brandfbr]

Yes, it is supposed to be like that. No need to fill it. I'm not really sure why they are designed like that!

Awesome, thanks a lot mate, I was worried there for a second.

So, I was a bit stubborn and decided not to follow your advice and went and stained the top black after watching the PRS fire red burst video. I used the ubeaut black stain in a 1:5 dilution in two coats. This was the result.

I then tried to get most of the stain off with metho, then carefully lightly sanded it back with 240, 400, and green Scotch Brite pads. I was quite conservative and stopped when I started to see some streaks of bare wood and it was grayish. Then I went with two coats of orange, then 1 coat of red (for now). I'm quite satisfied with how it's going I think, though it might be darker/blacker than I initially wanted?

[fender3x]

So, I was a bit stubborn and decided not to follow your advice and went and stained the top black after watching the PRS fire red burst video. I used the ubeaut black stain in a 1:5 dilution in two coats. This was the result.

Looking at that video now...I am always happy to have my over-caution proved wrong ;-)

FWIW you got a really cool color out of it. Not something I have seen before on this style of guitar, which makes it all the better.

[fender3x]

I'm quite satisfied with how it's going I think, though it might be darker/blacker than I initially wanted?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]45269

You got an effect that looks a lot like the PRS. That is all the more impressive when you consider that the PRS does not have a veneer. In the vid it looks like the top is a 1/2" chunk of carved flame maple. I guess they can do that when they plan to sell it for north of $4.5K.

You may have given me the confidence to stick with my water based stain ;-)

[brandfbr]

You got an effect that looks a lot like the PRS. That is all the more impressive when you consider that the PRS does not have a veneer. In the vid it looks like the top is a 1/2" chunk of carved flame maple. I guess they can do that when they plan to sell it for north of $4.5K.

You may have given me the confidence to stick with my water based stain ;-)

My main takeaway as of now is: don't over sand. The body looked quite black/gray in the beginning, and after the first coat of orange I thought I hadn't sanded enough and that it would turn out too dark.. I just kept on putting thin coats, with more concentrated dye and the black ended up fading more into the background. The last red coat ended up being basically 1:1 water and dye.