STA-1M 1st build total (k)noob

[wokkaboy]

Hi Soundguy,
thats a bummer about the veneer, not sure why the factory has started putting ash veneers on STA-1 and IB-5 kits lately.
Outback sunset and TO would look excellent on one of these kits. Its worth grain filling the ash bodies have fairly coarse grain.

[soundguy4033]

Thanks Wokka,
Adam has sent off a new kit, and once again Ill say Im totally impressed with his service and backup!!
I have ordered some tru-oil for the neck, Ill probably have to toss a coin between the outback or the tru oil for the body, itll be a decision made on the day its time to decide, I love nice deep grainy tones, but also love blonde(ish) strat bodies.

[dingobass]

Thanks Wokka,
I have ordered some tru-oil for the neck, Ill probably have to toss a coin between the outback or the tru oil for the body, itll be a decision made on the day its time to decide, I love nice deep grainy tones, but also love blonde(ish) strat bodies.

Eight posts in and already thrown into the Naughty Warehouse....
That has to be a record

[wokkaboy]

hhaha DB doesn't miss an opportunity to throw more members into the naughty warehouse !

[Gavin1393]

Eight posts in and already thrown into the Naughty Warehouse....
That has to be a record

I don't think the Naughty Warehouse represents much of a punishment these days...but the record is probably still with the fellow whose first ever post on our beloved forum went along the line of:
"Green shed, white shed, DB no fear
Nitro, Tru-oil, where's my #$@% beer!"

Was of course immediately banned for not saying PLEASE but thats life!

[soundguy4033]

naughty warehouse? that sound like FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[soundguy4033]

Hey DB, just a suggestion, as stated I am a total noob to building/finishing, I have trawled the net for days and seen Tru oil finish as being very popular.
My suggestion, do a side by side with Dingo, Tru oil, Tung oil and a few other options, as a noob I dont know stuff, but I did see a Utoob vid with a plank of wood finished (very roughly) with various finished and Tru oil came out the best.
Id LOVE to see yours kik the various arses of the competition, show us your mojo!!
The questions I had/have is, how to finish the fretboard and the back of the neck, the body is kinda self explanatory, but the fretboard was my most important concern.

[gavinturner]

Hey soundguy,

Really the fretboard needs no "finish" as such.
Some lemon oil, dr ducks or dingotone axe wax and she'll be ready for your fingers.

cheers,
Gav.

[Gavin1393]

My suggestion, do a side by side with Dingo, Tru oil, Tung oil and a few other options, as a noob I dont know stuff, but I did see a Utoob vid with a plank of wood finished (very roughly) with various finished and Tru oil came out the best.

These have already been done in various forms.....DB will tell you that Tru-Oil has tiny fragments of glass in it to make is shine (or something like that).

[dingobass]

Yhep... I use Dingowax on all of my fingerboards..
As for TO, well...
One of the worst things to have ever found its way into Luthiery.
TO is a modified Linseed oil that was developed for gun stocks.
I have an aquaintance over east who makes gun stocks and he absolutley hates the stuff!
His reasons being that whenever he gets a stock in for re checkering that has been finished with the gunk, his tools get flogged out because of the super fine ground glass that gives TO its shine...

I have also been told of a vintage Fender neck that had been refinished with it.
The fingerboard had started to lift and because the TO had penetrated into the gap, the Luthier who got the job of re gluing it discovered that the TO acted as a barrier, even after sanding...
End result was an unrepairable 30k plus chunk of firewood!

At the end of the day, the finish is the most important part of any build.
A crap finish will render the most beautifully built Guitar worthless.
It takes me two to three months to complete the finish, yes, you read that right. Two or three months.
Why? Simply because I want every layer to fully cure before I apply the next.
Then I leave it for a minimum of one month before I do the final cut and polish.
I figure that if someone is paying me 3-10k for a hand built custom axe, I want them to have a trouser fail when they pick it up
Also, a well built Guitar should last a life time or two... So two or three months is bugger all in the grand scheme of things.