STA-1M Maple fretboard begins.

**ozzbike** · 26-08-2015, 03:53 AM

Gav,

Thanks for the ideas. I have just finished the stain on another strat neck and the vintage amber is a tad deeper than I want....so a dilute mix with the light yellowing TO produces should be right on the money.....and even over the fretboard with the stain? Wow.

Thanks,

Greg

**gavinturner** · 26-08-2015, 05:52 AM

Alternately, grab some yellow instead of vintage amber. It is also gives a great colour. I know what you mean about the amber - it does get a bit deep.

cheers,
Gav.

**ozzbike** · 26-08-2015, 02:54 PM

I do have a yellow...one of those aussie dyes....it is very bright.....is this a better result if I dilute it a little as well?

**gavinturner** · 26-08-2015, 06:35 PM

Sounds good. I would give it a test on a cheap piece of pine to get the concentration right. You can always deepen the colour with multiple passes but can't take it off.

cheers,
Gav.

**ozzbike** · 31-08-2015, 02:36 PM

I sanded the body through to 340 and then pore filled and then sanded to 400....it is a basswood body....I have spoke with Adam and we will work things out later on.

I went to the big green shed and do you believe this....they stock one style of coping saw....and that little cardboard box was empty....but strangely enough they had jigsaws everywhere.

So...yep I now own a jigsaw. I also bought a bastard file and a wood rasp....both half round files.

I free hand drew a headstock shape and then cut the wood to match....sort of fender style....sort of like the pitbull one from the video Adam made.

The maple is so easy to file and sand it lends me to believe that something more original may be in the future. Hmmm.

(The finish on the body after a fill also makes me think of just doing an unstained basswood body one day....it is such a nice wood.)

I have stained the body and all of the neck. The neck was an interesting challenge....the colour is a mix of yellow and colortone vintage amber.....found some llllllarggggge glue spots....more pics to come.

**wokkaboy** · 31-08-2015, 02:51 PM

good one Ozz,
thought the body looked like basswood. So are you going to get it changed for an ash body ? I much prefer the ash grain is much more pronounced than basswood and a bit harder so will handle the knocks better !
I like the headstock shape, its pretty original !
Once you have done more headstock shaping on future builds you won't be nervous at all

**ozzbike** · 31-08-2015, 03:28 PM

Thanks wokk.....the headstock is a start for me....I was nervous and cautious...so it is not as extreme and does not have massive direction changes like some big name ones.

I am keeping the body and finishing the kit.....ash next time I think.

**wokkaboy** · 31-08-2015, 03:31 PM

ah ok no worries Ozz, since you made a start on the body might as well continue with the build.
Sometimes a simple headstock shape are just as effective as the complex shapes

**ozzbike** · 04-09-2015, 05:16 AM

I have been a tad busy and have got a few things done....The body is sanded and coloured with a mix of blue and green/black water based stain.

The neck and fretboard have a mix of yellow water based stain and a few drops of colortone vintage amber stain....tough stuff that.

Both have now had five really thick and hand rubbed coats of naughty oil.

They will hang now...due to work mainly....to cure and then we go from there.