So I have an early 90s MIA G&L Climax that I love (apart from the floyd rose that I have totally blocked). The goal with this guitar is to build something sonically very different to the G&L. Hence humbuckers instead of single coils (OK, the G&L has a Dimarzio PAF in the bridge, but I rarely use it), semi-hollow, and rosewood instead of maple fingerboard.

I haven't had time to do a full mock build yet, but have checked for obvious flaws, missing parts, and the fit of the neck into the body.

Based on my reading here, I plan on a solid body colour using Duplicolor Sky Blue (picked up 2 cans today from Repco for just $5.95 on clearance), and will finish that with either SCA or Septone clear coat. I think the white pearloid pickguard will be great with the blue.

My first question is about what goes under the duplicolor. Is a grain filler recommended? I have read somewhere here that Timbermate may not work well under this type of finish. Does anyone have any experience with something that does work well under acrylic lacquer like Duplicolor? I have read of Duplicolor Filler Primer being used, which makes sense from a compatibility perspective, and the specs say it is suitable for wood. Thoughts? Experiences?

For the neck, I haven't decided between raw wood, wipe-on poly satin over a stain, or Tru-oil. I am going for a classic look somewhere in the region of a lake placid blue thinline deluxe. I plan on keeping things simple with a 72 thinline headstock shape.

Finally (for now), what do people do with the binding while sanding? Should I be trying to avoid sanding the binding? Or masking it while sanding? Or does it not matter if I sand over it?

DC