My first kit build - GS-7Q

[Theorn]

Hello Eric,
I have the exact same kit and am still in the process of choosing finishing materials. At the moment I have only a white stain that I had mixed for me to use to create a whitewash for a burst effect.
I really want to bring out the quilted maple. I am completely unfamiliar with staining wood, beyond basic furniture or decking. What materials and steps do you recommend to get that grain to pop as you have. I was under the impression that maple didn't require a grain filler.
Thanks in advance for ANY advice that you care to offer.
Cheers!

[Eric67]

I had seen many videos of how to make home-made wipe-on poly, and I notice just now that mine is water-based and should not work with mineral spirits. But in the end it blended well and I am happy with the result, so the consequences are not dramatic.
I am refinishing the back (I sanded it back yesterday because of clamping marks, although I thought I was careful). I will try this time to thin the poly with water and see if it works differently for me.

I've never used water based poly, but everything I've read says it can only be thinned with water.
Mineral Spirits (what we call Mineral Turpentine) is used for thinning oil based products. It certainly looks like it worked, but I'm curious how.

It doesn't seem possible from a chemistry view. (However, I am not a chemist)

[Eric67]

Hi Theorn,
I did grain-fill the top too, first to fill the wood fibers to minimize the quantity of poly absorbed, and second to bring the quilted maple to pop up. I simply added some black tint in the wood filler which was also thinned with water to be easier to apply. After that I did a light sanding (beware of the very thin veneer while doing this). I am a beginner also, so I was just experimenting with some of the stuff I have seen.

Hello Eric,
I have the exact same kit and am still in the process of choosing finishing materials. At the moment I have only a white stain that I had mixed for me to use to create a whitewash for a burst effect.
I really want to bring out the quilted maple. I am completely unfamiliar with staining wood, beyond basic furniture or decking. What materials and steps do you recommend to get that grain to pop as you have. I was under the impression that maple didn't require a grain filler.
Thanks in advance for ANY advice that you care to offer.
Cheers!

[Eric67]

The neck was glued on 2 days ago and first stringed yesterday. A quick setup showed good playability right on (the neck was prepared and fret polished prior to that).

[Eric67]

Sorry I was wrong with the wipe-on poly I made. The Polyurethane was indeed oil-based.

[Eric67]

The poly was oil-based finally. Sorry for misleading.

I've never used water based poly, but everything I've read says it can only be thinned with water.
Mineral Spirits (what we call Mineral Turpentine) is used for thinning oil based products. It certainly looks like it worked, but I'm curious how.

It doesn't seem possible from a chemistry view. (However, I am not a chemist)

[McCreed]

The poly was oil-based finally. Sorry for misleading.

Phew! That's good.
I can stop feverishly scouring the interwebs trying to figure out how to thin water based poly with turps!!!

[dozymuppet]

What a rollercoaster of emotions!

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[Theorn]

Hi Theorn,
I did grain-fill the top too, first to fill the wood fibers to minimize the quantity of poly absorbed, and second to bring the quilted maple to pop up. I simply added some black tint in the wood filler which was also thinned with water to be easier to apply. After that I did a light sanding (beware of the very thin veneer while doing this). I am a beginner also, so I was just experimenting with some of the stuff I have seen.

I'll use a grain filler for the back but I think that I'll skip it for the maple veneer. My big question at this stage is, Should I use black pigment to accent the maple top before going back with my white stain. I want the finished result to be a white washed center burst with black/grey stain around the edges and back.
Thanks for the tips. You've definitely helped to steer me in the right direction. Picking up a piece of quilted maple to test different options seems like the way to approach this for sure.

[Blocka]

I just got a kit like this for Christmas, ground wire hole wasn’t drilled and I can’t find a wiring diagram anywhere that matches the wires coming from the pickups


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