Next build - another tele!

[McCreed]

Thanks Mc - I think I've it close to where I want it now. I did another mock up to prove to myself I haven't broken anything and it all still looks good to me.

That's fair enough. It is something that can addressed anytime. Of course pre-finish is best, but if you decide it's not quite right later, it can be done.

I like your burst idea, and nothing wrong with tradition when it comes to headstock design. I've seen a lot of shapes that just look like their trying to hard to be different and just don't work IMO.

With the alder body, I would suggest using a pre-stain conditioner (sometimes called anti-blotch something-or other). Alder can be hit or miss with how evenly it takes up stain. My last strat build (non-PBG) I wanted to do a blue dye/natural finish on alder and I didn't do anything apart from sanding before dyeing. There just one stubborn spot on the front that I just could not get to balance. (however the back was bloody perfect! D'oh!!!)

It ended up with a metallic lacquer finish. It was blue though!

[Simon Barden]

Though I haven't had any experience with doing it, my feeling is that brown oil paint in the grain filler is likely to form a semi-protective layer that the stain won't penetrate properly, or at least make an uneven stain take-up more likely. I'd certainly try this out on scrap wood first before doing it on the guitar. I don't know what stains you plan on using but a spirit-based stain is more likely to work over an oil-paint base than a water-based stain. And there's obviously far less grain raising of the wood with spirit-based stains compared to water-based ones.

[Simon Barden]

I've just read your PBG Tele build and I see you've done this before, so obviously the stains and oil paint are compatible. You are unlikely to get anything like the grain highlighting effect with alder as you did with the ash, but you won't loose anything from trying.

The alder doesn't gave any open pores to accept the grain filler, so you've just got the very shallow dips between the wood fibres to fill. I think someone has tried it before on here and by the time they sanded it back flat, the body looked almost identical to how it started.

But you never know, and using oils rather than a stain, and probably a different grain filler to whoever did it before, you may find it's more effective.

[Groovyman32]

I'd certainly try this out on scrap wood first before doing it on the guitar.

Yeah I've done a lot of testing on scrap alder before going at it...

But you're both absolutely right. This is after step one of the stain:



The grain is not nearly has obvious compared to the ash body. But that's okay. It is what it is. And Mc, you're also right, it did go on blotchy at first. But I let it dry and went back at it and it's evened out enough.

My plan now is to let that dry over night and then knock back it with some light sanding. Then repeat the same but with red instead of brown.

I think knowing what I know now I probably would have chosen a different body wood. I'd read countless times that alder is preferred for solid colours so I knew what was going to happen. But sometimes you (I) don't learn until I actually see it for yourself.

[Simon Barden]

Since Fender have dropped ash, they're now using pine or roasted pine as a figured body wood for their clear finishes. They do some alder sunbursts, but I see quite a few are now pine. Some of the pine is roasted/torefied pine (which is what I'd go for if it had to be pine) which should hopefully remove most of the resin within the pine. But it is a very soft wood, more so than basswood. I'd go with alder over pine any day, regardless of pine generally having more figuring.

[Groovyman32]

I put all the pieces together this morning..



Does the world need another brown guitar?

I think it does... somehow the colour combinations really click for me.

I think I'm going to save the red burst for another guitar.

[Simon Barden]

Looks good. You should have a go at spraying the burst on the next guitar. Stained bursts can be quite good, but it's hard to approach the gentle graduation you can get with a sprayed finish.

[Groovyman32]

Thanks.

My perception of spraying is that it's complicated. I'd watched a lot of vids of staining a burst which felt more achievable. But I think it's inevitable that I'll have a go at it at some point.

In the meantime I think I can get the blend better on this one... I was trying to keep the darker areas covering less of the top than on the PB guitar.

[Simon Barden]

It's not that complicated. When lockdown eases up and it's warm enough to spray outside, you should pop over and have a go.

[Groovyman32]

It's not that complicated. When lockdown eases up and it's warm enough to spray outside, you should pop over and have a go.

Will do! Do you use spray guns?