Happy days! Another lockdown build about to get under way while I'm waiting for the other two to cure.
I originally ordered a thinline TL with spalted veneer and white binding, but there were none in stock and none on the horizon, so I was talked into the same specs but in a ST. Upgraded to Grovers and Tonerider Classic Blues set. Will get some better quality electronics at some point before I put it all together.
The more I look at it, the less disappointed I am about missing out on the TL. Going for vintage amber on the veneer and tobacco brown on the back.
Ooh that's a beauty. Looking forward to seeing how it comes out.
The top looks great. The colour combo will be nice.
PitBull Builds: FVB-4, LP-1SS, FBM-1, AG-2, TB-4, SSCM-1, TLA-1, TL-1TB, STA-1HT, DSCM-1 Truckster, ST-1, STA-1, MBM-1.
Scratch Builds: Pine Explorer, Axe Bass, Mr Scary, Scratchy Tele's.
The little voices in my head keep telling me "build more guitars"
That's a killer looking kit
#001 (LP-1S) [finished - co-runner up Nov 2018 GOTM]
#002 (WL-1)
#003 (MPL Megacaster - semi scratch build) [finished]
#004 (ST-1 JR - Arachnoid Superhero build) [finished]
#005 (LP jr)
#006 (TL-1A)
Junk shop acoustic refurbs (various)
'The TGS Special'
I have a question for the skillful finishers amongst us. I want to make that veneer stand out a bit. I already have the Colortone vintage amber and tobacco brown. I've seen videos of achieving something along the lines of what I'm thinking by first hitting it with a dark stain and then sanding back most of that finish and then doing the light colour coats on top.
Of course, I have concerns along the lines of:
a) The first dark coat going too deep and not being able to sand it out without sanding too deep (ie right through the veneer)
b) The dark coat not highlighting the spalting but instead leaving dark splotches.
My real worry is that once I go down that path, there's no reversing it and there's no test material I can hone my skills on. So, anyone with experience doing this sort of finish on this type of veneer? Given me lack of any experience or skill, should I just ditch it and go straight vintage amber or is it easier than I'm imagining?
For the record, this is kinda what I'm talking about - of course, this is a flame. I'm wondering if the spalted finish might already have enough highlighting such that I won't need to worry about trying to be fancy.
Spalt is very different to flame or quilted maple. Quilt or flame are cross-grain pattern inherent in the structure of the wood, whereas spalt is a fungal growth in the wood that happens after the tree dies. So it's equivalent to having been stained. There is no extra-absorbent grain structure in the wood to take-up a darker highlight.
The beauty of spalt is already there. In my opinion, you really can't do much to improve it. You've already got darkened grain structure due to the spalt. Clear or an amber tint is about the most I'd do with it. Too dark a tint and you start to hide the spalt patterns and you might as well have gone with a standard ash body where the grain lines are thicker and have a stronger pattern.
As your top doesn't have a really vivid spalt pattern like some do, it's probably worth seeing what it looks like when wetted with turps, white spirit or metho (you'll want to do that anyway to look for glue spots) as an indication what clear or a mild amber will do to it. You may find that there is some mild flame or quilt pattern there in hiding. If there is, then you'll have to decide if there's enough to have a go at highlighting it, but possibly at the expense of making the splat pattern more subdued.
It is veneer, not several mm of maple top, so you do only get one go at it. You can play it safe, or try something new, knowing that if it doesn't work, there's always the solid colour option. I'd definitely wet it (take a picture quickly so you don't have to try and remember just what it looks like) and see what you think before progressing further.
Hit it with some metho and took some quick snaps. Looked nice and even with no obvious glue spots when I applied it. Looks slightly blotchy in some of the pics, but I think it was just drying quicker than I could apply and take pics.
A couple of little dings that I'll need to iron out. Nothing bad.
The veneer looks a bit thicker than I was expecting if I zoom in the routed sections.
Time for a mock build...
Mock build done.
A minor annoyance, but I think resolvable - the low E side seems to sit a bit closer to the edge of the fretboard than the high E. Seems to get worse the closer you get to the nut. Strings are a bit off centre with the neck pickup. It looks like perhaps the nut is just cut a bit off maybe. Two things are going to happen, however, and I'm hopeful these issues will be resolved as part of that process. I should have a bone nut somewhere in the box (haven't gone looking for it yet) and I'm swapping out the kit pickups. Hopefully the strings align better with the bone nut, otherwise I may just have to purchase a blank and cut it to suit.
That said, I haven't checked the neck with a straight edge to make sure it's straight or double checked scale length measurements. Looks OK to the naked eye but my eyesight is getting worse in my advancing years. If the neck's out of whack, that will be a bigger job - all those holes were pre-drilled. Could always drill out the holes in the body a little so the neck can swivel slightly if that's the case.
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