Noob inquiring about finishing a strat black

[Chrisp250]

That's quite a good experience Wazkelly. I would have thought a heavy hard coat would have killed the higher frequencies rather than the low/mid ones, but hey, you live and learn.

I went to Bunnings today to have a look. They had a RO sander at a very good price, but the guys there put me off buying it. They didn't think it would be worth it for a guitar. I did buy though a 12V $22 polisher, cheaper than getting a buffing tool for my drill.

Also for anyone interested, Super Cheap Auto currently has a very good deal on Meguiars polishing products.

Cheers
Christian

[corsair]

Thanks for that, Waz - funny how experiences differ, isn't it?!

The other perennial issue that makes my teeth itch is the bolt on/set/thru neck discussion! I've got, or had, examples of each and do you know, I just can't hear a difference between 'em.... at stage volume or indeed, lounge room volume?! That's probably just the tinnitus, though...

I didn't realise Ibanez did a Moderne, though!! I had a 2588 LP Recording copy for a picosecond in the late 70s - that thing was HEAVY and got moved on very quickly...

[wazkelly]

Thanks for that, Waz - funny how experiences differ, isn't it?!

The other perennial issue that makes my teeth itch is the bolt on/set/thru neck discussion! I've got, or had, examples of each and do you know, I just can't hear a difference between 'em.... at stage volume or indeed, lounge room volume?! That's probably just the tinnitus, though...

I didn't realise Ibanez did a Moderne, though!! I had a 2588 LP Recording copy for a picosecond in the late 70s - that thing was HEAVY and got moved on very quickly...

Plenty of discussion topics there.....for me it is firstly how the axe feels to play unplugged cause if it is a pig it will never get played too much. Next is the sound as some can be as dead as but when unplugged you tend to get a fair indication as to how things are going to turn out once amplified. Method of construction comes into consideration just ahead of how it looks and I have to agree about the bolt-on vs the rest as Fender and many other brands have sold millions made that way with plenty of loyal followers. That said, my Ric 4003 has a thru body neck but it's best attribute is the fast neck followed by the unique pickup sound and the main reasons why I bought it.

Yes, Ibanez did a lot of Fender & Gibson copies back in the lawsuit era. Never seen a Moderne anywhere other than in catalogues and suspect one would be very rare indeed not that the shape is my cup of tea. Strangely with a lot of their Gibson copies some were bolt-ons and others like my Explorer were set necks. Was your LP a bolt-on as most of the LP Customs from that era were.

[corsair]

Was your LP a bolt-on as most of the LP Customs from that era were.

I can't remember but yes; I suspect it was.

We've got a little OT - my apologies to the OP!

[mjg]

Hey Christian,

Did you decide on a finish for the Strat? I'm at the same point - doing a guitar for my son, he wants black or dark dark red, and we're looking at whether to spray or stain it.

So far I've thought about Dingotone, maybe mixing a black with a red. Or fountain pen ink. Or spray cans with clear coat. Have been experimenting with some tinted transparent oil finishes that I have from other woodwork, but can't get that dark enough without too many coats, at which point it looks streaky and ugly.

Interested to hear how you're going with your finish... I'm also in Canberra if you wanted to compare noob notes.

Matt.

[mjg]

Wazkelly,

I had a look at the pictures and build of your J bass - that looks like a nice way to colour. How much ink do you reckon you would have used to do each coat? I've looked at the site you got it from, looks like they only sell 30ml containers now. Do you water it down before applying? I know you mixed with Colortone, but do you then water down the mix further?

[Chrisp250]

Hi Matt,
Thanks for reaching out.
My son doesn't care whether it's a solid colour or not, so I was just going to go with Dingotone which seems to be the most straightforward.

I'm currently in the middle of a build of a telecaster with a Bigsby bridge which is going quite slow. I'm doing that in Uluru Red. You can have a look in the build diaries.

Whereabouts in Canberra are you?

Cheers
Christian

[Andy40]

Hey Chrisp,

Are you guys melting yet in Canberra!

Anyway here's my 2 cents

I have painted guitars with different types of rattle cans. At any volume I play, it does not matter whether it was painted with enamel paints or acrylic, the guitars still sound great. Enamel paints from bunnings are fine, but I now prefer the Auto acrylic paints from Supercheap Auto.

If you paint it black, you will need to spent a lot of time getting the tiny scratches out of the finish (everything shows up). Most likely you will need to use micromesh pads, Meguiars cut and polish and Meguiars ScratchX. Phrozin has done a great tutorial on his last build diary using rattle cans here http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...?t=6790&page=4

I have also used plenty of Dingotone. Great finish for a stained look, non-toxic, but is a bit of an artform to get it right. Takes a little longer than most finishes to dry as it has no chemical driers in it. Basswood soaks up plenty of colour so no problem betting it black. if you are prepared to take your time with it and you wont get frustrated. If you want a faster build, use rattle cans.

I have also bought a cheap squier before too. They are made of basswood, just like the ST-1, but the body cut of the ST-1 is better (a but thicker) than a squier strat. Most of a strats tone comes from the tremolo block interacting with the body and I don't have an issue with basswood bodies, they are brilliantly light and comfortable to play for hours.

Good luck mate

[mjg]

Hi guys,

I'm in Kaleen - north side.

I'm going to order the kit in a few weeks, put it together without the finish so we can get a look at it, then we might be able to make a decision on what sort of finish he wants.

Thanks for the info on spray cans Andy40 - that's useful to know.

Yeah, not quite melting now - 41 degrees on Friday and Saturday, and this morning it is 6 degrees. :-/

[Chrisp250]

Hi guys,

I'm in Kaleen - north side.

I'm going to order the kit in a few weeks, put it together without the finish so we can get a look at it, then we might be able to make a decision on what sort of finish he wants.

Thanks for the info on spray cans Andy40 - that's useful to know.

Yeah, not quite melting now - 41 degrees on Friday and Saturday, and this morning it is 6 degrees. :-/

Cool. I'm in Dickson.
At the moment I'm trying to fix the neck of me Tele that I'm staining amber with Dingotone. For some reason it went a bit lumpy.

Cheers
Christian