Daily Run Down, & Round Table-P/Us

[SonnyW]

It isn't pickups, but just for fun here is the strat I have been working on. This is the transparent red one with the 14 coats. I still have to buff it out more. The pickguard is supposed to be like the Australian red tortoise. -sw

[big_teee]

It isn't pickups, but just for fun here is the strat I have been working on. This is the transparent red one with the 14 coats. I still have to buff it out more. The pickguard is supposed to be like the Australian red tortoise. -sw

Nice!
I stand by my statement, "I Never Met A Red Guitar I Didn't Like"!
T

[Ward]

What are you going to do with all that wire?
That makes two rolls, if I can count right.
I hope you didn't have to ship it UPS!
I don't think my Son would let me live down the Mary Kay!
Get in touch with the Feminine Side!
T
** [ATTACH=CONFIG]19325[/ATTACH]

Feminine side my ass, you're kiddin right, what's wrong with this. Mine's got a bit better grain pattern too but I don't see girly in this at all dude.
And wire, well I got a roll here n there, I might just buy that Rem 42red spn when it get's in too but IMO nothing can replace the HFV.

[Ward]

It isn't pickups, but just for fun here is the strat I have been working on. This is the transparent red one with the 14 coats. I still have to buff it out more. The pickguard is supposed to be like the Australian red tortoise. -sw
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19326[/ATTACH]

Sonny, is that a stain or a toner, I don't want to be picky but it looks a tad uneven. Toners are real hard to do if you haven't done many.

[big_teee]

That's not pink Is it?
I thought I could wake you up!
T

[Ward]

That's not pink Is it?
I thought I could wake you up!
T

Go n have another drink mate.

[SonnyW]

It is a stain. The body is alder (Allparts) and I stained it then used only clear nitro over that. I have only done this one as far as transparent finish goes. I agree it is a bit uneven and some of that is the wood. It looks better in the light. After I did this one I got some different stains for the next time. I appreciate all tips that might be offered.
sonny

[big_teee]

You guys can have the painting.
It's too much work.
I admire all the great painting you guys do.
I'm Gonna stick to the Electronics side of it.
T

[SonnyW]

I am having fun with both of them. I started this one to use for learning on the painting, and as a demo guitar for the new blade single coil pickup, and if someone wants to take it off my hands so be it. And if it doesn't sell I will still have it to use to demo with for the sound. I agree the painting is a lot of work though. I like the one that Ward showed better, I wish the grain on this one stood out like that.

[big_teee]

It isn't pickups, but just for fun here is the strat I have been working on. This is the transparent red one with the 14 coats. I still have to buff it out more. The pickguard is supposed to be like the Australian red tortoise. -sw
[ATTACH=CONFIG]19326[/ATTACH]

Sonny:
That guitar body color looks a lot like the old Cherry red finish of the ES-335.
I like it.
T

[Ward]

I agree the painting is a lot of work though. I like the one that Ward showed better, I wish the grain on this one stood out like that.

The Mary Kaye is done on swamp ash which is the wood to use for transparent finishes. The Mary Kaye is different in so far as it's a semi trans finish, it's white pigment mixed into clear lacquer, the mixture is real weak and you have to put a few coats on to get the perfect balance between having enough colour and yet still being able to see the grain. It's a wonderful looking finish IMO, maybe I'm a bit girly, maybe that's a good thing
As for stains, well you see the result Sonny, if you have the spray gear you're much better off mixing dyes into clear lacquer and laying your colour down coat by coat until you get the desired depth of colour and grain. It's a technique you get better at the more you do but it doesn't take long to get it together. You NEED gravity feed guns, they are a must to get a good even colour. That Mary Kay one I showed is not mine, in case you thought it was, I'm still stripping my swampy body. Now this is a PITA to do I tell you.

[SonnyW]

I appreciate the advice and I do understand what you are talking about on the stains. I don't have a gravity feed gun (except an airbrush) I just have a touchup gun and a big pressure feed one. I really thought the stain would take more evenly and make the grain stand out, but you can see there were some areas on the wood that took up more stain than some of the other areas and once it happened, I couldn't figure out how to reverse that. It did work a bit better on the headstock which was sealed first. I'm learning though. I will have to look into getting a gravity feed gun too. By the way I liked the copper foil on the cavity, I did mine that way too.

[Ward]

I appreciate the advice and I do understand what you are talking about on the stains. I don't have a gravity feed gun (except an airbrush) I just have a touchup gun and a big pressure feed one. I really thought the stain would take more evenly and make the grain stand out, but you can see there were some areas on the wood that took up more stain than some of the other areas and once it happened, I couldn't figure out how to reverse that. It did work a bit better on the headstock which was sealed first. I'm learning though. I will have to look into getting a gravity feed gun too. By the way I liked the copper foil on the cavity, I did mine that way too.

The reason the stain was darker in places is because of a poor sanding prep job, your end result starts with tedious and pedantic sanding. While it is true that staining brings the grain out better than toning I don't go there any more UNLESS: One thing you can do is stain the wood black, then sand it all off but make sure not to sand off too much because the stain will go into the grain more than elsewhere, then you put your toner over that and the grain will pop but only if you like the grain black which I think looks false, PR? anyone.
Of course it helps to have a good piece of wood to start with, what's that about polishing a turd, it's true. Gravity feed guns are cheap as chips on the bay, get a small touch up one and a bigger one for the many clear coats that you will put over a colour. Once you have the gear you can buy Stew Mac metal dyes and do some experimenting with your nitro clear, the dyes just go straight into the clear. I'm willing to bet if you go to all that trouble you'll be stripping that one and redoing it eventually.
Once again, the Warmoth Mary Kaye is NOT mine, I don't copper out my guitars since I discovered shielding is a waste of time IMO and shielding strat pickups kills some top end, I just live with the noise because I love the tone and why waste the money the tape costs.
I'm happy to help you with your painting if you like, next time you do one, sand sand sand and then sand some more. Then there's grain filling if you want to do ash woods or just pile on the lacquer but it's better to fill the grain. Yep, painting is all work and no fun, until you can stand back and admire a job well done.

[copperheadroads]

More spraying than winding going on ,I'm doing a burst on a 59 les paul replica that I have .maybe some pics

[SonnyW]

Thanks, Ward, I didn't know that about the sanding part, I thought I had done enough, but I was looking for smoothness mostly and I didn't think about how it might affect the staining. I did do the part about raising the grain by wetting it and then letting it dry and sanding again. I don't know if that was good or bad. And it was my first one. I will definitely do more of them until I am satisfied. I agree 100% about the standing back and admiring though when it is all done.