javacody Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 I made some pretty good sized mistakes when routing the pickup cavities for my maple topped guitar. The guitar will have p90's and is a thinline type guitar. The top will be stained with a Lockwood's Brillian Scarlett aniline dye. I bought some wood filler that was supposed to be made out of wood flour, but it didn't take the dye at all. I'm not looking for a miracle, just something that won't stick out like a sore thumb. The two mistake areas are about 1/4" around. If I can't find something good, I will just go with some rosewood or ebony pickup surrounds and matching knobs. I'd prefer not have to do this though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 (edited) javacody- I don't have any answers but am curious about a couple things (so I can learn stuff). I'm wondering why you needed to fill the grain on a Maple Top? Was it unusually "grainy" for Maple? (obviously must have been). Was the dye you used water-based? or did you use denatured alcohol? Did you mix it yourself? (was it powdered)? Lastly; what kind of (brand & type) Grain Filler did you use? So you filled the whole top and just tested the dye on two small 1/4" areas...right? I'm not trying to "grill" you with questions, javacody! Just wanna find out How To Do Things! And if I find anything out; I'll let you know.... Edited October 31, 2004 by rick_here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 You won't find a filler which will take the stain without looking very obvious. You best bet is to find a filler which matches the wood colour closely, then seal the guitar and spray your colour suspended in clear. Direct application of dye requires a *perfect* job of surface prep and machining, because it makes any errors stick out like a sore thumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsilver Posted October 31, 2004 Report Share Posted October 31, 2004 Setch, if you've already died a body and used filler, can you then use toner (dye suspended in laquer for example as you suggest) to hide the imperfections? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted November 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 (edited) rick, I'm not looking for grain filler, I'm looking for screw-up filler. The answer may be that it's just not possible. I can live with that. What fillers will accept stain, even to some kind of degree? I'm thinking about filling, and then using pieces of maple veneer glued on top of the filler. Edited November 1, 2004 by javacody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 John: yes, provided you've got a good colour match already. You can also fill small problems with something clear like CA or epoxy. If there is an obvious difference in colour it's unlikely anything other than a opaque colour coat will hide it. Cody, any chance of pics? It's tough to suggest solutions without any solid idea of the size or position of the problem areas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted November 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 No photos, but I've drawn up in photoshop where I hosed it up. It sucks too, because the f-holes came out very nicely and the top is nicely figured. Any idears? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 (edited) Thanx, javacody....(I'm just learning here)...and can see I totally misunderstood what you meant. Would Pick-up Rings be a possibility? I mean, will this guitar have them? (and would they cover the mistakes).... In any event, Good Luck!!! Edited November 1, 2004 by rick_here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travis Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 worst case scenario approach would be to overrout them bigger, fill back in with a contrasting wood, and reroute...sort of like a built in ring. Come to think of it...that could be pretty cool if you built it out sorta like a binding or rosette type deal using laminated wood. Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Whoa... 7 layer bound pickup cavities... man, that'd be amazing! I've never seen it before, but if you're binding the rest, that would look SPECTACULAR! If you're doing natural binding, you could just inlay a chunk of curly maple, and rout out the pickup withing that as suggested previously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted November 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 (edited) Yeah, I shouldn't have used "grain filler" in my subject. I'm new to this too, hence a really stupid screw up. Doh! I've learned a lot just from this one body. Enough to feel like maybe I could tackle the neck myself. Well, all except for the fretboard. I think my old friend stew mac will be making that for me. I've been thinking about ways of covering this up, and an inlay was my first thought. I was leaning more towards rosewood, but curly maple would look very cool, as I am doing natural binding. Throw in a couple of curly maple knobs, and the look would be complete. Since the mess ups are only on the sides, how do you guys think that just doing this on the sides of the p90 routes would look? Edited November 1, 2004 by javacody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted November 1, 2004 Report Share Posted November 1, 2004 Javacody & y'all- So for purposes of Review and/or "context"; what we have here is a LP styled body with F-Holes...it's not an arch-top, right? (Thinlines aren't that). Whether there's any chambering (or not) probably doesn't enter into the equation as our problem areas, so to speak, wouldn't "be" where any chambering usually is.... And the P-90's are regular ones---not the humbucking-size that are now available. (I have 2 of those, btw). Javacody's P-90's are gonna be body-mounted (inside the routings, screwed-in from the bottom)....if I'm getting the picture right. Therefore, Pup-Mounting-Rings aren't needed, as such. You (javacody) mentioned doing some kind of Inlay-scenario which sounds cool & doable. Especially with the color-coordinated "matching set" of knobs. Speaking of "color"...what color schemes are we working on here? We'd have the body's and the neck's colors to take into consideration as well. Hmmmmm.... So. If the Pups aren't gonna need Pup-Rings...we're looking at a way to both surround (mistake-cover) and also enhance the guitar's overall look. The Pup's colors; we'd need to know those too. Chrome? Black? Gold? Sometimes it seems more fun to Plan Guitars than actually making them..... NEhoo, rick ><> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted November 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Brilliant Scarllet dyed top with polymerized tung oil, natural faux binding on the sides (again with polymerized tung oil), and Pure Tung Oil on the poplar body and mahagony neck. To see details on the guitar I am basically copying, see blueshawk.info. It will have sperzel open back tuners, regular p90's, 500k volume and tone pots, varitone, 4 way tele switch, and string through strat type bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 (edited) Wow (okay, thanx)!!! Um, I've used regular ol' Pure Tung Oil and have been reading-up on the Polymerized (considering: what possible applications?).... Poplar Body/ Mahogany Neck sounds "sweet" this way from a Wood-Tones perspective. I've been hearing how folks are using Poplar more, lately. Word has it that Poplar has the same basic Tone-Qualities of Alder.... "BluesHawk Copy," hey? (Not a bad choice, under any circumstances, imo). Regular "creme" P-90's then? Varitone; BigDguitars has some info/ makes & sells em himself!!! Strat-Type Bridge. What kind? Have you found a BluesHawk? If so, Plz Gimme a Link! (I coudn't find one). But I really like what I'm seeing here: (StewMac): HIPSHOT "Hard-Tail" Bridge and know of others who are planning to use them. I have one scheduled for a Tele-Copy. Thanx, some more. Edited November 2, 2004 by rick_here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 Ummm... isn't it Big D who makes the varitone switches? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted November 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 (edited) The p90's are black. I'm going to be using BigD's varitone switch and plate. The bridge is the mighty mite brass bridge. I have a machinist friend who I do web work for (pigtail music) who is going to copy this for me, but made out of hardened steel. I'm using polymerized tung oil, because it seems to have less of that brown color you get with Pure Tung oil and I want the red to really show through. It should also be a better level of protection than Pure Tung oil, and I really want to protect the top of this guitar. I'm using the Pure Tung oil on the poplar, becuase it has some green to it (mineral streaking) and I would like that to be more of a brownish color (from the Tung Oil) and because in my opinion, Tung Oil produces a more resonant instrument. Edited November 2, 2004 by javacody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted November 2, 2004 Report Share Posted November 2, 2004 (edited) ooops, uh, yeah: BigDguitars.....has the Varitones..... (ya gotta love that editing feature & those friends who dare & care to be Honest).... Edited November 2, 2004 by rick_here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.