Mickguard Posted July 17, 2005 Report Share Posted July 17, 2005 Why can't I find this info with the search function? I've sanded down the tele l'm modding to the sealer coat --it's transparent, the wood underneath looks nice. I'd like to bring out the grain in the wood a bit more --when I wet the guitar, it looks pretty good, and I'm assuming that's the result I'll get with the clear coat. But I'm wondering if there's not a way to color the grain or otherwise make it more dramatic -- I'm thinking either by deepening the brown or maybe adding some cherry/red Is it possible to do this over the sealer coat? What kind of stain should I use? Another reason for deepening the color is that the sides of the guitar have a kind of 'pinto' look to it --the wood's lighter in parts....doesn't look bad, but it'd be nice to even that out. (The pinto is only on the sides --I carved a belly contour into the back, and the wood is a solid color there--even when it used to be pinto) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgmorg Posted July 17, 2005 Report Share Posted July 17, 2005 You won't be able to get any stain/dye into the wood with the sealer on, but the topcoat can be tinted with transparent colors. Probably won't have the same effect as dying the wood, but it could still look very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted July 17, 2005 Report Share Posted July 17, 2005 Pics would be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted July 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2005 Pics would be nice. ← I'll get around to the pics sooner or later...just haven't had the energy to go get the camera. I'd be interested in tinting it though, especially if I can bring out a little more of the red in the wood (it's supposed to be an alder body--but it's kind of reddish in color already). What do I need for tinting? I know I've read about that somewhere, just don't remember right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted July 17, 2005 Report Share Posted July 17, 2005 Tinting is where you mix an alcohol or metallic-based dye into you finish, then shoot it on, then clear over it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted July 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2005 Tinting is where you mix an alcohol or metallic-based dye into you finish, then shoot it on, then clear over it. ← Ah then I'm screwed, all I'm set up for here are rattle cans... Hmm...but it seems to me that the auto shop had some tinted lacquer...hmmm.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wierdOne Posted July 18, 2005 Report Share Posted July 18, 2005 well... I just finished staining and finishing my first guitar... It's a white korina telecaster... I chose to dye it black n red.. with the red sunbursting into the black.... i gotta tell ya.... it was hard... but anyways... While looking at the wood before i ever dyed it... i knew that the wood wouldn't look as spectacular as flamed wood... so i asked around my area and found an interesting tip... the guy that told me this refinishes gun stocks... and man.. it worked.... (i also found something similar on one of the tutorials, but it was dealing with flame figures and how to deepen the look) here's what i did... after filling the grain and prepping the wood...... I stained the whole guitar black.. then came back and sanded it back until the majority of black dye gone... (since i was sunbursting, i only worried about the areas that were'nt going to end up black.. If you're using a porous wood like i did... the grain will be filled with black.. so the grain is highlighted... it's pretty cool... then i used the red dye on top... and bam... red with black highlights... bye the way.. i tried a couple of ways to do a convincing sunburst, and the best way (for me) was to dye the edges black... (and the grain of course)... then i sprayed red dye with a preval spray unit over the whole guitar... then over the red, with an old shirt I wiped a second black coat around the edges... this time i made sure to overlap the red further than the first black coat.... once the black dye dried, I used steel wool (000 grade) to blend the black and red... anyways.. I'd post pictures, but it's still at the luthiers... trust me... the black in the grain is REALLY cool looking... that's really the only advice i have.. cause in all honesty, i'm probably the member on this board with the least amount of experience... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted July 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2005 here's what i did... that's really the only advice i have.. cause in all honesty, i'm probably the member on this board with the least amount of experience... ← Yeah, well, I've go a couple more months than you... Anyway, I can't go with that method because the guitar's already sealed. But if I can find some red tinted transparent lacquer, that should give me what I want...a coat of that, and then some normal clear, and the guitar should look just fine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wierdOne Posted July 19, 2005 Report Share Posted July 19, 2005 actually.. right after i posted, it dawned on me what you were talking about... being a newbie sucks.. 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.