Pr3Va1L Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 You are really the master of finishing, Drak... It's just really great! You should look for a finishing job in a custom shop or something!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 Did I miss something here? I'm pretty sure it hasn't been finished yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoofnagle Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 Fair warning tho, it is VERY tricky stuff to work with, and not for a beginner. You could very easily break it or ruin it several different ways and be out some heavy coin with nothing to show for it. First of all - to restate theobvious - that is a badass looking guitar. I too am glad you will keep it natural. Your quote above indicates that BE burl is not for a newbie - (I hope this does not come out wrong) but why? Is it because of the need to do the Epoxy filling and the CA bath? You obviously started somewhere (messed up - I assume). WHat should the less experienced do? In other words what are some ways from learning without jumping in to the fire. Thanks, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pr3Va1L Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 (edited) Bah he started finishing it... And anyways I'm pretty sure a lot of us would have alredy entirely destroyed it by now :D Edited May 27, 2006 by Pr3Va1L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted May 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 1. Yes, it has about 4-5 coats of lac on it now, so it -is- semi-finished as far as appearances go. 2. Um, no special finishing talents here, it's just clear lacquer, but thanks for the nice words. 3. Buckeye buckeye buckeye....... a. Yes, it will almost always need filling with epoxy somewhere along the line, so you need to be previously experienced at doing that. b. It will need probably 100 small dimples filled too, almost harder to do than filling in the big gaps, you need to be previously experienced at doing that, it's not easy at all to fill 100 individual holes and gaps. This is way different than filling in pores with pore filler. c. It breaks -extremely- easy, it is spalted after all d. It's very soft e. It's expensive compared to what else you can buy for the same money, with a healthy level of risk involved of losing it and winding up empty. f. It is waxed when you get it, so you need to get all the wax off, resaw it, clean it up, and all very gently. Giving you advice and roadsigns really doesn't do you much good, I think actually it's more dangerous, listing the issues might give you artificial confidence. You REALLY need to be previously experienced and GOOD at epoxy filling, CA filling, levelling, all that stuff before you approach this stuff. You're right, I started somewhere, but when I found this stuff, I had already been doing CA and epoxy for several YEARS on other woods and had learned the right and wrong ways to do it after making many mistakes and tossing several pieces away because I had ruined them, and even THEN I had a learning curve to tackle when I did my first Buckeye piece, it was a completely new experience even tho I knew how to epoxy and CA fill...this wood is no place to learn that stuff, you ALREADY need to know how to do it first. Let's look at it like this: do you think you could really learn how to be a great wide receiver just by watching tapes and reading books and advice and never actually DOING it, just trotting right out onto the field fresh from watching tapes and reading books and take a 50-yard pass over the shoulders of a defender into the endzone, first time out? No. You need to DO it, over and over and over, many times, before you really learn how to do it, you're going to suck at it at first, and wood this expensive is no training ground, that's my main point. Just trying to save you big coin. I would rather teach someone how to do quilted maple stain and sandbacks because you can get a booked quilted maple top for far far less than a piece of this stuff, and quilted maple you can continually sand back and start over again if you screw it up the first few times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoofnagle Posted May 27, 2006 Report Share Posted May 27, 2006 Thanks for the detailed response. As stated - well above my talent level - I was really curoius how you got there. I can't wait to see the finished product. Will you be going with a Birdseye neck? I seem to remember you saying that you liked them a bunch (or at least used them a bunch). Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyd Posted May 29, 2006 Report Share Posted May 29, 2006 Man i want to do buckeye so bad but now Draks got me scared to do so! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted May 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2006 My intention was not to induce rampant fear among the masses, but to give you fair caution before you proceed ahead with a risky venture. See, I have no fear at all, I will dive straight ahead into deep waters, and I have destroyed MANY MANY guitar bodies in my quest to learn about all these strange woods, but see, I never CARED that much, if I screwed it up, hey, I learned something along the way for next time, that's how you learn. In other words, the experience I gained from the project was fully worth the cost of the wood in the end TO ME. I don't think everyone out there has such a low risk-aversion as I do. But not everyone is like me in that they can toss $150.00 worth of wood in the trash and not give a toss about it, so it depends on which camp you fall in, or your personal level of risk-aversion. If your ballsy, dive right in pilgrim! But be prepared to pay a price if it comes to that one day. In my world, the experience gained is the real prize, not a guaranteed finished guitar, the nice guitars are a by-product of all the information I have gained by screwing up a lot of stuff over the years, so now I don't screw so much up anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 29, 2006 Report Share Posted May 29, 2006 Yeah, I'm definitely not in that camp. It's not that I think every wood is sacred and every project is to be cherished. I agree that the learning is the biggest part of it, too. I just don't have $150 to toss in the bin, and as people have (perhaps annoyingly!) pointed out in previous such discussions, you can learn by fixing certain kinds of mistakes, too. But, I've definitely come around to agreeing with Drak that it's his money, his time, his perspective, and his right to burn and destroy whatever the heck he chooses. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted May 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2006 I probably make at least one mistake on every guitar I build, more or less, so I agree that fixing mistakes is a great thing to learn, it teaches you to be adaptable and keep a positive outlook on things instead of getting distraught over every little problem that crops up, cuz brother, they will come. And I never really enjoy trashing a project if it comes to that, but on the other hand, I don't take it personally either, it is what it is, I accept the reality of it, let it go, and move on to the next adventure with a smile, not all tossed up because something didn't work out the way I wanted it to. That is called being flexable and positive in one's outlook and demeanor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottyd Posted May 29, 2006 Report Share Posted May 29, 2006 Darnit i got to get some of that buckeye!!! Even if the risks are that great!! I cant stop looking at it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hughes Posted May 29, 2006 Report Share Posted May 29, 2006 so, ummm Drak, looking to sell that body? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted May 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 Everything in this world has a price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hughes Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 well that chunk of wood is mighty expensive, and the workmanship is near flawless, so i wouldnt even know where to begin haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsilver Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 See, I have no fear at all, I will dive straight ahead into deep waters, and I have destroyed MANY MANY guitar bodies in my quest to learn about all these strange woods, but see, I never CARED that much, if I screwed it up, hey, I learned something along the way for next time, that's how you learn. In my world, the experience gained is the real prize, I admire that view. My youngest son just graduated from university in San Antonio a couple of weeks ago. (Woo Hoo!). The keynote commencement speaker told a story........ I swear this is a true part of his speech.... "A young man visits a successful old man who has retired. He asks the old man: How did you become so successful? The old man replies: good decisions. The young man asks: How did you learn to make such good decisions?. The old man replies: experience. The young man asks: How did you get such experience?. The old man replies: bad decisions." The relevance to what we do is obvious. Drak said it. Nuff said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted May 30, 2006 Report Share Posted May 30, 2006 That's a great anecdote, John. I imagine it's probably a cliche somewhere, but I've never heard it before. I'm going to stick that one into my personal repetoire (sp?). Anyhow, don't mean to derail the thread. Looking forward to seeing this puppy with hardware if/when it comes to that! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hughes Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 im interested in seeing what you decide to do for a neck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 Are you still buying necks or are you building some now? What kind of headstock are you going to stick on this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 I thought I had the desire to build some necks last year, but that turned out to be indigestion. If I don't feel the need to build a neck after 12 years of doing this, something tells me I probably never will, there simply is no desire within me to want to do it, so I don't. Same with inlay, apparently just not my bag. This one will have a warmoth neck/Warmoth headstock with the same Buckeye burl veneered to the headstock, my usual Modus Operandi. I have a Paduak/Paduak neck here I might use for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 I wasn't insinuating that you should build your own necks. I could play both sides of the argument and be happy either way, but I choose to bulid my own just for the heck of it. I was just wondering what headstock was going on this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hughes Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 i cant wait, this is going to be beautiful. never thought i would see the day id be anxious to see a strat be finished hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 I didn't take it as insinuating anything, I was just putting the kitty to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GodBlessTexas Posted June 1, 2006 Report Share Posted June 1, 2006 That body is just gorgeous. It's simply stunning how beautiful it is. Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas... 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.