1975 Flying V: Blending In A Headstock Repair

[slor]

Here we have a mid-70's Flying V. Headstock has been broken at least twice, current repair is stable. Problem is, several partial refins have been done as well, leaving the headstock and about 1/3rd of the neck stripped. After grain filling and sealing, I tried to match with Mohawk "Colonial Maple" (I don't have a spraygun rig), and the color looked passable at first (the rest of the guitar is pretty beat cosmetically so no big deal here).

However, under clear lacquer the color difference is really apparent. And obviously, the "hard V" color separation line is not working too well. Given the state of the rest of the guitar, I can live with the fact that there won't be a perfect color match.

What should I do about the color separation line? Try to keep it clean and hard? Fade/feather it in to better match the rest of the guitar?

Many thanks,

Seth

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http://thegoldenbears.net/images/Headstock1.jpg

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[Quarter]

Looks like your stain needs some red brown in the mix for a better color match.

To get the least noticeable look, you are going to have to strip and sand the entire neck down, then dye / color it all together.

Darker colors will tend to hide the glue line more if thats where you want to go.

[slor]

Looks like your stain needs some red brown in the mix for a better color match.

To get the least noticeable look, you are going to have to strip and sand the entire neck down, then dye / color it all together.

Darker colors will tend to hide the glue line more if thats where you want to go.

Well, given that the rest of the guitar is in onlhy fair shape cosmetically, I can live with a less-than-perfect match. I'm more concerned with the seam between old (bottom of the neck and body) and new (headstock).

By the way, I went with a toner rather than a stain, as that's how the guitar came to me. Seems like a stain would be more controllable, but the headstock is already grain-filled and sealed under CA glue....

Thanks much,

Seth

[Setch]

I've not tried it, but Frank Ford recommends a toner/stain coat over the area to be re-coloured, which is feathered over the existing finish. Then, use a razor blade to gently scrape back until you remove the dark transition area where the two layers cross.

Finish matching is a PITA, so you may have to settle for good enough, and be aware in advance that the best you're lkely to achieve is inconspicuous, not invisible.