Quilted Maple Satriani

[supplebanana]

i've heard stories of StewMac's dyes fading in a few weeks - i asked a question about it in the finishing section a while back to see if it was true & all i got back was a pedantic response from Drak telling me to phone 'em & get them to guarantee me that it wouldn't fade

my post - that was way back in Feb & i've heard nothing else to the contrary.....

[pauliemc]

i've heard stories of StewMac's dyes fading in a few weeks - i asked a question about it in the finishing section a while back to see if it was true & all i got back was a pedantic response from Drak telling me to phone 'em & get them to guarantee me that it wouldn't fade

my post - that was way back in Feb & i've heard nothing else to the contrary.....

I saw a similar post ages ago. I actually posted to it because I had a few guitars fade already (blue analine dye that time). Aparently if the dye is old stock (over a year opened) it can cause some problems. But this bottle is new, Got it a week or so before the dye job was done, stewy mac said it is fade resistant. I took their word for it.

maby im just panicing because of the previous problems,

just have to wait & see.

Im ordering a batch of replacement black & green from Behlin this week - just in case.

[Mattia]

Fade resistant doesn't mean fade-proof, and blues seem to be a common culprit. Overall, I've had very good results with the Colortone stewmac stuff (ie rebranded TransTint metal acid dyes).

[Drak]

1. That fretboard is just Gorgeous, I love it.

2. I vote for 1 piece veneer, no bookmatch.

3. For all the finishing and dying I've done over 15 years, I have never suffered a single case of fading, ever...

I honestly don't understand the fading thing.

I've seen the pics and asked all the questions I could think of, and am still mystified by it, and very thankful it's never happened to me.

But I generally have always used Lockwood dyes for the most part.

When I was starting out, that's what my local supplier stocked, and 1 package of powdered dye can last me for several years easy, even using it on a regular basis, that stuff goes a LONG way.

Primarily, I use Lockwood water-based powdered dyes for going right on the (usually Maples) wood and Behlen Solar Lux liquids for the shader/toner coats...primarily...not always.

I have bought a few Trans-tint metallic dyes, and they seem to work fine too...totally confused on the dye fade thing...

But I am Loving that fretboard, super-nice piece of wood.

[pauliemc]

1. That fretboard is just Gorgeous, I love it.

2. I vote for 1 piece veneer, no bookmatch.

3. For all the finishing and dying I've done over 15 years, I have never suffered a single case of fading, ever...

1. I know. Its savage cool aint it Been holding on to that piece for ages. Was never gona go to a customer.

2. Way ahead of you. Its in the steam oven as I type this, Will be clamping it into place to make the curve later.

3. You Jammy fook !! Iv never had anything fade until recently. & then it was only the colortone stuff. Tried it, hate it, Never using it again, Should have stuck with behlin, lesson learned.

Mattia.

I know fade resistant does not mean fade-proof. But i would expect it to last a lot longer than a week.

There were a few days where the green got more vivid, but after 7-8 days I notaiced it was showing a little maple thru the colour. Now its a LOT of maple. The black is starting to fade out aswell. Considering the age of these dyes - ordered, received & used within a week. Its a joke !!

As far as im concerned, no product sold as a colouring agent for timber should fade after a few days.

[WezV]

i reckon litch has been supplying dye for them

(any unsure of the joke - just do a forum search!)

[pauliemc]

i reckon litch has been supplying dye for them

(any unsure of the joke - just do a forum search!)

I know im goin off on one, But its typical. Build for others & its all good, plain sailing & all that crap,

BUT, you build something for yourself & it goes wrong.

I wonder if Jesus is trying to tell me something ? Maby he wants me to a 7 neck mockingbird ?

[Maiden69]

Nice guitar so far! As far as the stains fading, I had that happen to me on 1 guitar. I stained the top, sanded back and laid a tinted coat with StewMac stains and now that blue is almost non existent. I will love to post pics to show but Im a little far away from home to do that...

On another note, my first quilt guitar was stained with the same stain, but with clear nitro and that one still is the same color as it was when I shot it!

[ScottR]

Paulie, hows your dye holding up?

Holding it's own, still fading, or getting stripped?

SR

[pauliemc]

Paulie, hows your dye holding up?

Holding it's own, still fading, or getting stripped?

SR

Hey Scott. Its still fading

The back is holding up realy well, Including the black. Makes me think there is something up with the maple on the front.

But Oddly enough, the sample piece I done up is still strong as ever. Green & black are still good I just dont get it. has me totally stumped.

Im gona get some more done on the neck, you know - radius, frets, oil, bla bla bla.

Then I rekon I will just strip the body & start over.

[ScottR]

Paulie, hows your dye holding up?

Holding it's own, still fading, or getting stripped?

SR

Hey Scott. Its still fading

The back is holding up realy well, Including the black. Makes me think there is something up with the maple on the front.

But Oddly enough, the sample piece I done up is still strong as ever. Green & black are still good I just dont get it. has me totally stumped.

Im gona get some more done on the neck, you know - radius, frets, oil, bla bla bla.

Then I rekon I will just strip the body & start over.

You said you have a couple of coats of clear on the body to seal it. Do you have any clear on the sample piece? If not, do you suppose therre is some kind of reaction between the dye and the clear that's leaching the color out?

SR

[pauliemc]

Paulie, hows your dye holding up?

Holding it's own, still fading, or getting stripped?

SR

Hey Scott. Its still fading

The back is holding up realy well, Including the black. Makes me think there is something up with the maple on the front.

But Oddly enough, the sample piece I done up is still strong as ever. Green & black are still good I just dont get it. has me totally stumped.

Im gona get some more done on the neck, you know - radius, frets, oil, bla bla bla.

Then I rekon I will just strip the body & start over.

You said you have a couple of coats of clear on the body to seal it. Do you have any clear on the sample piece? If not, do you suppose therre is some kind of reaction between the dye and the clear that's leaching the color out?

SR

Na, both totaly the same.

Not like they are even different pieces of timber, The sample is an offcut from making the top for this guitar. has me totaly stumped, cant figure it out at all.

[ScottR]

Paulie, hows your dye holding up?

Holding it's own, still fading, or getting stripped?

SR

Hey Scott. Its still fading

The back is holding up realy well, Including the black. Makes me think there is something up with the maple on the front.

But Oddly enough, the sample piece I done up is still strong as ever. Green & black are still good I just dont get it. has me totally stumped.

Im gona get some more done on the neck, you know - radius, frets, oil, bla bla bla.

Then I rekon I will just strip the body & start over.

You said you have a couple of coats of clear on the body to seal it. Do you have any clear on the sample piece? If not, do you suppose therre is some kind of reaction between the dye and the clear that's leaching the color out?

SR

Na, both totaly the same.

Not like they are even different pieces of timber, The sample is an offcut from making the top for this guitar. has me totaly stumped, cant figure it out at all.

Wow.

So the only difference is the top has been shaped and glued to a different piece of wood. I'm assuming they are both in the shop getting exposed to the same light.

Ask ol "Hey, stop eating that". Maybe he knows something he's not telling.

SR

[pauliemc]

Wow.

So the only difference is the top has been shaped and glued to a different piece of wood. I'm assuming they are both in the shop getting exposed to the same light.

Ask ol "Hey, stop eating that". Maybe he knows something he's not telling.

SR

Yea. only difference is one being carved & glued to a sapele back.

As for the light, untill they get all 12 coats of clear all my bodies are kept in a darkened room @ a fairly constant 25 degrees C. only come out for more toner or clear untill finished.

This body has never seen direct sunlight, Only thru a window about 12 foot away from the work bench. & that is covered with a mesh screen, & the glass filters full spectrum light - so almost no UV.

Im gona give it one last try with the colortone. But this time with spirits instead of water. will be mixed up & used on the spot. I waited about an hour after it was mixed last time. if it goes crappy then Ill use the Behlen stuff.

'Stop eating that' is more interested in the ebony offcut from the chicks strat than anything lately. seems to like gnawing up expensive stuff

[pauliemc]

OK. So the satch body is stripped, sanded & re-stained black again. I will be getting it ready for the green front & cherry-black burst tomorrow. No point putting up piks of the staining all over again so heres a few of another guitar in the works.

This is a strat for the chick. Ash body, walnut neck, ebony board with vine. Ripped off the pointy stick for the colour Muzz wont mind.

If yer lookin dave (PRS Tait) those vine templates you sent me are great. Got this board done in way less than half the usual time

[Muzz]

Always great to see blue ash with tiger stripes, the pearl pickguard is gravy and so is the vine inlay

I went and had a look at my dye and finish test scraps, the bits that have been stained without finish do look a bit faded, but where the lacquer has been applied over, the colour is locked in. I'll post a pic later.

[pauliemc]

Oky Doky. Its green again, redone the burst on the back aswell, headstock stained to match the body. locked up in the dark room to dry out for a day or 6 before applying some clear. Ill get some piks up when the poly is on.

General question to everyone out there.

Im having trouble getting Pickups for this thing. Im trying to get hold of a Paf Joe & a Mojoe by Dimarzio. Cant find anyone to ship to Ireland (apart from one guy, but he wanted $70 per pup & $65 to ship them - with a 4 week delivery estimated time ) I found some in a local store but they wanted 185 euro each , man i havent laughed so hard in years (i bought 5 for that last year)

I have some duncan SH1 pups, But I kinda decided on the mojoe & paf Joe so Im stickin to that.

So any ideas ?

Man this build is realy startin to kick my ass

[supplebanana]

what about Jaden? - he stocks DM's

[sam_c]

http://www.theguitarworkshop.co.uk/

Dunc at guitar workshop will get any Dimarzios you want, and will ship worldwide too. He can normally get them next day in the shop. Best to give him a ring though, speak to him or Darren and they will sort you out.

[ScottR]

O?

Man this build is realy startin to kick my ass

RestorationAD says that's how you can tell it's going to be great, when they fight back. Maybe they are possessed by a powerful spirit with mojo or juju or sumpin'. Judging by his ziricote topped SG I'd have to believe him.

SR

[pauliemc]

Just checked Jaden online. He can get them easy enough it seems. Might give em a shout when the finish gets movin along again, Just found a set of power trons I totaly forgot I had. Im checkin em out tomorrow in my groovey JS test bed thing.

Speakin of builds fightin you. The dog scared the crap outa me earlier when a stupid cat stroled into the workshop. Dog freaked & launched at the maengy little fooker, I ended dousing myself & most of the neck in danish oil. So now the fret board has a single coat of danish on it . But the workshop floor looks great now

Somehow the chicks strat managed to dodge all of it

[pauliemc]

Oky doky. Some progress on this one. Got some more done on the neck. Back is oiled, holes for machines are in.

These piks also kinda show the beginings of the fading problem.

This is the headstock the day after the stain went on (water diluted)

This is the headstock 3 days later. the black is rapidly vanishing & the figuring is becoming almost invisible & the green has lost its vibrancy.

This will be redone diluted in alcohol like the body. Provided the re-stained body holds its colour now that it is re-stained.

Anyway. Ignoring the stain for the moment. The back is oiled up & the headstock shaped.

The body just got its first coats of clear. I will post piks tomorrow when it has dried enough for the next coat.

[RestorationAD]

So my question is if a nut has some hundreds of pounds of force pushing down on it do you really need 2 #6 bolts holding it to the neck? I never understood the holes running through the week point on the neck... never...

You know I have used very small/short wood screws in the past to keep a locking nut from moving. I think the better idea is to epoxy the stupid thing down once it is right (if it doesn't need shims under).

Why put holes in your neck?

[pauliemc]

So my question is if a nut has some hundreds of pounds of force pushing down on it do you really need 2 #6 bolts holding it to the neck? I never understood the holes running through the week point on the neck... never...

You know I have used very small/short wood screws in the past to keep a locking nut from moving. I think the better idea is to epoxy the stupid thing down once it is right (if it doesn't need shims under).

Why put holes in your neck?

I agree totaly. I typically countersink the holes in the face of the nut & use small brass screws to affix it to the nut shelf - no holes thru the neck.

But I dont own this one anymore, was approached about it & just couldent say no. New owner wanted the typical mounting for this nut. I got to at least keep the extra meat at the back of it, 27mm thick. So its not a total disaster of a weak spot.

[pauliemc]

Some piks of the other build going on with this one, This ones keeping me sane with the problems on the satch

Strat for the chick. Man I love black walnut