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As much as you really don't want to be hearing about finishing schedules or ideas right now Luis, that Khaya instantly makes me think of an oil/shellac/poly finish. Boiled Linseed oil soak, wipe and let cure. Repeat as much as is required. Shellac over the top to seal and provide a surface that the poly can adhere to. If Tru-Oil can be used in place of BLO, that would also solve the grain filling. Not recommending that you do this type of finish without practice as it can be a bit tricky, especially on a guitar.

If I get ahold of any Khaya or Sapele in the near future I think another Carl Thompson bass with this style of finish is on the cards.

Really love that Zebrano Luis. How close is that cut to being flatsawn? Really ribbony....

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I'd say that it looks like it is. When Zebrano is quartered, the stripes are thinner and far more regular. Maybe 1/8" to 1/2" spacing and pretty thin. Sawn towards the flat it widens out and becomes much wilder as any variations move greater distances across the face. Whichever way, that bookmatching with the tighter grain and light central portion really complements the instrument. Explorers and other offset shapes don't tie up with flame or quilt as well as more symmetrical shapes (to my eye, anyway) however continuing some feature through the centre along with neck brings both opposites together. Sort of like how Thunderbirds and Firebirds work out. That raised section has an important part to play in the design as a whole.

Yeah, I think you need to do your usual work and hit this out of the park in terms of the wood side of things and take the hit on outsourcing the finish. The level of work you're at these days should be out there at several times the price you've sold others at. Maybe you need the acknowledgement of actually selling one at a few k to get that wagon running true again, eh? What happened with that asshole who was stealing your photos and passing them off as their own work anyway?

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Yeah, i am really hoping to outsource in the next build or two. I have a run planned with some quilted bubinga and flame maple necks that should be great with a real clear coat.

I never heard back from that place that was using my pictures as their own. I hope nobody fell for it. It has actually happened a couple times with different people. There was also a guy who woudl buy stuff off ebay and then tweak it a bit and claim he built it. He did that with one of my KL copies a while back. I saw it pop up on ebay again after he re sold it. I couldnt convince the guy who bought it that the guy didnt build it and it was one of mine. HIs website even had pictures of him assembling it.

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Well, you can't do much about that. Ultimately unless you have some legally binding agreement with a buyer they can do what they want with an instrument they buy from you. Not sure about the implications of lying about having built it, but hell that would be expensive to litigate. Don't undersell yourself otherwise you open yourself up to being screwed by these muppets.

Got anybody specific in mind for the outsourced work? It should come at quite a cost. Cheap should set alarm bells ringing. References and recommendations to the gunwales, dude. It'd be nice seeing you set up some sort of relationship to make these ongoing bugs (not RAD's actual bugs though) go away, and leaving you to concentrate on the stuff you enjoy more and are better at.

Please tell me when the first one is finished and cased up. Leave beer in the fridge and let me know when you'll be out of the house for an hour. ;-)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I feel for you. That's how I feel about finishing most days. FIND A FINISHER. That's my current plan. I tried one guy but it didn't work out. A key is ensuring they understand both gloss AND perfectly level, that they report any scratches/lack of filling in places EARLY, and that they use a product that you're able to spot-fix easily.

Finding a good finisher is hard too; but if that's not where your skill set is, then maybe it's time to farm that out like a LOT of luthiers do.

Chris

You were perfectly correct though. Either your finished needs to understand the nature and process of the work, or you need to be in the loop during the process. Obviously the second is not practical unless you are maybe learning the skills with somebody hands-on. It might be pragmatic to sit in on the first simple job, perhaps keeping the coffee on and with a pack a beer afterwards.

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