dougrun Posted November 26, 2020 Report Share Posted November 26, 2020 so, a little history. I got this guitar when i was about 12. I think it's a 79 or 80. My stepdad got it for me to play in his bluegrass band. I did for a few years then it just went with me off to college(s). One day i come home from studying in the library until 8pm (masters work) and water is flowing out my front door. Bathroom sink line broke. This guitar was sitting on the carpet at that time. It soaked up a lot and the cracks show it. I didn't really start playing it a lot again until 2 years ago and thought i'd try and glue the cracks but that didn't hold. I was doing an open mic night in a friends backyard and tripped and fell on it, poking a tear in the back shell. I used fibergalss epoxy on that which turned out ok. While repairing it, i bought a balladeer to play in the mean time. So now that i had a nicer guitar, I thought i'd attempt a refinish on it, Now having a little experience with lacquer, I decided on a blue metallic so I could nto find a Poly like that, i went the lacquer route. Getting the poly finish off was a pain though, Had to dremel near the edges. The rosette (i hate to even call a colored plastic circle connected to the pick guard a real rosette) came off and so I started sanding away. The photos show the cheap wood under it, and how badly i had to sand down to get the cracks out. I won't be surprised if it doesn't hold string tension when i'm finished but at this point, its all for fun anyway. With the cheap wood used, I could have just gotten hardware store metallic paint then did poly over that I guess. So far i love the look but need more clear coats to make the rosette (laid on top, not inlayed) level enough with the clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted November 26, 2020 Report Share Posted November 26, 2020 7 hours ago, dougrun said: I won't be surprised if it doesn't hold string tension when i'm finished The spots where you've sanded through the top layer showing the cross laminated veneer are the weakest ones. They're not large, though. Quite some time ago I posted a couple of pictures of a classical guitar with a loose bridge. The top was made of some sort of plywood similarly to yours and the three layers were so damaged that there was no strength lengthwise at all. Yours looks much stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted November 26, 2020 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2020 I'm undecided on whether to clear coat it up to the edge or leave it just under. I have a few layers still before the rosette is level with the middle. I have an artist friend who can hand paint the edge binding with acrylic. I photoshopped it with blue to see if i'd like the edge colored but I think it looks better not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted December 8, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2020 deciding to leave the trim white (or off white as it is). latest.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted December 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2020 do people ever not sand/buff lacquer finishes? Most of the top seems like glass now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted December 22, 2020 Report Share Posted December 22, 2020 It's not mandatory. Most builders just aren't happy with "most of", they want it all seem like glass. There was a guy in our class who wanted a playable LP lookalike that would look good on stage. So instead of a spray gun he used cheap rattle cans and instead of fancy binding he took a little brush and some gold paint to accentuate the outlines of the body. As the owner of a six man car repair shop he might even have had access to professional spray guns, also the cost of "real" materials would have been no issue. It was just his minimalistic philosophy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted December 24, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2020 final coat tonight. there were lots of runs and uneven coats it kind of lends itself to the "liquid metallic" look i was going for. I'll wait a month and then test it with strings, then decide whether or not to sand/buff, leave it, or make it a decoration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted January 7, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2021 surface crack in last layer on bottom appeared, runs from bottom to bridge. will wet sand to 400 and try again.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted January 11, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2021 the # of underlying cracks are multiplying. now about 12. I think i'll have no choice but to leave them and just finish it up. Already sanded a lot of the top clear down and they still show at a certain angle so must be at the metallic or white layers. I guess it'll just add character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted January 14, 2021 Report Share Posted January 14, 2021 On 1/11/2021 at 12:16 AM, dougrun said: the # of underlying cracks are multiplying. now about 12. I think i'll have no choice but to leave them and just finish it up. Already sanded a lot of the top clear down and they still show at a certain angle so must be at the metallic or white layers. I guess it'll just add character. Looking good. Are you talking just surface cracks in the lacquer? If so, I wouldn't worry about it - some folks go to extraordinary lengths just to create them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted January 14, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2021 ha, yeah, i had some leftover metallic blue left so i sanded down until it started to peek through and will re-coat the clear starting today, covered up the cracks but I expect theyll come back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 I've been listening to bluegrass for over 40 years, although I don't play it. But...I'm hard-pressed to recall ever seeing or hearing a 12 string in bluegrass music. Did I miss something along the line? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted January 29, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 It wasn't the ONLY thing we played. lots of country and some early eagles stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted January 29, 2021 Report Share Posted January 29, 2021 Ahh, check. I've got that peaceful easy feelin' back again now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted February 5, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2021 all done, hopeffully... waiting until march to string it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted March 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2021 getting ready to apply strings and would like to clean up the fretboard. Since its painted aluminum, is there a special paint for it? Its got some scratches sowing the metal underneath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted March 12, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2021 actually, i think marker may work 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougrun Posted March 16, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2021 so far holding strings fine. sounds amazing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted March 18, 2021 Report Share Posted March 18, 2021 It looks great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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