Grindell

Wound your pups too? sweet!

I really like that shade of green.

There's a pic on the Warmoth website showing faux binding that is that shade and I've drooled over it ever since.

What stain and mixture did you use?

First it was black, then sanded back, then it was Stew-Mac green with drop or two of black, into alcohol.

Ok, this is an alder body, flamed maple top. Flamed maple neck, flamed maple fretboard, and A2 pickups I wound myself. Oh, and the six in line locking Grover tuners. Finish is Watco gloss lacquer on the body, and Watco satin lacquer on the neck and fretboard. Actually, 2 coats of gloss on the neck, and 2 coats of satin on the neck.

http://www.swaimguitarworks.com/Picture-457.jpg

http://www.swaimguitarworks.com/Picture-454.jpg

Another.

Here it is just after spraying.

And the red one.

Ok, if the gash in the back means in the belly bevel, that is glare. There's a super high gloss finish on these, and I had a hard time getting the pics without a massive amount of glare. In real life, the guitars look like they're laying in glass.

Desopolis, what big chip?

Just the lacquer is from Menards, I got tired of ordering McFadden's...

http://www.swaimguitarworks.com/Picture-445.jpg

Here's a pic of the back of one. The other is identical.

http://www.swaimguitarworks.com/Picture-440.jpg

So, flamed maple tops. mahogany backs, flamed maple necks, ebony fretboards, locking Sperzel tuners, EMG pickups, Wilkinson trems, jumbo wire, and the all important electosockets, 25.5" scale. Nitro lacquer finish, BTW.

Oh, the lacquer is Watco, bought by the gallon for $18 at Menards, here in Central Illinois. Watco seems to be easier to use and have a higher solids content than Behlens, and is pretty close to McFaddens, but cheaper. This is, as always, just my opinion.

Wow, excellent color on that. I'm going to try again on a different guitar this spring, and I'll try a little darker colors this time.

Excellent work, though! Outstanding!

If you order a gallon of McFadden's from Grizzly, they will send you 4 1-quart containers....

Very cool. Much darker than mine turned out.

I'll try again on another guitar in a month or so.

There's a little more tobacco and red in it than showed up on the pictures. I actually wish I had used a darker tobacco brown, maybe 1:10 on the second pass, then a 1:12 cherry red.

I also went really hard with the wet cloth to wipe them together before using yellow.

Funny, though. I actually really like this look. It wasn't exactly what I was going for, but I dig it.

I'll try again on the next guitar, proably in about a month.

And here it is with a shot of clear.

Ok, here it is without clear.

Getting awfully close...

Tobacco Brown (Colortone - 1 part dye to 4.5 parts H20)

Red Mahogany (mixed at 1:4.5)

sand back

Tobacco Brown (mixed at 1:16)

Cherry Red (mixed at 1:16)

Scrub out with damp rag

Lemon Yellow (mixed at 1:16)

Another pass of yellow

The red mahogany really adds a lot of contrast compared with using brown alone.

I'm still playing with the red/yellow balance.

Pics as soon as my camera comes home. smile.gif

Hey, I tried this today on a quilt top strat, and it looks great. Not quite there yet, but pretty close. I'll know better after I hit it with some clear. Plus, I'm color-blind. But still, looks pretty close.

And, thanks to you guys. You guys rock!

I have an Astro touch up gun, and it sprays great. It's around $35 from Amazon/Tool Crib of the North. It sprays better than the Badger 400, and any of the other Binks copies. Also, it is the gun of choice for Yaz, the guy who worked at the Fender Custom shop and did the sunburst video for Stew-Mac. I mostly use it to spray Nitro.....

Here is what it can do.

Does anyone remember the link to the page where the guy built his neck jig with the dial indicators, like the new Stew Mac jig?

I just bought an Astro touch up gun from Amazon for $35, and it is a good deal. Plus, it is the preferred gun by Yas, the guy from the Fender Custom Shop who finally figured out how they did the 2 and 3 tone sunbursts at Fender. Or so the claim for all this goes from the Stew-Mac video.

Yes, it was cut on a home built CNC.  The finish is Tru-Oil.

I'm not sure what you mean about the flat spot.  There is a flat spot on the bottom lower half so that there is a flat spot to put the output jack.  I used a Electro-Socket, and I don't actually like them on a rounded surface, as I prefer a little flat spot for the socket to rest in.  For some reason, when I put an Electro-Socket on a rounded body, it doesn't want to seat fully.

←

Sorry, the inlay was cut on an CNC, the body was cut out on a bandsaw and flush trimmed with a router and pattern bit.

Yes, it was cut on a home built CNC. The finish is Tru-Oil.

I'm not sure what you mean about the flat spot. There is a flat spot on the bottom lower half so that there is a flat spot to put the output jack. I used a Electro-Socket, and I don't actually like them on a rounded surface, as I prefer a little flat spot for the socket to rest in. For some reason, when I put an Electro-Socket on a rounded body, it doesn't want to seat fully.

Did this for a place here in Central Illinois called The Woodworker's Shop.

The plane is Bocote, the letters are Padauk.

I know that Stew-Mac used to sell them, but they don't anymore. Anyknow know where?

I did my last one on a pickguard with a dremel and an upcut spiral bit, same size as you used, I believe. I cut several passes, then used an xacto to cut the last little bit through. It turned out pretty nice.

I might have to pick one up just to refinsh and play around with.

Sure. It will probably be after the first of the year, because I'm currently working on a scratch built Les Paul type.

Ok, got the guitar kits yesterday.

The top is a very thin veneer, and the body wood has the appearance of mahogony, but not quite as open pored or as heavy.

The neck is very well shaped, and the inlay in the neck is well done. It looks like paua, but I'd think more like Ablam, as real paua would be too expensive?

The tuners and bridge appear to be Gotoh.

All in all, well worth the $225. I think the regular kit price is $425? I'd actually pay more if it came with a real maple top and not just a veneer, and also with block inlays.

I'm thinking of posting a tutorial on building it, if anyone is interested.

I got one to build to check for quality. The other is for myself to play around with and mod.