Traveler

nice build you have going here.....your mock up is interesting but consider how much of that fantastic quilt you will hide with that style of bursting.....keep up the nice work.

thanks 2005....I have no exp with locking tuners and didn't know if any were obviously better than others. I'll be starting my second build as my first one is currently hanging curing the nitro finish. I'll be using the non-locking trem on #2, another first for me, should go relatively quick as I'm using the last of my existing guitar necks then I'll fab my own from then on.

anybody using the Hipshot trem like the one Stew Mac has in the catalog??

I'm looking for specific combo's of locking tuner, tremelo combinations along with nut material for non locking Floyd trems ie. Wilkenson, Gotoh, traditional strat, ect. my next build will utilize a set up like this and while I'm familiar with their limitations, pros/cons compared to Floyd type systems. I'm really looking for how well certain types stay in tune ect. thanks.

I did a light leveling in the last color coat with 1000, and the first 4 clear coats went on melted in and looked good, this graying effect happened after I did another leveling of the first 4 clear coats then appeared in #5-6. I expected of course for the succeeding post leveling clear coats to do what the first 4 coats did after leveling the color coats and lay on nicely. almost a week now and no visible change in appearance, gonna redo I guess.

I was thinking the same thing about the refraction, that pic is after the 2nd coat applied after leveling the first 4. the coats are applied moderately wet, no runs but I error on the dry side, the reason for the peel that needed leveling. I'm going to take it back to the 'leveled' coats add a couple color coats and go from there. I can't see this stuff going away by melting in with the graying effect. It's hard to get it to show in a pic but it's not subtle in person. thanks Mike for posting the pics for me, and all the responses.

I'm finishing my neck hs and am at the clear stage after sealer, primer, blk nitro, initial 4 coats of clear, blocked with 600G wet with spirits for peel removal/leveling....wipe down with naptha, tack, warm up can as before then shoot. What I have is clearly visible sanding scratches and a grey effect from blocking the previous clear coats and the resulting matte grey is now present and doesn't appear to be fixed by more coats of clear. I'm using Stew mac aresol nitro which seems to spray pretty nice when warmed a bit and no issues until now. I'm following a paint tutorial by Dan E. off their site on using the aresols by color coats then 4 coats clear, block if needed, then 4 final coats then wait and final block and polish. anyone exp. with finishing know what happened and advice would be appreciated. I think I need to sand back thru the recent 5th coat to the blocked surface and either polish it out further for more clear or see if those 4 coats will take a final block and polish and just live with it. If it still looks like ****, I'll just lay on another coat of black and go from there.

very nice work.....looked cool natural as well but the tuxedo is killer

Rich, just a suggestion.....fill the holes in the body with epoxy and then redrill using your bridge base plate as a template, mark the correct screw locations and drill. I like to use a fast 5 or 10 min. epoxy as you can work with it in about an hour upon full cure.