Remo

Lost in translation. Respectfully, what is "shader"- same as paint? Better not be a snipe hunt. I'm not finding reference to shader in web searches in relation to finishing (maybe due to my different location on the planet). Help me out, I can only speak Texan with any confidence. *Once the front of the house gets painted and Christmas deco is up, etc., I've got some trial maple veneers and other supplies to sacrifice on the project now, so I'll fool with some testing soon and go with what works. Thanks all.

Much obliged to y'all for your generous expertise! Once the wood bits arrive, I'll try these procedures quick before the kit arrives (a cheap spalted prs imposter). I'll shoot for accuracy in those boundary lines in the wood and see which materials/techniques work for me. I've even found some liquid tape I forgot I had. I'm also working with the idea of primers and sanding sealers' impacts on seepage across boundaries. Just self-educating here- enough massive failure and I'm bound to get one or two things right! Thanks again for entertaining these simple questions.

Thanks Mr. Bizman62! I've re-read your suggestion several times (takes a few repetitions to penetrate my skull). Very much appreciated! I'm impatiently awaiting some test wood and cheap bodies to be delivered to try these theories out. Thanks for the tip on different wood densities on the top. I'm not very confident in the clearcoat "staying inside the lines" when it is applied, but we'll see how it behaves coming off of my tiny brush. Referencing your process- I wonder if the clearcoat on the un-stained areas could remain in place after the stain goes on. I'm worried about damaging the wood at that stage- I'll have to look in to some techniques for that. I also wonder if pressing a tool into the wood might help create a border for the stain as well? I've not seen this done though. I'm also considering strengthening the spalting-border lines with a very fine black technical pen. I tend to use stains, graphic pens, and watercolors much the same, often painting and reworking by hand on an over-saturated and wet surface. At least that's how I got the soft "burst" on my first project without a sprayer. Probably a bad idea with my current finish target- lots of opportunity for seepage and such, we'll see how testing goes. Here's my entry into the finishing world, plenty of room for improvement of course. I believe the stain was oversaturated and looks hazy- I'm looking for more grain and clarity so I won't soak the wood with color as much this time.

First post/topic. Greetings all. Nube alert. I'm a simple drummer who knows nothing (on my 3rd guitar/bass build, and really love doing it). I can't guess how the finish on the referenced PRS was technically done. I really like the layered look using the natural lines between spalting and regular wood grain. I'd like to use this for inspiration in my next guitar body though, however foolish such ambition may be. How to get the sharp lines between the stained color and natural finish? Some kind of paint-on masking? I've read that pre-treating with a wood conditioner can help with masking to prevent stain from bleeding under tapes, but these lines are not straight. I'm a fair artist if I can control the media enough, and my first thought would be to just freehand /waterpaint the colored areas with some keda stains, after masking manually with some kind of tacky adhesive outside the borders, Still, making the color "fade" appearance consistent among different areas would be a bit of a challenge. Thanks to all who reply. I'll be busy reading up all over this forum. Link: https://www.gbase.com/gear/paul-reed-smith-private-stock-9779-custom-24-piezo-brazilian-2022-spalted-maple-top-natural-with-dark-cherry-glow