J_48_Johnson

notastrat? Marksound's Momma? Idch's Momma? ToneMonkey's Momma? Yo' Momma? Blondie, or Baby or Baby G... maybe. I was thinking along the lines of FLAMECASTER Crazymanandy.... Thanks dude, I hope people were following! I wanted to do a step by step for all the guys who are thinking of jumping into the fire and making one. Hopefully it will make it easier to pull the trigger and go ahead!

What pickups would you have put in? HHH or SSS or a combo like I did? Which pups would you have gone with? The reason I picked these is because I went to the S.D. website, listened to most of them, and then picked these out. I know that the sound of what's on the site isn't the same as I have, but it's close. Add the mahogany back, and the combination of the pots., and the cap. I used, and I am VERY happy with the sound!

I'm asking you guys for a little help with the name. Please post some names because I'm having a bit of a hard time naming her. This is my first build, so I kind of suck at this. http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o176/J_...hnson/Back3.jpg

Yup, first build. The bridge is a Hipshot Baby Grand.

If you want more pictures, I have a BUNCH of them of the entire build. I have posted elsewhere and did a pictured chronicle of the entire build.

BLUSH REMOVER RULES!!! With that said, you have probably figured out that it worked. NOTE to users about to use blush remover: When spraying, spray HALF as much as you think you need at TWICE the distance or more than you would normally spray. You will STILL lay down about ten times more than needed. As I did it, I sprayed by pushing down and letting up on the spray head as fast as I could. A little cloudy mist ball came out and sauntered toawards by guitar body. As soon as the vapor ball started to touch the lacquer that was blushed... it was gone. There was no fade, there was no "I'll come back in ten minutes to check it", nothing. White was there one second, gone the next.

Two coats of a lacquer and lacquer thinner mixed 50-50 drying in between drop fills, then two coats of grain filler to fill in what was left. After the first coat I could see that the crack had widened and was shallower because of the lacquer melting and filling in. After the secons coat I could see a rounded bottom trough. First coat of grain filler was standing high above the crack when I drop filled it. After it dried it was lower in the middle so I drop filled it again the same way. Adding too much made it way high but as it dried it shrunk back to a bit of a hump where the crack used to be. Here is the headstock after filling and block sanding smooth. After it was sanded, I shot one coat of lacquer on it to see what I had. The crack went from a very visable white line to an almost clear ghost of a line. I'm keeping it.

Here's a picture of the problem: As you can see there is a crack in the shape of the Nike "Swoosh" above the artwork. I have started working on it by making a 50 - 50 mixture of lacquer and lacquer thinner and drop filled it into the crack. I can see that it has melted into the lacquer because the crack is now wider and not so deep. It is starting to fill the area in. I then let it dry and drop filled some grain filler into the remaining crack and it has been drying since last yesterday evening. I may give it until tomorrow to dry before sanding flat and putting a THIN coat of lacquer on it to level back up. After this I should be on my way! (I hope). Any help on this would be great! Am I going about this the right way? It seems to be working... so far.

I put down too many coats too heavy on my headstock and the lacquer cracked after a few weeks of cure time. I mixed lacquer and thinner at a 50% - 50% ratio to drop fill into the crack. Right/wrong? Is there anything I need to do before starting? Give me some tips so I don't mess this up any further. This is my first build so these problems are expected. I'm learning what NOT to do on the next build along the way but any help is apprecieated.

UPDATE: I ordered the remover from Stew Mac, it was shipped and then dropped off here at the house by Fed Ex. (I thought) It was then promptly swiped from the door step. I got in touch with Fed. Ex., and they started stracing it. The package showed up on the doorstep the next day. I think the driver dropped it off at the wrong house. I'm ready to begin with it, any more help, (thanks in advance Drak), would be great.

C'mon Drak! I wouldn't do that to you. I believe what you said, but I posted on several sites at the same time to make sure I wouldn't have to sand down and refinish for the 5th time. The woodworking part of it was easy, but this is my first time working with Nitro. lacquer and it isn't going well. Four times is ENOUGH! I want to be looking at getting done, not starting all over... again. If I did, sorry to offend.

Can you use blush eraser several days after spraying lacquer? I layed down 4 coats of lacquer, let them dry for 3 days and sanded the high spots down. After this, I layed two more coats of lacquer down, and the second one, (a little bit too heavy), blushed in a few very small spots. I've waited 3 days now, and they are sort of going away. If I ordered a can of blush remover and sprayed it on the already dried lacquer, will it soften the dried lacquer enough to get rid of the blush in these areas?

Drak: Some very good, and much needed advise! See, I knew there was someone out there to pull my head out of my.... Being this is my first build, I think, (with everyone's help), it is turning out very well. Thanks for all of the help.

I've never been to the TDPRI web site, (didn't even know what it was until I googled it)! I'm going to swing over there and check it out when done here. My question remains... Does it sound like I'm on the right track?

Hey all. Okay, I'll start by firing a few questions and hope to get some replies. I have four coats of nitro on the body and along the way had a drip or three. I flat sanded those down with 320 and a block to get them back to level. Everything looks good and flat... almost. There are low spots here and there but I am going to leave them for now. Yes? I've noticed that in other posts people state that they wait a month or two before wet sanding so the lacquer hardens up. When I sanded with 320 today it has only been three days since I last sprayed. I must say that the sanding went very well. Lacquer didn't ball up or anything. I must state that I sand back and forth a few times using NO downward pressure, and then wipe all of the dust off with a soft cotton cloth before sanding again. I had two nitro. rattle bombs from Stew Mac that did nothing but spit. I shipped them back to them and I am awaiting new cans. Since I have almost level sanded the first four coats, I am thinking I'll need four more(?) so when I start wet sanding and buffing I'll have enough there to work with without sand through(?) I bought Micro Finishing Paper (800, 1000, 1200, 1500, and 2000 grits), and the Color Tone medium and fine buffing compounds and the swirl remover polish and three of the foam buffing pads you chuck up in a hand held drill or drill press. After four more coats of lacquer are put down, and the body sits for a month I should be ready to start wet sanding (with naphtha) and polishing. Am I on the right track to get the desired finish? B-rad in Akron

My Ibanez S470 is VERY thin around the edge, about 1/2" or so. The middle of course is thicker to hold the depth of the pup's and the bridge. It's mahogany and has very nice sustain and is very warm, much warmer than my Stratocaster. B-rad in Akron