Tobacco burst from scratch - tips?

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Any advice from the experts - I've done a few refinishes but never worked on new wood so any advice would be appreciated.

Mahogany body, maple cap - do I need to use grain filler and sanding sealer?    
Maybe grain fill the back, but how about a once over with tobacco on the top and then sand it back to make the grain stand out before giving it a few coats of amber lacquer and then a burst with tobacco. Finish with a clear lacquer and we're good.
Back and sides in amber should work but does anyone mask the binding or just scrape after the colour coats.
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Comments

  • DannyPDannyP Frets: 1667
    I am NO expert! But.... I did a very slight faded-50's-style burst on my kit build using dyes then clear nitro to finish.

    I grain filled the mahogany, but not the maple and it turned out OK. The maple came with a thin figured veneer.

    I started with a dilute very dark brown  which I vigorously sanded back to expose the grain.

    Then using those little Liberon dye pots - brown, red and yellow - I built up a mild burst applying various dilutions of various colour mixes with a cloth.

    I was merrily experimenting with colouring, drying sanding, colouring again, when I realised I was nearly going through the veneer, so I had to halt at that point and leave it there - a bit darker than planned, but it looks OK.



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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16541
    edited October 2017
    That one looks good.

    If you to go for the stain and sand back method it always looks more natural to start with a very dark colour.... not black.  Black pigments are very different to very dark brown pigments and they kill all of the 3D effect if you are not careful.  It looks good in pics but flat in real life.

    no need to grainfill maple, it has no pores.

    a hand rubbed burst is a good way to go if you have not sprayed before.  You can add and takeaway much easier. It doesn't always look like a Gibson burst thouhh

     


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  • John_PJohn_P Frets: 2744
    Thanks chaps.    I’m pretty comfortable spraying so I’ll go that route.    I guess I was checking what will get the best results using the sandbacktechnique to highlight the grain - nitro or dye?     (Before I spray the actual finish)

     I’m debating if I should start with yellow or just use amber and tobacco but I guess that’s just a taste thing.    

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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16541
    I mid to dark brown stain, sand almost all of it off then spray a sealer coat before doing the burst
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  • John_PJohn_P Frets: 2744
    Thanks.   I think I have some stain so I’ll order some nitro and get started next week.  
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  • lamf68lamf68 Frets: 850
    John, if you're using aerosols I'd just buy amber and not waste my money on the yellow! if you're using guns then still buy amber and water it down with some clear to turn it paler, it really will be so close to yellow you won't notice the difference. sides of the body binding I always mask, but the top edge I scrape. As Wez says above, if you really want a vibrancy to the cap stain and rub back before hitting the yellow, it'll be darker obviously than if you just go straight over the maple without staining first, so your yellow will not be "Pure Yellow" if you know what i mean, Grain fill with rustins mixed up into a slurry with white spirit is my method, always done twice as it's never having it on the first go, sanding sealer painted on with a brush to save money if you want, it has to be sanded back after applying so you may as well paint it on and save a few bob, spray cans will be half the product on the floor and half on the guitar! just get a good decent brush with soft bristles to minimise brush strokes. It sounds like the finish will be shite but I've done this for years. just make sure it's all flatted back soundly before hitting the amber/yellow and that you don't burn through the sealer coats with too heavy a spraying for the first few coats or you'll have awful bleeding of the stain into your colours. slow slow slow slow, take your time or you'll have a guitar that'll look like a mangled vagina
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