How can I achieve the dirty wood colour on the Fender John Mayer Strat

SnazzyGeezer

I want to build a light to medium looking relic guitar,that has some of that dirty polished look similar to John Mayers black Strat 
although mine will either be Ocean turquoise,the stripped,and varnished 70's look, or candy apple red
Doe's anyone have any idea how I can that same gray/brown colour on an Alder body.

lamf68

Iron oxide mate

lamf68

Ball of wire wool left standing in a small jar of distilled white vinegar, wilkos sell the vinegar as a window cleaner in a squirt bottle, you won’t need a lot, I use them little jam jars you get as samples, cut about a quarter of a ball of wire wool and cover it so it’s fully submerged in vinegar. Or if you can get hold of it get iron oxide crystals, they’re a green crusty looking tub of stuff, just pop some of that in a saucer and drip water on to liquify then paint it on....when you’ve applied it if it’s too dark you can use a product called bar keepers friend to remove it all back to the natural wood colour....forgot to add, if you struggle to get the iron oxide working on its own you need to add tanine to the equation, just soak a teabag in water until it’s proper soaked, don’t make a cup of teas worth just enough to totally soak the teabag so it drips when squeezed, when cooled rub that over the body first 

Funkfingers

SnazzyGeezer said:

Does anyone have any idea how I can that same gray/brown colour on an Alder body.

Blood, toil, tears and sweat. Mainly, the sweat.