USACG Fender Bass VI build planned.

TTony

Mr Wudtone is your best bet for advice, but I can recount my experiences.

This was on Ash too.

I found that the first coat was really the critical one.  If you don't really push the liquid into the wood, then you end up with something more anaemic-looking.  Adding more coats on top didn't resolve the problem - I guess because the stain / dye had already penetrated as far/much as it was going to do, and had effectively blocked the grain from accepting any more dye.

But, at the same time, you don't want to just flood the surface with stain and hope that it'll sink in or attain the colour as it dries.  You have to work it into the wood as you apply it, small areas at a time, but don't leave one area to dry before you start on the next area or you run the risk of "join marks" where the areas overlap.

On my first mistake run, I tried rubbing down and reapplying.  But it didn't work to well.

So I then took 0.5mm off the surface (thicknesser jig) to make sure that I'd got back to properly bare wood.  Then it worked a treat, and built up to the colour that I was expecting without losing any of the grain pattern.

Thicknessing the headstock might be a little tricky, and might leave you with other problems, so you probably want to attack it with some rough grade paper and build up some sweat as you remove every last trace of the previous application/s.  Don't finish it off too smoothly either - 250grit is as smooth as you need to go.  If it's really close-grained, perhaps leaving it even rougher will help the stain penetrate into the wood?  Andy's best to advise on that.

HTH ?

frankus

Okay photo time..

Here's the raw thing - the guys at USACG are the business!





Then with the base coat:





that's not flash - I think I should have endeavoured to put another base coat on, I didn't and this is after the first deep colour coat



it looks great, it just doesn't match the body (why would it, it's a totally different wood)

I've sanded it back and I think I'll focus on the body for now - just putting the top coat on, it looks pretty awesome

TTony

That body does indeed look quite nice.  I am a fan of Wudtome though, so I might be biased.

Maybe a matching Ash veneer on the headstock if you want the finishes to be better matched?

Not sure how Wudtone works on veneers though.

guitargeek62

Frank - just found this if it's not too late? http://www.ponoko.com/design-your-own/products/custom-laser-cut-guitar-control-plates-10317

frankus

cheers @guitargeek62 USACG recommended Pickguardian for the scratchplate and frankly he was awesome! And Tony (from Pickguardian) recommended Mark Rutters who's taken a righty blank and prepped it for a lefty

However that'd be really useful for flipping the tremolo plate so thanks for that

frankus

I'll try and take some pictures of the body again as it's none-more black! and taking the top coat

guitargeek62

No problem, I only found it as I'm looking at doing an offset project too in the near-future. A replacement swamp-ash body for my 'stang but with a few changes here and there - more of a duosonic really! I'm planning on using a Wudtone Ebony kit too, but probably with the silver-grainfill for something a little different, plus I've always liked Gibsons' Dog-hair look.

GuitarMonkey

I doubt you'll ever get the headstock to match the body and I'd be tempted to spray the HS face black.

frankus

was toying with the idea ... I did get it very very very very very black with Wudtone but I cheated ie I overloaded the wood and it was slight uneven as a result (not in a grainy way)

The reasons against spraying (to my mind) are simple - an entire kit from Wudtone is cheaper than a can of Nitro, smells far less and is more manageable ...

So I'll be contacting Andy and figuring out how to move forward (I'm hoping the headstock kit he does for Les Pauls ;^)

frankus

Not a great picture ... but the scratchplate arrived today - and those are cream pearloid control plates.

Pickguardian did a great job!

You get a sense of how wudtone finish interacts with the grain.



crikey that ipod camera is dire!!

randomhandclaps

The body turned out well.  I really like the contrast of the scratchplate and control plates.

andypwudtone

Hmm, nice job, let it cure a couple of weeks and then just rub with plain photocopy paper . You will see the patina burnish up lovely.

frankus

will do... @andypwudtone

I got the deep base coat to have another pop at the headstock and it worked a treat.

I realise I was too soft on the headstock on my first attempt... one wipe over and nothing more.
The second attempt I left too much on and it was uneven

this time I applied it, wiped the excess off, left it a minute or so and id it again... left it and repeated.

As a result the headstock looks the bomb - the body is solid colour with an incredible grain pattern, the headstock is semi transparent atm so the less absorbant parts of the grain will still show and it looks really dramatic

very pleased.

ThePrettyDamned

Pics!

frankus

gonna have to set up a good camera on a low exposure as anything with a flash will utterly mess with it's actual appearance

ThePrettyDamned

frankus;82176" said:

gonna have to set up a good camera on a low exposure as anything with a flash will utterly mess with it's actual appearance

It's a shame film costs so much to develop, I've never been satisfied with digital shots with flash of guitars... Bloody white balance.

Looking forward to seeing it though mate, sounds cracking.

Lixarto

Looking good, Frank.

(And so is the guitar)

andypwudtone

frankus said:

will do... @andypwudtone

I got the deep base coat to have another pop at the headstock and it worked a treat.

I realise I was too soft on the headstock on my first attempt... one wipe over and nothing more.
The second attempt I left too much on and it was uneven

this time I applied it, wiped the excess off, left it a minute or so and id it again... left it and repeated.

As a result the headstock looks the bomb - the body is solid colour with an incredible grain pattern, the headstock is semi transparent atm so the less absorbant parts of the grain will still show and it looks really dramatic

very pleased.

me too, very pleased , thank you for bearing with it. It really is a versatile way to finish but as you are finding out the application process requires the odd tweek to get the amount on right, microfibre cloths can help if you want a faster solid colour, but coating too thick will take a longer time cure and may not self level enough.

look fwd to seeing results   

frankus

Cheers guys - so a better picture of the body:


Here's the headstock with the deep colour coat:


and since I'm really chuffed with the body so far...


the trem had been in the garage

guitargeek62

Looking good Frank, bodes well for my attempt at a similar build soon!