Best way to achieve a weathered, grainy finish?

Alun

Hey all,

Tried doing a quick search for this but couldn't find an awful lot on the subject. What I'm interested in doing is buying an average, bog-standard, Squier-like guitar and taking the finish back so that you can feel the wood grain. Whether it's a very extreme or more subtle effect, this is the kind of thing I'm looking for:

The two guitars here are quite different, but from what I've managed to find out both effects were achieved by sandblasting. Would this process achieve the look I'm after with the average Squier-quality guitar? I'm not worried about ruining the finish in the process (in fact it might be a bonus, we'll see). My concerns are that since the original guitar will no doubt have the grain filled, or just not a particularly exciting lump of wood to begin with, that the effect just won't be the same. In which case maybe I'll just buy a body blank and do it that way. 

Anywho, not sure if anyone may have tried something similar, but if there is any insight or advice to be shared, it would be much appreciated!

jd0272

Sand it back then laboriously 'wire wool' it going with the grain.

frankus

I've done this using Wudtone on my latest build a Bass VI.

a few things to note:
1) Any finished guitar is going to have been grain filled so removing that is HARD.
2) Any finished guitar is going to have been sealed so the sunken finish is going to be patchy.
3) The type of wood used for the body has a massive factor on the sinkage - go for light woods like Swamp Ash.. IMO

There are loads of bodies on ebay - if you can guarantee the body isn't filled or sealed or oiled I really really recommend Wudtone it's the business.

GuitarMonkey

Yes, you need ash for this grain effect. No other wood will look the same. I reckon a new body will save a ton of work and is a must.

frankus

Here's mine:

Alun

Thanks for the replies all, Wudtone looks like an especially good bet, and ash definitely the way to go. At the moment leaning towards a really washed out white Tele with black scratchplate. Or maybe something darker with a more unusual neck. The agony of choice!

ThePrettyDamned

frankus said:

Here's mine:

Blimey.  That's sexy.  I love the silver highlights in the grain.

rpr

Have a look at BooBoo guitars,for a body. Pretty cheap, 'seconds', but might suit your needs   http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/boobooguitarsuk/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=-

DannyP

Aw man, I'd not heard of BooBoo guitars.

That's got my mind whirring about projects now...

WezV

yeah, you need to start with raw ash to make sure there is no existing grain filler.

I have successfully achieved the look with nitro quite a few times,  which is good because its the look of sunken nitro it is trying to replciate.  you need to be able to spray well enough to not have to do too much flatting or buffing out.  sanding between coats can fill the grains lightly if not blown out before the next coat and buffing will add compound to the pores that is a bugger to remove.  but the good think about nitro is it will continue to sink in so the pores will become mroe apparent as it ages

 

you can vary the effect depending which stages you do or don't include. for instance this one was grainfilled, sprayed with 2 coats of sanding sealer, 2 coats of black, 2 coats of clear.  It was buffed out within a day or two of the last coat of lacquer.  the final look is sunken nitro (because i buffed before it had finished curing) closer to you would see on an old guitar that was grainfilled.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/cabrel20_zpsd2688ca1.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/cabrel17_zps45b87ff6.jpg

 

this one was just colour and clear, no sealer or grainfill

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/P1030375_zps31d3eb24.jpg

Its on mahogany so the pores are not as deep are patterned as they would be on ash 

This is similar on ash, but i think I had to sand level half way through finishing  and some of the grain was reduced by that, since then it has continued to sink in and looks more grainy

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/complete%20guitars/st4.jpg

 

 

 

And i am doing another black nitro one on ash at the moment with no grainfiller, just 1 coat of sanding sealer, 2 of colour and 2 clear.  At the moment its looking very similar to frankus' wudone example after a couple of days curing

 

These are the rattle can examples I do at home were i don't have any specialist spraying equipment ....other than a tub of warm water to put the spray cans in, it helps give a finer mist if the lacquer is warmed

ThePrettyDamned

@Wezv that tele is nice.

I had a go at finishing with poly rattle cans, and while it worked, it was nowhere near as easy (or pleasant) as Wudtone.  Wudtone seems to be something people either find easy to work with or can't, but it's really designed for this 'sunken finish' kind of look, although they do more solid colours to fill it up if you wanted.  

I wound up needing to invest in a mask as the fumes were genuinely making me feel nauseous.  Not sure if nitro might be easier to work with or not?

WezV

I have tried poly from cans too in the past and whilst i did manage to get good inital results it never stood up to much abuse as it tends to stay soft a long time ... its not a finish i would recommend.   Nitro in cans is a similar technique but a very different result

I have used manchester guitar tech and rothko and frost now, i slightly favour rothko & frost as the cans seem to go further, although MGT may be more vintage accurate colours... i always seem to favour black anyway    I am able to get a good sunken finish like the ones above out of 2 or 3 cans where as i always needed extras just to get a good solid colour with the MGT ones.

GuitarMonkey

It must be you Wez.

"Marty bought just one can each of White Primer, Surf Green and Clear Gloss nitrocellulose lacquers, plus a tack cloth and some abrasive papers."

http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/2012/09/05/marty-mccanns-surf-green-stratocaster/

WezV

It always is

If you work on the principle that i am an uneconomical sprayer and that is the reason I can't finish a guitar with 3 cans of MGT, it still says something that I suddenly can when I switch to rothko and frost.

oh, and i just remembered,  I have managed a 3-tin finish with MGT once, but it was a close call.  great colour though

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/ebay/bassfront3.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/ebay/bassback3.jpg

ThePrettyDamned

@wezv, Cor!

imalone

http://www.rorygallagher.com/#/archives/guitars/1961_fender_stratocaster
(though I've never found anything more concrete about the 'rare blood group' bit)