This contemporary will also be getting a tru oil finish however i will be using a different method of application.
Wood finish electric guitar.
Being microporous they won t crack or blister.
First things first you will need to assess whether your guitar is suited to this type of finish.
That is nitrocellulose lacquer wood dyes and pigmented colors notably those colors used by fender and gibson guitars in the 1950s and 60s.
If you are finishing a steel string or electric guitar without spray equipment your best choice is to apply a water based finish by brush.
As guitarmaking went from individuals to factories clear high gloss lacquer became the favorite finish for guitars.
The finish provides complete protection against beer wine cola coffee tea fruit juice milk.
Wood which still is at the heart of every great instrument is a great building material for a number of reasons.
By the time antonio stradivari 1644 12 18 1737 crafted his violins cellos guitars violas harps and basses the process of wood finishing had evolved to an art.
Not only is it naturally beautiful and relatively abundant but it is also very easy to tool into useful shapes and its natural tonality makes it perfect for building guitars.
Here i will be doing a slightly thicker finish by creating a sanding slurry with the tru oil in order to fill the grain slightly.
Here michael greenfield one of the best builders of acoustic guitars explains how he approaches sanding the guitar.
All this aside wood has one major downfall.
Best known as the wood of classic 50s fender guitars ash is most desirable in the form of swamp ash wood taken from the lower portions of southern grown wetland trees that have root systems growing below water level.
This is slightly more labor intensive and time consuming than spraying but with careful brushing and sanding between coats the results can be the same as with the sprayed finishes.
It is extremely durable and hardwearing.
If i m content with a satin gloss or a soft glow finish i ll go as far as 320.
Good swamp ash is both light and resonant and generally carries a broad grain that looks great under a translucent finish.
As the name implies the highlighted grain stain finish is a tinted transparent finish that accentuates the grain pattern of your guitar and is sealed with a clear oil finish.
The finish kits come with either deep colour base and top coats depending on the type of kit designed to meet the demands of wood.
This koa wood martin guitar sports a nitrocellulose lacquer finish like almost all furniture of the jazz age.
When i do a high gloss finish i will sand the guitar up to grit 600.