Another body, this time unfinished, finishing advice needed pleapse

[ThreeChordWonder]

Telecaster body bought on eBay, US made.

This is an Elm bookmatched top and two piece Oregon Red Alder body.

The pickup cavities should take P90s, which is why I bought it.

Best way to finish it? Looking for nice, glossy, wood finish, not paint.

[Mincer]

I don't know much about elm..what's it's deal?

[Erlend_G]

I got an idea:

...Cook a concentrate of red cabbage; rub it into the wood.

Then take a lemon juice soaked rag; -or spray lemon juice on it; - the PH change will cause a color change from violet, to red, green? and finally yellow! :o

Haven't tried this in practice (on a guitar or wood piece); but I always wanted to.


Then a coat of UV-blocking clear finish on top; maybe the color will last before fading.



Best wishes

-Erl ♪

[beaubrummels]

If it were me, I'd think of a burst that isn't common to Teles. Depends on if you want to go traditional-looking or modern/unusual. I'd do violin burst for traditional-looking, and consider odd stuff like blueberry burst or tequila sunrise burst (the kind where the burst goes from lower bout to the horns, not around the edge) if wanting to be modern.

[ThreeChordWonder]

Was thinking solid color, varnish-like, possibly with a darker back.

Ideally something dIY-able, but for thus guitar I won't mind paying someone a couple of hundred.

[ThreeChordWonder]

I got an idea:

...Cook a concentrate of red cabbage; rub it into the wood.


-Erl ♪

Is corned beef required too?

[ThreeChordWonder]

Red alder au naturel

[ThreeChordWonder]

American elm au nauturel

[beaubrummels]

Was thinking solid color, varnish-like, possibly with a darker back.

Ideally something dIY-able, but for thus guitar I won't mind paying someone a couple of hundred.

Oh ok. I thought you wanted to see the wood grain pretty plainly from the OP, but I think I get it.

If it were me, in that case, my first gut reaction would be a cherry-ish color with white pickguard and black soapbars.

My second reaction might be a butterscotch or tan-ish or transparent TV yellowish color with white or pearl pickguard; or maybe vintage tiger stripe guard, if you want to get wild.

Third reaction, maybe 'walnut'-like finish?

[GuitarStv]

If you want a mostly clear finish, I'm a big fan of hand rubbed oil finishes like tru-oil. They're pretty forgiving to do. As long as you're willing to take the time and patience it's hard to screw up.

Once you start getting into dying and staining stuff, things can rapidly become more complicated to DIY.

[ThreeChordWonder]

Oh ok. I thought you wanted to see the wood grain pretty plainly from the OP, but I think I get it.

If it were me, in that case, my first gut reaction would be a cherry-ish color with white pickguard and black soapbars.

My second reaction might be a butterscotch or tan-ish or transparent TV yellowish color with white or pearl pickguard; or maybe vintage tiger stripe guard, if you want to get wild.

Third reaction, maybe 'walnut'-like finish?

By solid color, sorry, what I really meant is "no burst".

Yes, I'd like to see the wood.

[ThreeChordWonder]

So far I'm thinking:

• Finish sand down to 400 grit
• Light wetting to raise the grain
• Resand
• Dark or black wood dye, applied then wiped off to enhance the grain
• Resand
• Red or mahogany wood dye fully allowed to do its thing but make sure the enhanced grain still shows through
• Resand
• Clear gloss polyurethane finish, allow it to dry for 3 or 4 days
• Sand down to 2000 grit, polish to smooth high gloss finish.

The P90s have been ordered with black covers and I've ordered black rings to go around them to cover up any gaps between the pickups and the pickup hole edges..

I'm going to modify a standard thinline pickguard and cut it back to maximize the wood exposure / minimize how much wood gets covered.

The puckguard will be cream. I don't like pure white.

It's getting a Mighty Mite neck with an aged yellow-ish /gold-ish hue and a rosewood fretboard. The hardtail bridge and other hardware will be chrome, stock Tele knobs and Fender split shaft tuners.

What say you lot?