# Tips and suggestions to achieve a similar guitar finish look.



## FTLOSM (May 31, 2014)

I have a guitar kit coming with a 2 pc honduran mahogany body and 2pc honduran mahogany top (cap). I want this guitar to have a deep color tone and a dulled satin type finish.

An example of the finish I would like to achieve is something like this









I have a lot of experience with modifying guitars, doing wiring, changing parts and pickups but I have never attempted to stain, paint or finish any piece of raw wood.

I was told to achieve this look try these steps, I wanted to know is this a good route to go or should I do it differently?

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Sand with 400 then 600 grit, tack rag it, 2 coats truoil 1 a day with cloth rubbing in circular motions let it fully dry a day after each coat, day 3 rub 0000 steel wool over it. 

Then use timbermate walnut or ebony grain fill (I have seen youtube videos of applying this against the grain mixing with water etc) after that dries sand lightly with some 400 grit then 600 grit, 

Then start applying Old Masters American Walnut Wiping Stain with patches of cloth like the truoil) to reach the desired color depth 2-3-4 coats, then go back to using truoil again and 0000 steel wool it every 3-4 layers till I reach maybe 9-10 coats at final coat work with 0000 steel wool again and you're done.
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Does that sound like a good plan of attack on this raw wood guitar? 

I have a rubberlike flexible sanding block and paper from 320 400 600 and upto 2500 here, but I honestly have zero experience with woodworking and am looking for tips on how to do this without hopefully messing it up too bad, just didn't want to follow those directions and in the end find out oh you should have done this vs that etc.

I didn't want to go with a mahogany wiping stain or grain fill to me I was wanting a darker look darker grain fill darker stain wise, but something simple enough I could do.

Any help or suggestions in the application, the steps, the sanding (never done this how much do i sand even is it a feel thing or?).

I am excited about this guitar build but also worried about messing up the finish too so I welcome all input.

Bill


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

Well, I will say that the water based dyes I used on my guitars have aged "interestingly". My daughter's guitar (the purple one in this thread: http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f13/couple-works-progress-11625/) is almost black now. I'm not sure why the purple got so much darker over four years but it's obviously nearly black now. Still looks great but not the original color. I suspect it has to do with multiple coats of the dye (because it didn't do that on my guitar where the purple wasn't laid on as "thick") so I'd caution against going "too dark" initially. I'd say if you're using the honduran mahogany, let it darken naturally and you'll be very pleased with the color after a couple of years. Maybe even just oil the body with tung oil or danish oil and use it. It will take on color from your skin and the natural aging of the wood.

If you do finish with a "hard" finish, getting the satin look is basically just sanding, more or less like you've stated, after you put on whatever finish you like.


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## FTLOSM (May 31, 2014)

I never heard of "wiping stain" till I got this suggestion of how to do this finish, is there a difference in regular stain vs a wiping stain, is it thinner or something? 

I did ask the builder for some scrap honduran mahogany to mess with stain wise I hope he gives me a few decent size scraps.

As you use the truoil in multiple layers it will deepen the wood color naturally correct? Maybe if I truoil 2 coats then grain fill then continue truoil I won't even need to do the walnut stain?

Thinking since the stain would go over truoil anyways then truoil after the wiping stain, I could maybe eyeball it as I go, I am not scared of it going to the dark side even if it's a 1-2 yr later thing actually like that look (I think) as long as it didn't turn 100% black on me.

Bill


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The appearance of the guitar in the picture is due to the natural grain of the wood and nothing done by the finisher. That cut of wood just has dark streaks in it. In general honduras mahogany has a more bland uniform appearance to it. 

If you are going to use a grain filler I wouldn't use the Tru Oil in your sanding schedule. The grain filler should go first. All it does is fill the open grain so you don't see the texture of the grain in the finished product. Sanding to 600 grit is helpful but I would just wipe the wood down with a damp cloth between grit changes to raise the grain. Rather than a walnut or ebony grain filler I would use a mahogany grain filler. The other grain fillers will tend to make the guitar more brown or black as grain fillers do stain the wood too. 

Then I would use a mahogany wiping stain and if the stain wasn't to your liking adjust the color with dye stains. You can mix some dye with the Tru Oil you intend to use. Use a red dye to make the color more red if needed or green dye if the color is too red and you want to make it more brown. If it's not dark enough you can use a mahogany dye mixed with a little black.


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## FTLOSM (May 31, 2014)

Steve Neul said:


> The appearance of the guitar in the picture is due to the natural grain of the wood and nothing done by the finisher. That cut of wood just has dark streaks in it. In general honduras mahogany has a more bland uniform appearance to it.
> 
> If you are going to use a grain filler I wouldn't use the Tru Oil in your sanding schedule. The grain filler should go first. All it does is fill the open grain so you don't see the texture of the grain in the finished product. Sanding to 600 grit is helpful but I would just wipe the wood down with a damp cloth between grit changes to raise the grain. Rather than a walnut or ebony grain filler I would use a mahogany grain filler. The other grain fillers will tend to make the guitar more brown or black as grain fillers do stain the wood too.
> 
> Then I would use a mahogany wiping stain and if the stain wasn't to your liking adjust the color with dye stains. You can mix some dye with the Tru Oil you intend to use. Use a red dye to make the color more red if needed or green dye if the color is too red and you want to make it more brown. If it's not dark enough you can use a mahogany dye mixed with a little black.


So do the grain filler then wiping stain but no truoil at all? Would I sand before grain filler or just after grain filler before wiping stain? Then do I need a top coat of anykind (truoil or some other product)?

I do want the piece to have a darker brown look and a wood feel not smooth or glossy, I haven't seen my top yet but I hope it comes with a bit of character to it vs very plain.


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

Go to Stewmac.com and read up on guitar finishing. They sell everything you will need and they also have a lot of how to videos.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

FTLOSM said:


> So do the grain filler then wiping stain but no truoil at all? Would I sand before grain filler or just after grain filler before wiping stain? Then do I need a top coat of anykind (truoil or some other product)?
> 
> I do want the piece to have a darker brown look and a wood feel not smooth or glossy, I haven't seen my top yet but I hope it comes with a bit of character to it vs very plain.


 For what you are doing using an oil finish I would sand the wood to 600 grit wetting the wood with water between grit changes. Then do the grain filler. Once the grain filler has dried there will be a residue of the grain filler on the surface that will give a muddy appearance to the wood. This residue should be sanded off. Then go with the stain and Truoil. If you are thinking about topcoating the Truoil with a film finish, skip the Truoil and go directly to the film finish. You could use a polyurethane, lacquer or conversion varnish. The conversion varnish will be the most expensive but would be more resistant. The drawback if it does get damaged is harder to touch up. Lacquer would be easier to touch up.


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

You can try the musical instrument makers forum (mimf.com) for much better information (and a lot more options) than you'll get on Stewmac or here. I filled the grain on my guitar with epoxy because I had it on hand and I didn't want any color change. For every person building guitars or thinking about building guitars there is a different way of doing it. I found MIMF to be a fantastic resource for a lot of different (and known good) options all in one place. The instrument makers there run the gamut from hacks like me to true professional luthiers and they're almost all willing to share their secrets. If they can't point you in the right direction, no one can.


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