Adding A Flame Veneer and Black Stain???

[Blood Tempest]

How difficult would it be to add a flame veneer to a guitar body and headstock, then add a black stain? I wouldn't be doing it myself, I'd have a pro do it. I just want to know how possible/difficult it'd be since I have hardly any guitar finishing knowledge.

Basically, I wanna take this guitar: Agile Septor 828 RN Nat Ash at RondoMusic.com

And add this finish: Agile Septor Std 727 RN Black Flame at RondoMusic.com

I'm guessing the finisher will just sand the gloss finish down, apply the flame veneer to the body and headstock, then stain it black and clear coat? Does this.sound right and does it sound like a reasonable request for a guitar custom shop? I have two shops that do awesome work near me.

 

[Erik Hauri]

Done correctly - you would save money by just buying the 727.

 

[Blood Tempest]

Yeah, I know. I just want an extended scale 8 string with that design.

 

[Spondus]

Why not learn some new skills and do it yourself?

 

[ncbrock]

I wouldnt try it on that guitar your first time. Find a cheap guitar for sale locally (like $25) get a cheap veneer and PRACTICE first. Trust me on this, its really not as easy as you think. You can mess up greatly and screw up your guitar. You might be able to do it alright on a flat surfaced guitar but on the septor (contoured top) I wouldnt advise doing it. Curved surfaces make the job 2x harder. If you do decide to do it yourself, use contact cement instead of wood glue. I experimented first while doing my guitar (glad i did so)

If you get a pro to do it, and you supply the veneer I can see it being around $100 to apply the veneer and stain it. Clearcoat can depend on what they are using. Good automotive clearcoat is expensive.

 

[Blood Tempest]

I certainly won't be doing it myself. I just kinda wanted to know if that idea is possible and reasonable to complete.

 

[drgordonfreeman]

I certainly won't be doing it myself. I just kinda wanted to know if that idea is possible and reasonable to complete.

There is a shop near me that charges around $200 - $250 for exactly what you're asking.

However, I say do it yourself!

Practice on a few cheap guitars and become really good at it.

There are certainly costs associated with this, and those costs may initially exceed the cost of just having it done. However, once you have the proper equipment and once you have the skill set, then you will never need to pay to have this done again. Moreover, you can start getting a little crazy with the finishes you do as your skills and confidence improve.

If you plan on building and finishing many more guitars in the future, then the cheapest and best route is to do it yourself. The cost of doing-it-yourself, when amortized out over all the guitars you may finish in the future, becomes very cheap. Much, much cheaper than taking it to a shop. Moreover, I can't think of a bigger source of pride than when someone compliments the finish on your guitar, and it turns out that you did it! I imagine that's how PRS feels most of the time.

If this is a one-time deal, then just pay to have it done!