My S7420 custom project progress report (PIC INSIDE)

[daybean]

yes i did do it myself , and thanks for the compliments. if you want i could add some pics how i did it next week ( i have a shit load of them), and i have both blackouts and emgs, both very cool pups imo.

and...A question to you guys the pic below is what it looked like before sanding how do i get that shine, and tiger stripe to pop out, wood stain or wood bleach?

 

[ibznorange]

to get shine? oil it a few times and let it sit a bit so youre sure all of the oil is absorbed, then clear it, i would imagine. id ask mike sherman or apophis though tbh

 

[7 Strings of Hate]

you could always go to a local hardware store and take a few of the scraps with you and try some of the stains maybe?
I do notice how in your first pics the top looks much more pale than in the pics right above. I would stain it a nice natural and neutral color

 

[darren]

Looks very nice!

 

[skinhead]

Fuck, that's a difficult job to do. You achieved it very good

When you stain the wood, you would see all the stripes, and with the laquer it would be awesome

 

[ToneUniverse]

^^^
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Glad my suggestion was helpful!

and...A question to you guys the pic below is what it looked like before sanding how do i get that shine, and tiger stripe to pop out, wood stain or wood bleach?

What grit did you use? When you sand it too fine you tend to soften the grain a bit. If I were you I'd go down to HomeDepot and look for a product sold to bring up the grain right before staining the wood. About $6 for a little pint. It'll definitely improve the look of it, though the normal disclaimer should always be said: Try it at your own risk! Suggestion: Try it first on a scrap piece just to make sure you like it.

 

[daybean]

i want to stain it or bleach it a little before adding the clear coat. i know there are products out there to bring up the stripes and i cant seem to find them. i have several scraps of veneer i used for this project and stained one. Brought out the stripes but was to dark...i also heard natural stain also darkens the wood as well. Bleach is looking to be the way to finish ...but dont want to really. it just sounds like a wrong thing to do.

i want this to be a natural, almost white with darker stripes. im stuck for now, keep you posted. and tips for me are great at this point.

 

[ibznorange]

have you oiled it at all? that should raise the grain a bit

 

[ToneUniverse]

i want to stain it or bleach it a little before adding the clear coat. i know there are products out there to bring up the stripes and i cant seem to find them.

I have a little can in the garage, let me try to find it tonight and I will let you know. This won't stain the wood at all, I've tried it and it's great. It will certainly make it look a little darker 'cause it's as if you were oiling the wood (to paraphrase ibznorange). But this will indeed rise the grain. Not sure what the effect on your specific veneer is going to be though, reason why you've got to try it to see what happens.

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Follow-up post:

Daybean: Minwax Pre-Stain wood conditioner. I think HomeDepot carries it.

 

[daybean]

Update: Well i stained it with two different colors and the stripes really poped out, but the pics don't do it any justice. The problem now is that both the natural color and the orange/darker color both look awesome, can't make up my mind. Bleech it back to the natural or keep it the way it is (orange color).

What do you guys think? Keep in mind i still need to add a clear coat to it.

Yeah, the pic to the right has a second veneer on it, thats why there is no jack or switch hole.

 

[Marginal]

My opinion is to bleach it back to natural. IMHO, it looks better that way.

 

[playstopause]

Both look nice... Flip a coin!

 

[Splees]

GRRRR. keep it the way it is!

 

[daybean]

yeah i think i will keep it like this for now, it really brings out the stripes and it has a shine to it you cant see it in the pic. anyway i could always do another in the future. thanks guys.

 

[FortePenance]

keep it the way it is man!

 

[ibznorange]

Did you dye it or what?
dont bleach it again, but sand it, if you dyed it. that will look great with some clear over it
[edit]
where the hell did the jack and switch holes go?

 

[Hawksmoor]

Oh my... Now all of a sudden I contemplate the thought of a S7420 with a 24 fret neck... OFR... EMG's...I'm in love...

 

[vansinn]

Oh man, lovely job! I'd say don't change the looks; that staining job brought out the structure really well, and it complements the fretboard nicely too. I just hope the lacquer won't darken it further.

I'm curious: Which two colors did you use, in which order, and in which amounts?

I anything, the fretboard structure could be brought out too; a bit difficult on an already fretted board, I'd assume. Anyone know how to stain a fretboard? - if possible at all..

 

[daybean]

o.k., the pic to the left was with the 1st veneer, but i fuct it up a bit and had a second peace so i layed it on top, thats why you dont see the switch and jack hole. "jackhole", that sounds funny, anyway, so to the right is the second layer of veneer stained with a mix of natural and red oak minwax. i cant wait till the picups are acually working. and yeah i was thinking about dying the fretboard but thats not really that bad looking.

 

[JohnnyCNote]

Update: Well i stained it with two different colors and the stripes really poped out, but the pics don't do it any justice. The problem now is that both the natural color and the orange/darker color both look awesome, can't make up my mind. Bleech it back to the natural or keep it the way it is (orange color).

What do you guys think? Keep in mind i still need to add a clear coat to it.

Yeah, the pic to the right has a second veneer on it, thats why there is no jack or switch hole.

I like the one on the right a lot better, but then I've always been partial to orange. Is there any way, or do you plan, to enhance the stripes even more? Of perhaps give it a translucent overcoat of some other color?

You could even do some sort of burst effect. I always admired anyone who can do this sort of thing. There are things I can do, but woodwork and creating great finishes aren't among them. Hell, I can't even drive a nail straight . . .