1 December 2017
6
P+JAssem Version 1.1
3.0
Finish
Before you assemble your guitar, we suggest you complete all finishing of the wood components.
Otherwise, you will need to disassemble the guitar before finishing it.
Now... we know that most of you will want to assemble your guitar right out of the box and worry about
finishing it later. And this is OK! Just reverse all the steps in the instructions which follow carefully.
Weather you are going to oil to natural color, stain, paint, or attempt that sunburst you saw at the guitar
shop, in the end it should be what you want. Our only suggestion is to not bite off more than you can chew;
if this is your first instrument, don’t try to do a fancy 6 layer sunburst with custom color tone mixing. Rather,
start simple and plan on doing more instruments in the future. Things only get better with time and practice.
And we know from personal experience: building the first
guitar only makes you want to build another one. You
better start working on your spouse now. There are going
to be a lot of guitars in your house.
There are many books, articles, videos, and web sites
dedicated to different ways to finish a guitar. Additionally,
there are a large number of places to buy finishing
materials. Here are a suggestions for places to start:
Books:
•
Guitar Finishing Step-by-Step by Dan Erlewine. Dan is the primary guy at Stewart MacDonald. He has
been a guitar tech for decades and is a good teacher, too.
(
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0977651908
)
•
Understanding Wood Finishing by Bob Flexner. This is truly a deep dive into the art and science of
finishing wood. Great book!
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Wood-Finishing-HC-
Woodworker/dp/1565235487
Supplies:
•
Stewart MacDonald.
http://www.stewmac.com
A great source for tools and finishing supplies.
•
Shellac.net. A good supply of different finishes, including Behlen’s line:
http://www.shellac.net/
stringed_Instrument_finishes.html
•
Wudtone. UK company, but they ship internationally.
http://www.wudtone.com/
Online:
•
Search for “guitar finishing” on youtube.com. There are hundreds of videos to watch.
And lastly, be safe. A few warnings:
•
Many finishing products are flammable and can produce noxious fumes. Always work in well
ventilated areas away from sources of ignition. Wear appropriate mask and respirator gear!
•
Sanding, polishing and steel wool can produce large quantities of fine dust. You don’t want to be
breathing this material. Wear appropriate mask and respirator gear!
•
Both finishing (spraying or wiping coats) and sanding/buffing can make a real mess. Make sure
you are working in an area that can handle the fumes, dust, spills and overspray without forcing
you to sleep on the couch!
Allo
y P
ro
T
ip
We suggest that you clean out
screw holes with each layer of
finish that you do. This will
make it much easier to find the
holes!
