FINALLY! Some progress...

[Spikezone]

I have some progress to report...just got my guitar back...I know I will be frowned on for going non-traditional on this, but my reasons are my own. I have discussed this before, but a friend is doing this for me at a body shop. The pics show my guitar front and back with a (first?) coat of clear catalyzed urethane, which I am going to wetsand today, at which point we will decide if it needs another coat of clear before he shoots it with a transparent mahogany red. I am getting excited here! Should have been playing it a month ago, but I am sure the wait will be worth it in the long run. Here are the pics (I hope!):
http://img417.imageshack.us/img417/9733/frontshot0rl.jpg
http://img239.imageshack.us/img239/8499/backshot0bj.jpg
-Mikey

[SinCron]

Where did you order that from? Id love it reversed so then my body would hug into the inside curve.

[Spikezone]

Actually, I designed and cut it out myself. It's a one-of-a-kind...
-Mikey

[SinCron]

What made you want to cut it that way instead of reversed? I thought that would be more comfortable. Im going with an incurved jagged V most likely.

[Spikezone]

Well, even though I did design it, my inspiration came from the Gibson Moderne, which I was originally going to try to make an exact copy of. I couldn't find any good detail pics (like blueprints LOL!) to work from, and once I looked at the pics I had, I decided to make some changes that I thought would be better. If you do a search for it on the net, you'll see there's more than a passing resemblance. I don't know, to me it would just look funny if it was upside-down, although it would leave some manoeuvering room for my stomach, which I really should work on getting rid of someday...LOL!
-Mikey

[SinCron]

HA! You could make a reverse one, draw a line on it where your stomach goes up to and draw a line earlier than that one for where you want it to be in a month. Guitarist's weightloss program. Set your goals!

[Spikezone]

NOW THAT'S INGENIOUS (AND HILARIOUS!). I think I'll try it...The only problem is that if I actually did lose some weight, I'd have to add wood to the guitar!
-Mikey

[SinCron]

Just take all the fat you lose and let the wood soak it up. Adds tone ;)

[Lowtones]

Looks very cool. Word to the wise ( though it's probably too late as I've been without internet for a bit) When wet sanding keep a dry rag in your hand and immediately soak up any water around & in drilled holes. It can soak in under the finish from the hole and raise the grain and permanently marr the finish. To avoid this very thing I've changed to wet sanding with Kerosene becuse it does not raise the grain around the drilled holes.
I'm sure it will look spectacular. Well Done!

[Spikezone]

Thanx for the advice, LT. I used water and the finish is catalized urethane, as I mentioned. I think the only uncoated wood on the whole body was where the wiring holes are visible in the bottom of the pickup cavity. If I was to have a problem with the water, would it show up quite quickly?
-Mikey

[Lowtones]

Thanx for the advice, LT. I used water and the finish is catalized urethane, as I mentioned. I think the only uncoated wood on the whole body was where the wiring holes are visible in the bottom of the pickup cavity. If I was to have a problem with the water, would it show up quite quickly?
-Mikey

Glad to hear that you didn't have any problems. You would certainly know it by now. You would see it within a couple of hours after wet sanding. The water can enter from the sides of the drilled holes and wick through the wood under the finish lifting it. It will usually leave a strange looking area on two sides of the hole running with the grain. I will sort of look like a round tooth pick 1/2 inch or so on either side of the hole. It took me a couple of axes to figure out what was happening. Fortunately on both ocassions the hardware covered holes. I now only drill holes for the bridge / tail piece prior to finishing. Other holes for pickguards I leave until I actually fit them. Another caution, If you need to drill a hole after the finish is on do not tap a center punch to mark a hole. Just twist the center Punch to make your indent to center your hole.

[Spikezone]

Thanx for yet more great advice. I guess I HAVE been lucky so far! While I'm on the finishing subject, does anybody here know if that catalized urethane will do anything to vinyl? The reason I ask is that I had a local graphics shop make me up a small vinyl adhesive logo that I was going to stick on the headstock before the final tinted clearcoat. I maybe should have got a waterslide decal made up with the logo, but there's nobody I could find locally that could do it for me, and I just have an inkjet printer, which I am led to understand does not work on decal paper. Anybody???
-Mikey

[Marnacious]

Very cool design. Can't wait to see it when its all put together and finished. ;)

[Lowtones]

The decal shouldn't be a problem. I use vinyl decals on my guitars and they work just fine with both lacquer and Cat. Ureathane.