Lookie What Came in the Mail Today

[tdowns]

I'm still pinching myself to make sure it is real.

Here is the USA Custom Guitars body and neck I won in the give-away.



High res version

The give-away description said it had a flame maple top, but it looks more spalted to me. Any ideas? It will look great if I don't mess it up!! The rest is ash, ivorid binding, and weighs 3lbs 12.1 oz. The neck is a 9.5" radius, U profile, with really nice slick frets.

I'm thinking red dye here. Any suggestions?

Thanks again to Paul for all you do, and thank you all for being you all.

['caster oil]

Nice pieces... what's the build plan?

[tdowns]

Thanks.

No plan yet. I'm still thinking, and hearing suggestions from folks. I think red dye would be nice. I'm not going to burst it, because I don't have that skill.

[jwells393]

Man ........ I wish I'd won that. Is it as green as it looks or is that the lighting? Good luck.......... I'm sure it'll be a beauty.



I suggest using the Stew-Mac ColorTone liquid stains.

[tdowns]

I don't see any green jwells. Maybe the lighting? That was florescent lighting.
It has ivorid binding.

Thanks.

[BritishBluesBoy]

How about a nice golden, vintage clear lacquer... Show off that lovely quilted top...

BBB.

[riggergreg]

Nice!!

Been payin attention to Buck's thread? Hee hee

[RomanS]

Originally Posted by jwells393

Man ........ I wish I'd won that. Is it as green as it looks or is that the lighting?

Probably fluorescent lighting - gives a green tinge on photos, unless carefully color-balanced...

I'd got with something like amber or butterscotch, don't cover that beautiful figuring with a dark finish.

[Stuco]

I'm thinking a mocca brown tint with cream pearloid pickguard.

[Buckocaster51]

Red would be nice with a hand-rubbed finish so deep you can see China in it. I could see it with no pickguard...just one of those little chrome neck pickup bezels. Maybe a matching headstock?

Have fun with those bindings.

[jwells393]

I'm a fan or clear orange guitars. I've done one ash body with ColorTone orange mixed with alcohol in the proportions recommended on the bottle. It turned out alright (see the Resotelenator in my gallery). If you go with ColorTone stains I'd suggest trying on wood scraps first. You may find that the maple and the ash accept the stain differently.

[TDPRI]

Hey TD, glad you got it.

I'd go something brownish to coordinate with that binding. Maybe even honey colored. Too bad you don't want to burst it. Wow would that be nice.

Have fun! Don't wait too long. In my experience folks that wait on these never finish 'em.

Paul Green
PS. But hey, the price was right wasn't it?

[fenderix]

Congratulations, Terry! Nice looking neck/body combo. Personally I would go for something less loud than red dye. You may risk the red stain detracting the attention from the nice grain pattern.
A tough decision I won't have to make, thanks to not winning ...

[tdowns]

Thanks Paul,
I really appreciate it!!

I'm off to the gig. I'll see what suggestions you all have tomorrow.

['caster oil]

I like your original idea of the red stain... I'm seein' it !

[Joe-Bob]

Gotta do a matching headstock too.

[moparmutt]

looks nice

[JDC]

When I saw that you'd won the USACG body and neck, my first thought (since I've viewed other projects you've completed) was"I can't wait to see what Terry does with this".

I know alot of folks oppose the matching headstock on a maple neck, but I'm not one of them. I think that would be awesome. (Coming from someone who's been trying to find an exact color match to do the headstock on my own USACG neck).

[Douglas_Holt]

I'm sure whatever you decide on will be beautiful. Congrats they look real good already.
Doug

[Brian blaut]

I to love the idea of red stain. I like red guitars. Especially a deep stain that makes the wood jump out. Myself, I'd ad a ivory pearloid guard. I understand why you wouldn't want to cover up that wood, but I have yet to see a tele without a pickguard that didn't look funny or unfinished to me. To each his own though...

P.S. Although I favor red, any warm hue would look great: Orange, Amber, Butterscotch, Burst...

Man I'm jealous. I just LOVE bound teles. It couldn't have went to a nicer guy. Congratulations Terry.

-Brian

[jjkurtz]

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

Red would be nice with a hand-rubbed finish so deep you can see China in it. I could see it with no pickguard...just one of those little chrome neck pickup bezels.

+1 You read my mind. That would be perfect.

[bgwatts]

Gretsch orange. Look at the G&L website they show a gretsch orange ASAT Classic that is realy sweet.

[Keifer]

Congrats Terry! Yes, I'm in agreement with your thoughts on spalted wood. With the ivoroid binding, red dye & a clear topcoat would be beautiful with the graining shing through. I think gold hardware goes great with red finishes...but then, that's just my opinion. You've also got the option to go with or without a pickguard. I'll be looking forward to seeing the finished product.

[mojocasterman]

Terry,

1. Knock 'em dead at the gig! Wish I could be in the audience
2. No better guy could have won a prize
3. I am not sure what kind of red you have in mind, but when you said that, I instantly thought about this beautiful guitar the Rice Custom Guitars guys made:



Gorgous red finish in that guitar for sure!

[Pete Galati]

Originally Posted by tdowns

Thanks.

No plan yet. I'm still thinking, and hearing suggestions from folks. I think red dye would be nice. I'm not going to burst it, because I don't have that skill.

Nice body. I'd be afraid that dye would obscur the flame too much, because it's not a heavy flame.

IMO, it needs a faded sunburst, like a '50s Les Paul that's losing it's color. I'm sure it takes a lot of practice to do a good sunburst though.

Pete

[0le FUZZY]

...Corn-grat-chew-lay-shunz Terry!!

...Ten coats of clear Poly and a couple of years outta dew witt!!





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Please visit my page

[refin]

Originally Posted by tdowns

Thanks.

No plan yet. I'm still thinking, and hearing suggestions from folks. I think red dye would be nice. I'm not going to burst it, because I don't have that skill.

That's okay...you have the "Spank The Plank" skill,and we all want to hear it when you fire that sucker up!
Congrats!

[anfontan]

Originally Posted by Buckocaster51

Red would be nice with a hand-rubbed finish so deep you can see China in it. I could see it with no pickguard...just one of those little chrome neck pickup bezels. Maybe a matching headstock?

Have fun with those bindings.

I agree with skipping the pickguard as well-show off that figured maple !

[Wild Rice Chris]

I think red dye would be excellent. The photo mojocaster posted isn't a straight red dye, I think Rich used 5-6 colors (browns, ambers, black, etc.) to get the final shade. Red sets off the binding nicely. Maybe blue/purple would be to your liking as well...I love dyes on maple against binding...

[Wild Rice Chris]

And if you go without a pickguard, I'd say stay away from the chrome ring. I always think they look cheesy in a bad way and prefer the look of a pickup screwed into the wood. Paint the cavity black and go with it.

[teleclarkster]

Congratulations Terry, I'm kinda with jwells393 on this one. I think clear orange would look great. I've always liked the look if the G&L's with that finish.

[Big John]

Well, to save you messing it up and then pointing it in front of a video camera i'll send you my address and you just post it over here !!

Hard to see the grain but this is my 'Errington' flame top that was dyed red, they do look nice in red !!

[Brewboy]

+1 for orange. With a pearl white pickguard. Nice score Terry!

[rkwrenn]

Wow! Beautiful grain pattern. You need to really show that off.

I have to go with Ole FUZZY on this one.

+1 for Clear.

Cheers,

Bob

[TheViking]

I am with you on your color choise here Terry. i would go for something red. I can't wait to see the outcome, you're great with finishes (as well as with most of the other things you do)

[tdowns]

Thanks to ALL of you for the well wishes, kind words, and helpful suggestions. I'm going to play around with USA Guitar's "virtual guitar" to see what comes out. I sure got a lot of work to do!!!

[rhomco]

Clear! That is send it clear over to Crowley and give it to me! Aw shuks, i'll come get it since we are practically neighbors. Seriously, that is a nice body to work with, i'm sure you will do it justice.
Congrats,
Rob (the other Rob)

[gtrjones]

I see a red, or amber top, and a 'hybrid' pickguard... one of those chandler/warmoth deals where the upper bout side looks like a thinline tele guard, and the lower bout side looks like a regular tele guard down to the control plate... just enough room to cover the neck pickup, but leave most of that beautiful top exposed.

Can't wait to see it finished!

[Big Tony]

That is some beautiful timber!

Congratulations, Terry!

/ Tony

[tdowns]

Clear to Crowley. That's funny.

Here is my first shot at the virtual model. I can't get the color like I want. Also, there is no minimal pickguard to my liking. This one is a disgusting shape. I'm think one like I used on the Surf Green Tele shaped like this from Warmoth.




in this color to match the binding


I want a dye to make the grain POP out like the one Chris pictured here


Is there anything more fun than this? Well, maybe I shouldn't ask that.

Here are the decisions I made so far (I think)

• I want a minimal pickguard as to allow the most grain to show, but I don't think I like no PG at all
• I'm not going with clear, because I think a dye will really make the grain POP more, and I've had a hankering for that a long time anyway