A true AMATURE!!!

[CSDP]

Well hello there, thanks for taking the time to read my post... Allow me to briefly introduce myself, I am 17 and have been playing guitar since I could walk... literally. I spend almost every moment of every day pickin and grinnin. Although I am completely self taught, I take it VERY seriously... and I don't like to brag but I know what I am doing when it comes to playing guitar. Alright, so this being my senior year in high school, I find it very fitting that I would make a guitar for my senior project. I figured I would make a Telecaster seeing that my first electric guitar was a telecaster. So I took the easy way out and just bought a grizzly Telecaster kit... Alder body, Maple neck, Walnut fret board. Ok. so I am not familiar with making a guitar at all... and this guitar kit requires a little more work than I was expecting. Ok so Im going to do the string through body set up, I am shaping the headstock to a traditional tele style, I am doing a natural finish. now I could go on for days with questions but ill start with just a few... I was thinking of doing a tru oil finish since I need the easiest, cheapest, and fastest way out. but I do not want a poorly made/finished guitar. quick questions, is tru oil a good finish? can it be used in combination with a lacquer? What grain filler should I use (please give specific names and details) Give me all the advice you possibly can! thanks you very much! sorry if my post doesn't make sense I am in a bit of a rush.

 

[Jupiter]

Tru-Oil is a good finish. It can be a bit labor-intensive, depending on how many coats you want to put on, but it's pretty forgiving and easy to work with, and reasonably durable.

Why do you want to use it in combination with lacquer?

You have a ton of options for grain filling. Some people start by putting some T-O on and then sanding while it's still wet; the T-O and sanding dust fill the grain. I've seen Z-poxy 2-part epoxy filler also used to good effect.

I haven't filled the grain in bodies that I finished in T-O, because I wanted to see and feel the grain. A mirror-smooth surface with T-O is certainly possible (see Tom Pettingill's threads), but it's a LOT of coats.... I've done it on maple necks, and it took me weeks to get it thick and smooth.

 

[Jim Beam]

Ok. so I am not familiar with making a guitar at all... and this guitar kit requires a little more work than I was expecting.

OK so maybe you should do a few searches on this forum regarding the specific questions you have. All of the things you are asking about have been answered many times over on this forum. Do your research. Not polite to ask experienced folk to repeat themselves.

After that, enjoy the process. Building anything is fun!

 

[TRexF16]

OK so maybe you should do a few searches on this forum regarding the specific questions you have. All of the things you are asking about have been answered many times over on this forum. Do your research. Not polite to ask experienced folk to repeat themselves.

After that, enjoy the process. Building anything is fun!

Yeah, what he said - and of course, said with a smile. Welcome to TDPRI. One of the things you will find is great here is the extreme amount of good advice available by searching. Click on SEARCH in the toolbar near the top of the banner then select the google search feature - then just type your subject matter. As Mr. Beam said, everything you asked is already here, more than you can stand to read.

Glad to have you here. Congratulations on a well-spent youth, so far. Finish up that axe and then post us a clip of you playing it!

Good luck,
Rex

 

[fretman_2]

I agree with Jupiter. Tru Oil can be labor intensive, and I agree that I like a bit of the grain to show through. Tru oil is so easy to apply and you can do it indoors without the fumes running your family out of the house.

In my situation, with no proper place to spray on lacquer, the grain show through satin finish is the best and easiest finish to apply. I.E...I've done a neck and a body by building up the finish with tru oil and using Min Wax satin wipe on poly as the final coat. But you can do basically the same thing by just final sanding the tru oil with a very high grit sand paper.

Do a search on this site for poster Tom Pettingill. He's pretty much the master of Tru Oil from what I've seen. Follow his instructions and you'll do fine.

No sense applying lacquer to a tru oil finish or vice versa. Tru Oil will make a beautiful glossy finish if done properly.

Tru-Oil is a good finish. It can be a bit labor-intensive, depending on how many coats you want to put on, but it's pretty forgiving and easy to work with, and reasonably durable.

Why do you want to use it in combination with lacquer?

You have a ton of options for grain filling. Some people start by putting some T-O on and then sanding while it's still wet; the T-O and sanding dust fill the grain. I've seen Z-poxy 2-part epoxy filler also used to good effect.

I haven't filled the grain in bodies that I finished in T-O, because I wanted to see and feel the grain. A mirror-smooth surface with T-O is certainly possible (see Tom Pettingill's threads), but it's a LOT of coats.... I've done it on maple necks, and it took me weeks to get it thick and smooth.