Need your thought on finishing this body

[eslover]

I need your thoughts on what finishes might work best with this pine body.

Basically, I am trying to decide between these finishes:
1. dark brown translucent finish--like those walnut strats in the 70's (?)
2. semi-opaque beige/almond--like the blonde tele finishes of the mid-50's but in beige instead... almost like Desert Sand.

I really love the grain on most of this 2-piece body with the exception of the marred edge.

EDIT] Can these finishes opaque the marred edge enough to cover the defect?
I'm confident I can sufficiently opaque the marred edge with the beige finish (I'd be using a toner in lacquer here),
but not so sure the trans brown can hide it (I'd be using dye in lacquer--either Mohawk medium Walnut brown or Perfect brown). Will enough passes of dyed lacquer on the sides be opaque enough to hide it?

FYI: I never really fancied the Fender sunburst, so I want to avoid spraying a burst.

 

[micadoo]

Don't know that any transparent finish is going to hide those dark marks? I'd guess you tried sanding them out? Since you are confident the semi opaque beige will cover it, it's usually best to go with your gut. Photos when it's done please

 

[Peegoo]

Even if you add a shader to the dye or stain, those mineral stains in the wood will still show.

Best bet is to follow Fender's early example of shooting a 'burst on that. Get the body to the color you want, and then shoot a dark brown or black fade all the way around the edge of the body to hide the discoloration in the grain.

Important: practice on some scrap wood first. It will be time well spent.

 

[eslover]

Even if you add a shader to the dye or stain, those mineral stains in the wood will still show.

Best bet is to follow Fender's early example of shooting a 'burst on that. Get the body to the color you want, and then shoot a dark brown or black fade all the way around the edge of the body to hide the discoloration in the grain.

Important: practice on some scrap wood first. It will be time well spent.

I totally agree with you, @Peegoo.

But now a part of me is starting to like those mineral stains, they give the body some character.
They might even look okay peeking through the brown.

What say you?

Are there any examples of people putting translucent finishes on overtly blemished wood?

 

[jvin248]

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Grab several stains and work in the body cavities to see what you like best. I've layered golden oak and then a brown or red to give more warmth to the final finish.

.

 

[Blue Bill]

My first thought was what Peegoo said; a sunburst would hide the blemishes. Now I think the dark stain would work out fine. As is customary here, I'll second the suggestion of experimenting on scraps of similar wood to determine the formulation for your stain. I would start with 2 parts cherry stain, mixed with one part walnut. Good luck, send us some pictures of the process if you please.

 

[Peegoo]

I totally agree with you, @Peegoo.

But now a part of me is starting to like those mineral stains, they give the body some character.
They might even look okay peeking through the brown.

What say you?

Are there any examples of people putting translucent finishes on overtly blemished wood?

Yes, it is common. Look up "spalted maple." This is a fungus that grows in the wood and leaves gray and black streaks in the wood, and it's often a desirable look.

There's nothing wrong with mineral stains in wood; it's like a fingerprint or snowflake; it gives the piece character and you can rest assured there's no other one like it in the entire universe.

 

[Larry Madsen]

I would do the finish you intend.

What you have there is simply the character of that particular piece of wood. I would embrace it as the reality of the guitar.

 

[eslover]

@jvin248 and @Blue Bill :
You are both much braver than I am using stains--let alone mixing your own. But agree it would do well at hiding the mineral stains.
I'm scared to try it on pine, though I'm sure the final product--if done right--would undoubtedly be beautiful.

I'm now leaning toward a hybrid of both colors I wanted to try.

I'll be sure to post pics.

 

[Highway 49]

I like the flaws in things, so I think stains showing through is fine.
It’s hard to envisage how it would look exactly, but the semi transparent desert sand sounds like it could look really cool.
The dark walnut might be a bit seventies for my taste but, you know, would be cool too.
Wish I could do this kind of thing - hanging a picture on a wall is a major project in this house - but good luck and great to see pictures when it’s done

 

[Boreas]

I think of looks OK. You could consider doing a "wash" finish - common on older furniture. You basically use a water-soluble opaque finish, brush it on, and wipe it off where you want. A little easier to control than stain, but requires it's own technique. Some people use a sponge to apply it. But if you apply more over the dark spots, it may make them less noticeable. Then you would likely overspray with clear or aged lacquer. A whitewash finish on pine might look pretty and unique.

 

[MGW-AB]

I am not normally a fan of relics but that one seems a possible candidate, especially if done very sparingly. It seems to me the "dirty" areas would blend right in if it were a simple tung oil finish with a small number of dents and bruises.

Just a thought.

 

[eslover]

For the past few days I've been thinking of nothing but what finish I want for this body.

The responses here have made me think more critically about the finish choice/application/process/etc.
Which is exactly the right thing when people are undecided and/or fickle. So, I owe a 'thank you' to those whose have offered their opinions; I appreciate it, thank you!

I've decided to just keep it natural, clear gloss. It should naturally amber over time.

When I finish spraying I'll post pics.

Not too late to talk me out of it.

 

[Sparky2]

I love a natural finish on Stratocasters and strat-shaped guitars in general.

 

[Zepfan]

I would've put Truoil on it as is.

 

[pypa]

I suspect you could bleach those stains out with oxalic acid or a 2-part wood bleach (e.g., Zinsser). 2-part wood bleach is quite effective but requires a bit of practice. It can even remove some of the underlying tone of the wood itself. Be careful.

If it were mine, I'd just finish it in your chosen style and don't worry about the blemish. I also find that to just be the natural character of the wood and do not find it distasteful.

I would NOT try to hide it.

 

[eslover]

I would've put Truoil on it as is.

I’m almost doing that @Zepfan, I’m using a tung oil finish then going to clear coat it. I just love nitro lacquer as it ages. The oil gives a gorgeous golden hue to the pine.

 

[Stratified]

Boreas suggestion for a wash finish is excellent choice. I did a white wash finish in a pine chest of drawers 35 years ago using the technique he describes. Looks great to me and still in use today.

Regarding Tru-oil on pine suggestion, pine will soak it up like a sponge without every achieving a surface “layer.” I did a pine armoire using Waterlox (which I’ve used on guitar necks similar application technique to Tru-oil with similar/excellent results) and after many coats (8-10?) it was still soaking in. Maybe some sort of sealer first would help.

 

[Zepfan]

Boreas suggestion for a wash finish is excellent choice. I did a white wash finish in a pine chest of drawers 35 years ago using the technique he describes. Looks great to me and still in use today.

Regarding Tru-oil on pine suggestion, pine will soak it up like a sponge without every achieving a surface “layer.” I did a pine armoire using Waterlox (which I’ve used on guitar necks similar application technique to Tru-oil with similar/excellent results) and after many coats (8-10?) it was still soaking in. Maybe some sort of sealer first would help.

I did a pine speaker cab with Truoil and put about 16 thin coats on it before I got a shiny layer.
Thin coats dry faster and pine does soak it up. Takes a lot of time and patience.

 

[eslover]

I went with the semi-opaque beige, kind of happy.

Here are some pics after the clear coats but before wet sanding.