What should I do with this? Input welcome!

[Beebe]

I was foolish enough trying exactly that on a whim around 10 years ago, and it worked great actually.
Not the same wood, this was on hard ash and I also did let the grain raise (water based paints will do that) and didn't sand it down before the "oil" application for an additional effect.

Just after the first oil coat, still wet:

Few more coats and lightly sanded down with steel wool

Cool. So that works too.

Nice finish. And great grain pattern on that!

 

[Lynxtrap]

Update:

I spent a lot of time staining the body last night. I was a bit too ambitious and tried to go for a burst. I stained the whole body with water based ebony stain, sanded some of it away, down to almost bare wood in the center area, and added a cherry stain on top.

I started on the back, and it wasn't long before the bursting started to go south. So instead I tried to mix the colours, and this is what I ended up with.

Well, sort of. It's very difficult to make a photo show how it actually looks. It's not as hazy as it looks.

Also, under blueish light it looks almost purple, and that's what I thought it was while working on it in the garage. When I took it inside the house where the light is more yellow, it looks brown/red. Looking at it from the edge of the body it looks almost black.

It isn't really what I aimed for, but I'm pretty happy with it. I even managed to match the colouring on the headstock. It reminds me a little of a Blade R4 I had back in the 90's...

I think I will try to put urethane-acryl varnish on top of it. I'm not sure how it differs from polyurethane, but it's what stores carry around here and I'm used to working with it on other projects. I'll probably put a layer or two of matte first, and then one or two layers of a more glossy type.

Like someone mentioned, the body needs protection. That wood dents if you look at it the wrong way.

 

[Lynxtrap]

2nd layer of clearcoat applied. It won't be perfect but I hope it won't be a disaster either...

 

[JohnnyThul]

I might add that Minwax seem to have a great lineup of products for these kinds of projects, but it seems hard to find their products in Europe. It is also difficult to find wipe-on poly and pre-stain conditioner of any brand, at least in stores around my parts.

At least in Germany we have an alternative to the wipe on poly from Clou called "Holzsiegel" .

 

[Lynxtrap]

At least in Germany we have an alternative to the wipe on poly from Clou called "Holzsiegel" .

OK! I know some stores carry Clou here, at least the stain powder.
Around here when you ask about polyurethane in paint stores they tell you that it is a two component varnish used for industrial purposes and is not commonly sold to consumers.

I wonder if we have a stricter definition of poly in Europe than in the US? I read somewhere that US consumer poly is actually mixed with acryl, don't know if it’s true.

The stuff I’m using now is made for boats, so at least it should be strong.

 

[Freeman Keller]

There are at least three different "polyurethanes" that can be used for guitar finish. First is so called "2 part" or "2K" poly which is a chemically catalyzed urethane. This is the modern finish that many guitar makers are using - it is sprayed, goes one fairly thick and cures chemically to a high gloss.

The second is UV cured polyurethane - Taylor is the big guitar company that I think of. Curing takes powerful ultraviolet lights, but there are a few versions that cure with sunlight.

Third is the standard polyurethane that may be diluted so that it can be wiped on or sprayed. It does not require a catalyst and cures with exposure to the air. Wipe on poly is the big rage for home guitar finishers because it gives a good glossy finish without the need to spray.

 

[JohnnyThul]

It can be a hassle in the EU to finds alternatives for well known and well used stuff in guitar building communities in the US.
The Holzsiegel stuff isn't marketed as polyurethane, but basically as " woodworker's paint". Clou even has a kind of nitrocellulose lacquer which is called Schnellschliffgrund and is not in the least marketed, at what it is
Boat paint is a good option, there are lots of different things sold under this designation here. Can be anything from hard oil to polyurethane but in any case, it's durable.

 

[Silverface]

I'd wait for proper conditions and apply an opaque lacquer finish. In my expeience bodies with inconsistent grain/multiple pieces like that look bad with a transparent finish. One major problem is the glue lines generally are sealed like strips of plastic with chips in them.

I vote to wait. Test it with a little water or naphtha; if either does not penetrate you will have problems.