Flame top strat finishing options

[bagman67]

This is not yet a work in progress, so I'm posting here instead.  I recently picked up a factory-finished all-maple Strat neck in vintage amber satin, and an unfinished top-routed Strat body in flame maple on ash.  The purchase came with a gold Wilky and PW tuners and other gold appointments as well.  I'm seriously thinking about going with the gold appointments, rather than swapping for black or chrome - so the question is - any recommendations for how to finish the guitar to make the gold look good instead of overly bling-y?

I know, photos or it doesn't exist - so I'll post 'em soon.

Bagman

 

[Cagey]

One could argue that gold looks good with anything, but since it's a really a "warm" color, anything from the yellow/amber part of the spectrum forward to the infrared and into the black will look good. So, yellow, amber, orange, red, dark, etc.

The other end, heading toward ultraviolet, is considered "cold", so you'd want chrome/nickel appointments.

 

[bagman67]

So much for my Minnesota Vikings Tribute Strat, then, eh?

Seriously though...that wild-maple topped strat you have, Cagey, has me thinking thoughts of amber-honey goodness.

 

[Cagey]

Yeah, that's a purty fiddle. I could see that finish on a curly top. Amber neck. Be beautiful.

 

[jrybicki]

my vote would be a white to grey washed dye..  never been seen before maybe like mary kay finish with more shade to pull out the grain like black washed does?

 

[bagman67]

my vote would be a white to grey washed dye..  never been seen before maybe like mary kay finish with more shade to pull out the grain like black washed does?

Not sure how I feel about such a possibility with the gold hardware - think you could provide an image from the interwebz that kinda-sorta approximates what you're talking about?

Bagman

 

[jrybicki]

thats the originality of it b.. it doesnt yet exist!  look up the black dyed finishes in the showcase and imagine brighter, 5x lighter to show the grain...look at my blue dyed in just out of box (i just recieved tue! )    and picture pale grey and gold hardware... or...its coming to me... the antigua finish if it were transparent applied on flame top maple>> whaaa?

 

[bagman67]

Sounds like you're describing a black dye, sand back, and then a very light gray dye burst edge.  While that sounds like it'd be pretty nifty looking, I think with gold hardware it would not fly so well.