Gecko (narrow) Fretless Mahogany/Flame Koa - Last bits all done. :)

[Dolando]

Making a start on this as soon as I can. I have all the parts, just need to buy a hipshot bridge.

I plan on a tru oil finish, and a delano quad coil humbucker wired straight to the output jack. I might include a switch in the control cavity to easily change from series parallel and single coil.

My gecko also has metal inserts for the control plate screws, is this standard on a gecko?

Just had a warmoth delivery! About to get started on this beast!

 

[TBurst Std]

<My gecko also has metal inserts for the control plate screws, is this standard on a gecko? >

Yes

 

[Dolando]

Started on the tru oil today, and the bottom side edges are darker than the rest. Is this just the colouration of the wood, or is it possible to use too much tru oil and get dark patches?

 

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

Assuming the oil isn't spoiled in some way and/or was mixed, it should have an even color (slight amber tint, gets deeper each coat), so I'd guess it's a variation in the wood color/grain.  Is that Mahogany on the body?  All the mahogany I've TruOiled has had variations that didn't show up until after it was oiled.  I love it, but YMMV.  Koa is going to have similar properties to mahogany when oiled.

 

[Dolando]

Assuming the oil isn't spoiled in some way and/or was mixed, it should have an even color (slight amber tint, gets deeper each coat), so I'd guess it's a variation in the wood color/grain.  Is that Mahogany on the body?  All the mahogany I've TruOiled has had variations that didn't show up until after it was oiled.  I love it, but YMMV.  Koa is going to have similar properties to mahogany when oiled.

Thanks. Yea it's mahogany and I've not long used the oil to finish my swamp ash/zebra wood deluxe 5 jazz. I didn't think I'd used too much, I only poured a line around 6 inches on that area, then rubbed that in? I just want to make sure before I sand it back and start again. Haha

 

[Cagey]

Edges are usually end grain, which soaks up more of whatever you put on and ends up darker. The only time you don't see it is with opaque colors. It's been postulated that the effect is what gave rise to the "sunburst" finish, in an attempt to hide the appearance of an uneven finish. You can also seal the wood before putting any finish on it, which keeps it from soaking anything up.

 

[Dolando]

Cagey, you always seem to have some rare bizarre fact about guitars. I enjoy it greatly.

Thanks, so I assume even if I put less on it would still go that same colour? And if I want it all the same, I'd seal it first?

 

[Dolando]

Oh and a little update...here's a cheeky look at the tru oil on the Koa top.



Looks ace, and how it changes in the light, it's kinda like a hologram.

 

[Cagey]

Sealing is definitely a good idea. Even if it weren't for the end grain issue, wood is notoriously inconsistent stuff and sealing it will prevent blotching or uneven coloring.

 

[Dolando]

Right, what would I seal it with?

The rest of its fine, it's just the end grain that's darker. I suppose I need to decide if I'm happy with it, or if it's worth sanding it back and starting again. I've only put on one coat of tru oil. How easy is it to sand back?

 

[Cagey]

Judging by the picture above, I don't think I'd do anything. Tru-Oil isn't a "hot" finish, so you've basically already sealed it. Any further darkening from additional coats is going to take place evenly.

 

[Dolando]

Right ok. Here's a couple of pictures showing the difference in colour. I assume this is totally normal for end grain on mahogany? And I should just carry on.

 

[stubhead]

I'd leave it be, it looks fine. If you're doing  a real wood finish, it may just take off on a rip and look like real wood - which is probably rarer these days than pressure-dyed veneer'd & photo-flamed types of absolutely perfect (and totally fake) wood finishes. Yes, Ibanez can make an absolutely beautiful acoustic guitar-shaped thing for $139. And Peavey can make an "exotic", "wood", bass-shaped thing for a couple hunnert smackers more, too. They are not your competition.

Maybe do just the flats, then the flats & edges, every other time?

 

[Cagey]

Yes, it's normal for Mahogany, and I'm not sure you can improve on it enough to make it worth the trouble to try. It looks good. Don't tempt fate. You're liable to find yourself attached to a tar baby.

 

[Dolando]

Yea i think you're both right. I was leaning towards that any way. Keep it natural, and let the wood do what it wants to do.

 

[tylereot]

It's beautiful, and natural wood grain is natural wood grain.  Carry on...or...

 

:rock-on:​

 

[Dolando]

...or what!? Haha

I've carried on, and I'm going to put a couple of coats on the rest and leave the edges and hopefully blend it together eventually. If not I'm happy with how it is.

 

[telecutie]

What you're seeing is one reason I like to begin natural finishes with boiled linseed oil--BLO.  BLO is a penetrating oil. It gives definition and provides depth to the natural wood grain (there are alternative oils to BLO, but it's my preference). Apply BLO until the wood stops absorbing it.  Then apply the Tru-Oil to create a hard outter surface.  TO is essentially BLO with hardeners added... So, only the initial coat of TO penetrates the wood.  The second and subsequent coats of TO build layer upon layer without blending... just like paint.

BTW... The imperfections in our projects are always less noticeable, if at all, by others than by ourselves.  It looks great!

 

[stubhead]

Did "they" tell you yet than thinned Tru-Oil dries faster? Mineral spirits, probably naptha or alcohol is better. The last one I did I just wanted a basic seal on it (mean Appalachian walnut), so I thinned the Troil* like, half-and-half, it went on like water, no drips. Then I did another few coats 40 minutes apart - just barely a little sticky. Wait many hours, then I lightly 400'd it and another few splashes of "Troil." From now on it's just getting beeswax with enough NOT-boiled linseed oil to make it supple & luxurious. 

I'll bet they didn't tell you about the part where after you've finished, you should leave it to cure for another month or so? Scamps. If you can still smell it, it's still out-gassing. Hang in window...

*(Troil? :icon_scratch: Tru-O... tru... t.t.tr... :sad1

 

[telecutie]

beeswax-- good move.  Once you've applied a hard finish, like TO, penetrating oils can't be absorbed into the wood-- You'd just be smearing oil around on the outter finish. You want to give attention to the hard finish, not the wood itself-- that means polishing and protecting.