Gibson "Korina" Finish on White Limba Explorer

[gmattison3]

I have a Explorer made of white limba that needs to be finished. I want it to look the typical Gibson Korina Explorers. The white limba wood is very pale, how do I get the yellowish/orangish finish of the Gibson Korina Explorers?

For Clarification I was told when someone mentions a Gibson Korina guitar, the wood is actually Limba and the finish is Korina.

 

[AirCap]

Korina was Gibson's trademarked marketing name.... like Kleenex.

 

[Cagey]

Even a water clear finish will darken that wood slightly. For example, here's a swipe of naphtha on Mahogany...

...altough the effect won't be as dramatic on Limba. But, the second thing going on is finish yellowing over time. Gibson shot lacquer on those guitars, and after some years the stuff degrades.

You can simulate that deterioration earlier in life by tinting about a quart of clear coat with 4 or 5 drops of yellow and 1 drop of red to create a very pale amber. But, over time it may naturally darken up even more, so be careful how you proceed. If you go too crazy now, it won't look right later. Let it be relatively new for a while.

 

[Tonar8352]

Shoot a wash coat of clear old school lacquer, it should look like honey in the can not clear like water. Then use old school oil base paste wood filler to fill the grain and then put you final clear coats on after that.