Korina Tele - help!

[emcee_m_prime]

Hi all, putting together my first build. Am very excited but have run into an issue. I'm finishing with Tru Oil, and the bookmatching on the front of the guitar seems to be turning two very different shades upon application of the finish. This is after BW sealer / filler and two coats of Tru Oil.

Is there something I can do to make them match better? It's a fairly drastic difference in person. Really appreciate any suggestions!

 

[stratamania]

Did you sand at all, or just apply the BW sealer / filler and two coats of Tru Oil?

Just trying to understand the exact steps so far.

 

[emcee_m_prime]

Thanks for the quick response! It went like this: Birchwood Casey sealer / filler, sand back with 220-320 (repeated application of sealer and sanding down 3x), then 2 light coats of Tru Oil about 12 hours apart.

I sanded the sealer/filler back to look almost like it did before it was applied (it made it quite dark and brownish, which I didn't care for, and was hard to get perfectly even); maybe I sanded back too much and should have just knocked down the blemishes? I figured as long as the pores were filled I'd be good to go.

 

[stratamania]

It might have been worth wiping down the body prior to starting with naptha to ensure the surfaces were clean.

Some folks when doing bodies with Tru Oil, wet sand when applying it in order to create a slurry that acts as a grain filler. Others start with thinned down Tru Oil, prior to building up with non thinned down coats.

If it was just blotchy all over I would have tended to think some parts were absorbing the finish quicker than others, but here the difference between the two sides seems quite a contrast if the finish approach has been the same on both sides... Not sure what to suggest further.

 

[Fat Pete]

Does the left side always appear darker, or does it vary with viewing angle? Just wondering if it's a 'chatoyancy' effect.

 

[emcee_m_prime]

It might have been worth wiping down the body prior to starting with naptha to ensure the surfaces were clean.

Some folks when doing bodies with Tru Oil, wet sand when applying it in order to create a slurry that acts as a grain filler. Others start with thinned down Tru Oil, prior to building up with non thinned down coats.

If it was just blotchy all over I would have tended to think some parts were absorbing the finish quicker than others, but here the difference between the two sides seems quite a contrast if the finish approach has been the same on both sides... Not sure what to suggest further.

Forgot to mention that I did clean with naptha and wore gloves prior to starting.

Does the left side always appear darker, or does it vary with viewing angle? Just wondering if it's a 'chatoyancy' effect.

It is darker from all angles, but the issue is mitigated somewhat when looking from the left side (then they look almost the same).

 

[wildbill]

Although you call this bookmatch, it isn't in the pure sense. This appears to me a two piece solid body, not veneer. If solid, the two pieces of wood may not even be from the same tree. I would guess that they are different enough to be taking finish at a different rate ...except that it looks like the routed areas are taking the runoff finish equally and color the same,  inside the pup routes, for example. Perplexing, the top of the right side may be sap wood or may have been contaminated somehow. Hopefully someone else has an answer. I find it odd. What is the back side doing?

 

[emcee_m_prime]

The back is coloring evenly - it's one piece and looks closer to black korina. I think the routing takes finish evenly (even if accidental) because it's the same solid piece of wood as the back; the top is just 1/4" or so thick.

You're right that it's not actually bookmatched (perhaps it's harder to find suitable pieces of white korina?) - I just wasn't sure what else to call it.

I will check with Warmoth tomorrow to see if they think anything can be done, but it sounds like y'all are saying this is probably just how it is. Oh well... thanks for the confirmation!

 

[wildbill]

Oh, so it is a laminated top?  Misunderstood. In that case it could be just a oddball match up of veneer materials where that one side of the top takes finish at a different absorption rate than the other. I would definitely call and ask since you paid good (a lot) of money for that body. Only fix I can think of is to try a very light aniline dye on the lighter side and try to sneak up on the color match.  Ask the guys that built it though, I'm just a barn painter by comparison.

 

[Cagey]

Sometimes wood can just piss you off. Grain can change a surprising amount in the space of a kerf, so a bookmatch might not work, the grain may change direction, the texture may change, etc.

I have an old Warmoth body that has a thick curly Maple top (no veneer) on a Mahogany base that I was able to buy cheap because the original owner couldn't get happy with the finish he put on it. Looking at what he'd done, I didn't think it was the wood's fault and was happy to get the piece. After a lotta work, it turned out the wood just wasn't going to cooperate. It was just unattractive no matter what I did. I'm no pro, but I'm also no slouch when it comes to finishing. I've got the material, equipment and experience to produce a good finish, but this thing just wasn't going to cooperate.

So, one day I was shooting something else, and decided I was done fighting with this body. Shot it with a solid color and covered it all up. Looks great now. It's a shame this "premium" wood is hidden, but if it doesn't look good, it's not "premium", right? As blasphemous as it sounds, just because some pieces are spellbinding, not all curly Maple is attractive.

If you're of a mind that a solid Korina body has a "sound" or "character" to it, that won't go away if you cover it up. Maybe it's time to think about a solid color coat rather than anything translucent/transparent.

Just a thought.

 

[emcee_m_prime]

It would hurt to cover it (I bought this body more for the looks than the tone, to be honest), but maybe it's the best course. I might mix some color in with the tru oil first and see if that helps. Thanks all.

 

[stratamania]

It might look very good with a red tint.

Hope it works out. Post some updates how you get on.

 

[Zhaezzy]

Put a stripe on it then you won't be able to tell so readily and you will see the wood for what it is. Sorry I'm a hobo when it comes to my finish work but that is a compromise that might work.

 

[emcee_m_prime]

Hi all,

Just an update to say that it turned out ok - after some more coats of Tru Oil the difference between the halves was mitigated somewhat. In certain light it's still noticeable, but in a more 'normal' way - for the most part I think it looks fine.

 

[Logrinn]

I didn't realise that this was the tele with the differing halves. This looks perfect. I first thought that it was a one piece I was looking at.
Congrats to a super stunning body. Correction - a super stunning guitar :icon_thumright:

 

[stratamania]

Well done that has turned out well.

 

[rgand]

I sure don't see any color difference between the sides of the body. Outstanding job, there.