looking to get a vintage amber stain

[59tele]

I would luv to get a real deep vintage amber stain on my curly maple strat body...I do not know much about finishing
so i need a simple process...,, stu mac has vin.amber stain... but i want it darker..just use more of it? clear coat it for shine?... i have a compressor and gun,, or use a can spray? as you can see I am a rookie at this.. THANKS!!!

 

[Tonar8352]

I have used Luthiers Mercantile MEK dyes directly to the wood and I have used dyes blended with clear lacquers to make amber shading colors but nothing works as well as Zinsser Amber Shellac for a beautiful amber finish on a clear wood. 

When I spray it I thin it a little with shellac solvent (denatured alcohol) and turn the air pressure up really high on the gun and back the fluid press down real low so it is really breaking the material up into a fine mist. Then I make sure to spray at least 12 inches from the surface so I do not get any lap marks.  I find that one coat is a real nice vintage tint on maple and three coats is that really orange look that Warmoth has on its vintage tinted necks.  You can do a test board to figure out how many coats will give you the look you are after. Then I clear over that with lacquer.

 

[59tele]

SOUNDS GOOD,,, do you use a hvlp,,gun,,, [i think thats the gun?]

 

[Tonar8352]

Yes I use an Iwata LPH 400.