Should I get natural masked binding on an unfinished body?

[Nesling]

Hi!
Just in the works of buying my first warmoth body and really like the look a natural masked binding gives, but to save some money I'm going to paint the guitar myself. Should i get the binding done at warmoth or will it get messed up by me finishing and laquering the guitar?
Thanks!

 

[Vid]

I think you're talking about having Warmoth install a binding on the body (white, pearloid, ivoroid, etc)?

A natural masked binding on a DIY finish shouldn't be too difficult.  You'll need to prep the body per usual and apply your clear coats in the binding (edge) area.  Once that is done, apply your pro grade striping tape and apply your color coats.  Remove the tape and clearcoat the whole works.  I did a similar project using Reranch Gorilla Vanilla for the "binding" and Sonic Blue for the color coat. Came out looking pretty sharp.

Finishing a body with let's call it a plastic binding, on a routed body, takes a bit more skill and a lot more patience than an unbound body.  Very carefully masking with *professional grade* striping tape is a must.  After spraying, carefully remove the masking tape and using the tip of a utility knife blade, V E R Y carefully "shave" off any paint that might have gotten on the binding.  Even when clearcoating after, some may be concerned that the colored lacquer could drift on to the binding.  However the end result of a bound body is always beautiful and looks fantastic even from the other end of the nightclub!

 

[bagman67]

To supplement Vid's remarks:


If you plan to dye or stain your guitar, you'll want to apply a washcoat of some kind first (shellac, or 50/50 lacquer/reducer) to prevent the dye/stain from seeping into the masked-off area.  Alternatively, you could spray a tinted clear coating, known in the trade as a toner, instead of applying dye or stain directly to the wood.  Universal pigments and some dyes can be used to make a toner out of a clearcoat.  Applying a clearcoat before masking your binding will also yield superior results in the form of a cleaner edge if you are planning on doing a solid color. 

 

[Logrinn]

A natural masked binding on a DIY finish shouldn't be too difficult.

This is probably a relative statement. If one had done it ten or twenty times, then it's probably not that difficult. But if one were to do it for the first time, I imagine the result could very easy be catastrophic.
I know I would fail miserably if I'd try it. If it were me, I'd let Warmoth do it.

 

[Cagey]

Just in the works of buying my first warmoth body and really like the look a natural masked binding gives, but to save some money I'm going to paint the guitar myself. Should i get the binding done at warmoth or will it get messed up by me finishing and laquering the guitar?

I'm getting the impression by how your question is worded that you're not clear on what a "natural masked binding" is.

It's not a binding. It's the appearance of a binding, but it's just the underlying wood showing through. Details aside, the edge of the body is masked  before the color coats are applied, so that when the mask is removed, you have an unfinished strip around the body. Clear coat over that, and you end up with something that looks like this...

It's a very attractive effect, and one you don't see out in the wild very often.

So, long story short, it's not something that's installed, it's more like an artifact of a particular finishing process, which means you can't have it if you're not getting a finish.

Installed bindings are another thing altogether. The edges of the body have a small ledge routed into them where binding material is installed, so you end up with something like this...

Usually, it's best to let Warmoth finish a body like that, as the quality vs. cost is seriously on your side. But, if they don't have the exact color/scheme/material you want, you can buy bodies bound without finish. I wouldn't recommend it as a first project, but nobody's stopping you.

 

[ghotiphry]

That tele has given me some serious GAS for a figured redwood top...

 

[Cagey]

That's a very nice piece. Wouldn't mind having it in the stable myself. But...$558 big ol' fluffy American dollars. You can review its pedigree here.