Tonar8352
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Boonedog asked me for the steps I took to do the 54 Style 2-Tone Sunburst Strat. I thought the step by step was already posted but it must have been on the old board so here you go Boonedog.
Here it is out of the box. I love this piece of wood!!
I used Jasco oil base paste filler. One filler coat, let it set a week to shrink then do a wash coat of lacquer. Dry over night and level sand with 320. Do another filler coat and let it set for a couple of days. 3 coats of lacquer with a 320 level sand between each coat to make sure the grain is filled. This is after filler.
Next it gets a shaded coat of yellow lacquer. I mix Dunn-Edwards Hansa Yellow “Color in Oil” in my McFadden’s lacquer. I used about a tablespoon of tint in the jar you see.
Here it is with the yellow coat.
I shoot a couple coats of clear and level sand before I shade the out side edge. I use a Devilbiss EGA jamb gun to shoot the burst. I mix black lacquer with some brown aniline from Luthiers Mercantile to get my color. It helps to get you hands on a real 54 to match the color. I can’t give you a formula I just matched a 54.
I use the jack cup to determine the width of the dark band. This is what it looks like.
For the last color band I add more of the brown colorant to my dark and shoot the final shade.
After that it get 6 to 8 really thin coats of clear McFadden's.
Wet sand, rub out, and its ready for final set up.
Hope that helps you. Good Luck!
Here it is out of the box. I love this piece of wood!!

I used Jasco oil base paste filler. One filler coat, let it set a week to shrink then do a wash coat of lacquer. Dry over night and level sand with 320. Do another filler coat and let it set for a couple of days. 3 coats of lacquer with a 320 level sand between each coat to make sure the grain is filled. This is after filler.

Next it gets a shaded coat of yellow lacquer. I mix Dunn-Edwards Hansa Yellow “Color in Oil” in my McFadden’s lacquer. I used about a tablespoon of tint in the jar you see.

Here it is with the yellow coat.

I shoot a couple coats of clear and level sand before I shade the out side edge. I use a Devilbiss EGA jamb gun to shoot the burst. I mix black lacquer with some brown aniline from Luthiers Mercantile to get my color. It helps to get you hands on a real 54 to match the color. I can’t give you a formula I just matched a 54.

I use the jack cup to determine the width of the dark band. This is what it looks like.

For the last color band I add more of the brown colorant to my dark and shoot the final shade.

After that it get 6 to 8 really thin coats of clear McFadden's.

Wet sand, rub out, and its ready for final set up.

Hope that helps you. Good Luck!