A few months ago I saw a refinish project where the guy used shoe polish on bare wood and then brought out the grain structure with sanding and staining. It was very impressive and I finally decided to try it myself. Not sure if it will have the same effect on a maple body. This could be a big waste of time so I am keeping my fingers crossed. I also want to contour the neck heel and make the lower horn deeper, 2 things that I have never done before. I figure if I take my time I should be ok. This is a shot just before I took the guitar apart.