want to play now, finish later... how to protect body

McJalison

Newbie
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3
Complete beginner here:  I just received my warmoth strat body, alder with quilted maple lam top.  I want to finish it myself in tiger eye brown, but not right now.  I want to experiment on scraps and really be confident before I finish the body.  I want to put it together and play it now though!  What steps should I take to protect the wood?  I assumed it would not be wise to just start playing it raw, with my sweat and oils all up in its business.  Thanks!  Jason
 
Hmmm.  If you were not going to use a dye, I'd suggest a sealer of some kind (Zinner's seal coat is great).

Not sure about what you could do in this case - if anything...
 
I know you hate to hear it, but the right thing to do is wait until you've finished it. If you do some sort of half-finish on it and plan to finish it later... well, who knows when you'll end up taking it apart to finish. Besides, you'd have to basically re-prep the surface again.
 
grrr.  your right, I didn't want to hear that.  But, truth hurts doesn't it?  Thanks, I guess I'll have to step up my training on scraps and try to finish the body.  Time to start searching posts.  Jason
 
I think we've all felt the temptation of assembling unfinished parts, but if you do that there's about a 70% that guitar is never finished they way you intended when you purchased it. Be patient.
 
here is a reason to never leave your guitar body unfinish..
it gets dirty and rough, and not in a good way... yuck!

http://cgi.ebay.com/Warmoth-Electric-Guitar-Body-Natural-HH-Tremolo_W0QQitemZ220466980349QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item3354db25fd&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

and another one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Warmoth-Electric-Guitar-Body-Natural-HH-Tremolo_W0QQitemZ230367559053QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item35a2f9fd8d&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
 
Well, both those links were to the same one, but it was still a good lesson. Let anyone who thinks they will put it together now and finish it later heed your pictorial warning!
 
If you are going to dry fit everything together, that's one thing. But immediately take it back apart and do the finish, as Mark O pointed out, bad things will happen.... :doh:
 
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