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

[McJalison]

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

 

[mayfly]

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...

 

[callaway]

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.

 

[McJalison]

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

 

[jay4321]

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.

 

[m4rk0]

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

 

[callaway]

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!

 

[DangerousR6]

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: