Favorite method for highlighting ash/open grain?

[DC in ATX]

Someone was giving away a Warmoth ash 5-string body on Reverb for less than the market value of the installed Hipshot bridge and Audere preamp (not to mention the pickup.) This body comes with a P2-type soapbar. Part of my plan will be to modify the body to fit a couple P4-type Aero pickups that I have squirreled away.

On my last ash body build, I filled the open grain an did a diy rattle-can nitro finish. In this case, I’m more interested in featuring the ash grain. This bass will not have a pickguard.

The plan could change after I remove the existing diy paint job and see what I am working with, but…

What’s your favorite way to feature the open grain in an ash body?

At this point, I’m both interested in finish techniques you have deployed to good effect and finishes you may have admired if the wild.

Since this is a previously painted body, I am also interested in ideas for how best to clean and open up the grain during the initial prep.

In other words, which products and tools would you reach for first? (Paint stripper and some type of wire or stiff nylon brush?)

It’s not a great paint job, but I’m guessing the body was grain filled, as the grain doesn’t telegraph though the existing finish. If so, that grain filler will probably lift out pretty easily, right? The product I used on my Jazzmaster remaster was a water-based grain filler. You could sponge that off.

 

[BigTreble]

I used to make cigar box guitars. When I had oak for my fingerboard material, I would take a small dab of acrylic black paint, and some dollar store epoxy, and dye it black and use it to fill the grain. Sanded back, it would be super smooth and the grain would pop like mad. Sadly I don't have any photos.

I think F Bass does something similar with their ceruse finish. IIRC, they paint the bass without any filler, then fill with coloured epoxy and sand smooth. So you get like a black bass with white grain. Someone somewhere mentioned a wire brush to open up grain, but I dunno if that's a step. Not sure 100% if it is how they do it, but it sounds like it works. Maybe I should apply and find out?

Edit:

Check out Jimmy's thread... I guess they know how to do it proper...

Attempting an experimental finish and need some advice

 

[DC in ATX]

This is one option that uses product that I have sitting on the shelf:

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[Matt Liebenau]

I did a ceruse type finish on this body a few months ago. Just look up guitar body ceruse on the YouTubes. It’s not too tough. Actually, I think I did better with a couple of the furniture finishing videos.

 

[DC in ATX]

I did a ceruse type finish on this body a few months ago. Just look up guitar body ceruse on the YouTubes. It’s not too tough. Actually, I think I did better with a couple of the furniture finishing videos.

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Thanks. Half the war is having the right search term!

 

[DC in ATX]

If you’ve worked with Rubio Monocoat before, you might want to skip some of the steps in this video but the ceruse finish comes out nice in the end:

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I've always filled the grain in woods like ash with West Systems epoxy, tinted whatever color I like. Usually black or brown, but it could be any other color. Sand it back, taking the epoxy off of the surface, leaving it in the grain. Then spray the surface with Varathane Ultimate, tinted to a transparent color. That makes a smooth gloss finish with the pattern of the grain very prominent.

If I'm doing a finish where I want the texture of the grain sunken and showing, I'll first spray the bare wood with Varathane Ultimate, tinted opaque brown or black. Sand it back, taking the opaque off of the surface, but leaving it in the grain. Then spray it with Varathane Ultimate transparent brown. One or two coats of the Varathane in the grain won't fill it up to the surface, so the texture of the grain will stay at the surface. That's what I do on my Walnut series basses, to give that "old wood" look.

 

[DC in ATX]

This is a cool treatment of an open grain wood:

It’s basically a shou sugi ban burst that’s about to get an oil finish.



It looks like the grain may have been highlighted first. This technique could be compatible with ash. Maybe open the grain, push a dark stain or dye into the grain, sand the field, put a lighter stain or dye on the field and then fire up the blow torch, mate. Add oil FTW.

 

[DC in ATX]

Video of burn process here:

SG style guitar with shou sugi ban "burst"

 

[DC in ATX]

This is a very nice example:

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