Winter Build Off 2025 - Double Bucker Tele

[Matt Liebenau]

This post will get things pretty much caught up to real time.

I didn't really get good progress pictures of the neck, but here is an overview of the process. I sprayed a couple of sealer coats of ultra blonde shellac. I followed that by two thin coats of intercoat urethane (essentially clear base coat) which were tinted with bit of brown to warm up the maple a bit. Two coats of clear top coat completed the finish on the neck.

Now to finish up the body.

A couple of dashes of ultra purple pearl into some intercoat.

A few light, misty passes over the black and this is the result.

Pulled the tape off the binding and letting it sit overnight before cleaning up the binding and shooting top coat.

Top coat being applied (3 coats total).

Can't wait to see this thing polished out!

Wonderful. I was just in your other thread bemoaning you turning me on to Didspade. Is 3 coats of clear enough to level the color coated body and the binding? I was nervous on the last bound body I did and probably sprayed too much but it was candy apple red and I didn’t want to sand through and be forced to leap off of one of the few tall buildings we have here.

Also, still a sucker for checkerboard binding so… yeah.

 

[Gary_M]

At first I was disappointed that you didn't keep it natural, but then I saw the purple sparkle. Yeah, it's freaking awesome, to quote @Reedt2000

The guy I'm making it for is a huge Prince fan, so this was his request, but I really, really like it!

 

[Gary_M]

Wonderful. I was just in your other thread bemoaning you turning me on to Didspade. Is 3 coats of clear enough to level the color coated body and the binding? I was nervous on the last bound body I did and probably sprayed too much but it was candy apple red and I didn’t want to sand through and be forced to leap off of one of the few tall buildings we have here.

Also, still a sucker for checkerboard binding so… yeah.

I normally go 4 coats, but I'm trying to get my finishes to be a bit thinner. I've found that with this product, which has a very high solids content, I was just being way too conservative. I'm leaving the neck with only 2 coats this time and those may go straight to polishing with no level sanding at all.

Part of my process that has changed is that I tend to do more semi-leveling between the base/color coats than I used to, so the surface has minimal orange peel before I even start to shoot the clear. I'm also only shooting 1 coat of clear per day and level sanding between. The body is smooth enough now that I could go straight to polishing, no problem... I just like a little flatter starting point. When I start the actual leveling process I'm dry sanding with 2000 grit, so I'm not removing much material at all.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

I normally go 4 coats, but I'm trying to get my finishes to be a bit thinner. I've found that with this product, which has a very high solids content, I was just being way too conservative. I'm leaving the neck with only 2 coats this time and those may go straight to polishing with no level sanding at all.

Part of my process that has changed is that I tend to do more semi-leveling between the base/color coats than I used to, so the surface has minimal orange peel before I even start to shoot the clear. I'm also only shooting 1 coat of clear per day and level sanding between. The body is smooth enough now that I could go straight to polishing, no problem... I just like a little flatter starting point. When I start the actual leveling process I'm dry sanding with 2000 grit, so I'm not removing much material at all.

Are you saying you’re level sanding the pearl or just the black base coat under it? I’d like to try some of the Didspade rainbow or holographic pearl one of these days.

 

[Gary_M]

Are you saying you’re level sanding the pearl or just the black base coat under it? I’d like to try some of the Didspade rainbow or holographic pearl one of these days.

Right, not the pearl. Just the applicable layers. Sealer, black base, then between topcoats.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Right, not the pearl. Just the applicable layers. Sealer, black base, then between topcoats.

Got it. I misunderstood because you have an extra coat. I’d have used Createx sealer black and had both the filler and black in one step. I was just trying to figure out how you’d sand pearl and have it end well…

 

[Gary_M]

Well, I did a terrible job with updates to this thread. The guitar is complete. Overall I'm mostly happy with it. It was supposed to be purple, but really it came out mostly blue. I'm still unsure as to what happened, but I have some theories. I will say that this is one of the best playing guitars that I've ever made. The setup is just wonderful.

Joe is coming to pick it up on Tuesday, so I snapped some photos today.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Well, I did a terrible job with updates to this thread. The guitar is complete. Overall I'm mostly happy with it. It was supposed to be purple, but really it came out mostly blue. I'm still unsure as to what happened, but I have some theories. I will say that this is one of the best playing guitars that I've ever made. The setup is just wonderful.

Joe is coming to pick it up on Tuesday, so I snapped some photos today.

Very nice, of course I’m a sucker for checkerboard binding sooo…