I actually did not finish sand this particular guitar and I was more than happy with the result. I have finish sanded in the past. I'll sand from 1,000 up to 3,000. As long as you use SPECIFICALLY matte (satin is good, too) clear, you won't have to worry about the guitar getting glossy. Some builders use gloss clear (because they have it) and then finish sand it to make it matte. That's a mistake. It will end up getting glossy after a while. Best of luck in your project.

@@dabbatecustomguitars aha agreed! I’ve read too many online saying to make it matte/satin from a gloss finish and that terrifies me. Thank you so much for clarifying that if it’s made to be matte/satin that it won’t polish up. You have no idea how relieved I am to know that I can probably slightly level sand if need be, but I’m with you I’m gonna aim to hopefully not need to do that. Thank you so much 🤘

Unfortunately, I don't think you'll find anything at all in any local store. These files are fairly specific. I would always start with StewMac. They're a bit pricey, but their tools are very high quality and you'll get a much better result with them than with a cheap tool. They also have really good video instruction of the proper use of their tools. A+ for StewMac!

@@dabbatecustomguitars thank you!!

@@Alej_915 You're very welcome.

I didn't technically "wait" because there was still so much work to do before I could even think of stringing. With all the sanding and finish coats and, especially, the cure time since I used lacquer on this build, it was probably close to a month from the glue in of the neck until stringing.

I can't remember the name of the actual color but my customer picked out a house paint color that he liked from Benjamin Moore and I had my paint store mix the same color in Nason poly.

I actually just use a fairly cheap Dewalt sander. I'm not fancy enough for a Surf Prep yet. But ONE DAY!!! 😁 I believe I do have a couple shorts on how I grain fill I think, you could search my channel for them.

I'll help you get a surfprep - you deserve it! I tried looking all over your channel for grain filling, but I don't seem to see one. I'll keep looking!

I, honestly, think I like copper shielding better. This paint is easier and faster to apply, but the copper is still superior in my opinion.

Yes, this is fully automotive 2 part 2k polyurethane. It will work every bit as well as the mix and spray gun. It is the same exact thing. However, this has a 24 hour(ish) pot life, so once you break the inner catalyst, you have about 24 hours to spray before the can is dead. There is a newer brand called Car-Rep that claims unlimited pot life. I have tried it once and can attest that the can lasted, at least, 3 days. I never needed it beyond those three days. That product was excellent as well.

It's lacquer that I sprayed myself from my paint gun. Absolutely NOT spray paint. Admittedly, leaving the tape on for a year was not the best idea. It sucked getting the residue off.

Eeeeeeeeewwww!!! Changing Strings? Yuk! 😂

Thank YOU for watching!

That's an excellent idea. I'm going to try that next time. Thank you.

I actually do sand the purple base coat before I spray the final clear. I think it give me a much more smooth end result. Especially with flat colors. Thank you so much for the kind words.

Thank you so much for the kind words. That fretboard is actually Bolivian Rosewood. My wood supplier, for some weird reason, had a bunch of pieces that were perfect for fretboards so I jumped on all of them! Glad you like it.

Yes, that is correct. This would be in place of the tung oil.

Thank you! I appreciate the kind words. I was very pleasantly surprised how good these pickups sound. I think you're going to love your new tone!

I sprayed sanding sealer only after all the dye coats were applied. I actually have had good results spraying Max 2k over Mohawk vinyl sealer. In fact, that's exactly what I ended up doing to this guitar. I would just let the sealer cure for a couple days and then lightly scuff with a scotch brite pad. 2k needs a surface to "grab" on to.

I MUUUUUCCCHHHH prefer doing it the same way you do. Unfortunately, some customers will insist on Nitro Lacquer due to "Vintage" <- don't get me started! I'm happy to finish guitars as requested because, well, I do like to get paid! :)

It's finally becoming a little more therapeutic than nerve wracking, but there was definitely a time when it was WAY more nerve wracking! 🤣

I think you'll get stellar results from that combination. I'd love to see the final product.

@@dabbatecustomguitars Sorry about the "use," sounds like I'm from New York. I meant "you." Thanks for the comment, I really appreciate it. I'm spraying a Billy Bo guitar I built. I'll try to remember to send the you pictures. Thanks!

Thank you. The vinyl sealer is actually the last step BEFORE the final clear coats are applied. The sealer basically locks in the dyes so they don't shift or get blotchy when applying the clear coats. You would still need to spray a few coats of 2k, Poly or Lacquer on top of the sealer. Hope that helps. Best of luck on your project.

I would definitely hit it with a sealer first. Mohawk makes an excellent vinyl sealer in a spray can (EZ Vinyl Sealer). Give it 3 or 4 coats and then lightly sand back after 24 hours before hitting it with your color coat. Other than that, your plan is solid! Best of luck!

I discovered that the paint+primer does not have as strong of a hold as a separate primer application followed up by paint. But maybe it doesn't make a lot of difference on a wood guitar body.

It's the angle you're seeing it from. They go right the end of the fretboard and stop 1/32" short, High and low 'E' are in from the nut 1/8" and is how I do all my necks. Semi Hemispherical fret ends. They'll never suffer from fret sprout or need to have the fret ends redressed like older guitars when seasons change.

Yes...

I put a really good amount on one side and when I mate the two sides, I slide them back and forth. Both sides are actually quite coated. I don't show it in the video because RU-vid only gives me 1 minute. There will be a longer form video shortly and it will show the full process. Thanks for watching.

You can. I sand it back prior to spraying base coats. I don't, personally, sand it back completely flat, but if your goal is to use it as a grain filler that would work.

@@dabbatecustomguitars thank you. I plan to seal the fabric, so hopefully I can smooth out some texture. Ty!

@@squidpeanut Seal the fabric? As in you put a fabric top on a body? If that's the case, I wouldn't use this sealer at all. That is, definitely, a project for an epoxy top coat. I've done a few (you can see on my Instagram page - shameless plug :)). I think I got my very best results with fabric tops by using epoxy and then sanding and polishing.

Time between sanding sealer coats? Looks great by the way!

Glad you like it because we'll you know! 😂

This is actually polyurethane. Basically, automotive paint.

Agreed. Though, if I already have the glue gun hot it doesn't hurt to add a few beads of insurance. I've only had a slab shift one time and not much at all, but it was enough to make me overly cautious. Wood is expensive! :) Thanks for watching.

Thank you!

Thank you! I went with all Nason products under the Max Clear. I don't remember the exact product number, but it was Polyurethane Primer and Base coat. The color was actually a Sherwin Williams interior house color that my customer picked out. I believe it was called "Gentile Purple" and we just matched it with the Nason Poly. I think, THINK because it's been a while, but I do believe I covered the primer and base coats in videos on my Insta-g page.

Ha! I don't even know who that is. RU-vid suggested it and every "Expert" claims suggested audio will get more view. I found that NOT to be the case! :)

Ghostemane prettyy damn cool

Is it possible to swap telecaster retrofit bridge to hipshot fix bridge like this? I want to change my pickup to humbucker. Please let me know if it possible.. Thanks

@@erwinm.mutaqqin4559 You would definitely want to make sure that your guitar body is routed to fit a humbucker. If it is then Hipshot does make a direct replacement for a telecaster. Make sure you purchase the correct model. I can verify that the bridge in this video will NOT line up with a telecaster.

@@dabbatecustomguitars owhhh thank for replying, so it's impossible to install hipshot fixed bridge like yours on to my telecaster??? My telecaster use single coil pickup.. Both neck and bridge..

Oh wow, You shouldn't be able to leave any prints. This particular guitar, with this clear, was hard as a rock very fast. I let it sit 24 hours and I was amazed how hard it was. I think it actually only took a few hours but I was playing it safe. Unfortunately, it sounds like you may have an issue with your clear or the hardener. Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but you did smack the red tab on the bottom to break the inner bladder and release the hardener, correct?

@dabbatecustomguitars I can handle it fine and even wetsand it. But if I dig my nails into it or lean it on something, it leaves indents. I did use the cap to press the bottom, even pressed it multiple times. It's been 5 days since spraying.

@@salaciouscrumb9443 Sadly, then, I'd have to say that may have have received a defective can? Maybe? I really am unsure how that happened. After five days it should be extremely hard. It is, seriously, the hardest finish I've ever sprayed.

I am using an inexpensive gun from Harbor Freight. The Spectrum HTE (Not HVLP) gun with 1.3 tip. The pressure is generally anywhere from 15 to 25 psi (at the gun) but that TOTALLY depends on what I am spraying. Sealers are a bit thicker so the pressure is set closer to 25 psi. My Lacquer to Reducer ratio is generally 3:1 (again differs by feel) and with that I will reduce the pressure as the mixture gets thinner. I always test on a scrap piece of wood or even paper taped to the wall.

@@dabbatecustomguitars thank you!

Thank you so much. Total of EVERYTHING, on this particular guitar, is 3 coats of Mohawk Vinyl Sealer (that get's mostly sanded back), 3 Coats of Translucent Green and then 9 coats of clear. All are Nitrocellulose Lacquer. Then, it sits completely untouched for 30 days.

That was actually how I felt about it as well. I didn't expect to like it as much as I do. You should definitely do it!

@@dabbatecustomguitars Very cool indeed... Have you sprayed bevor or just went straight for the dye?

@@KPSMUSIK I do both. It just kind of depends on the end look I'm after. I'm fairly new to RU-vid but my other socials have a lot more videos of my dyeing or spraying. There is one here on YT where I spray translucent green. I was really thrilled with how that one turned out.

I actually have my daughter cut the headstock logos on her Cricut machine. I do not make custom decals. I wish you the best of luck in your search.

Danke schön. Es gibt kein Metall auf diesem. Es ist nur durchscheinend grün über dem Holz. Aber durchscheinendes Metall scheint eine ausgezeichnete Idee zu sein, es auszuprobieren.

You are right that it is best to stay within the same system if possible. I do find, however, that if you pay attention to prep and cure times and are careful, you can get away with mixing many types of finishes. Especially if the previous finish has fully cured (except for lacquer which actually never fully cures). If you do a really thorough job of sanding and you make sure to keep skin oils off of your guitar, you really should be just fine.

Generally I do exactly as you when it comes to lacquer. I do NOT sand between coats unless I accidentally get a run or some sort of bug/dust in the wet coat. I have a stew mac buffer with 15" wheels for coarse/fine/super fine polish and that works great. However, this particular coating video, the finish is matte with no shine intentionally. It is also automotive 2K polyurethane paint and not lacquer. It cures super hard and super fast. I actually do not finish sand or polish this purple at all since I do not want it to be shiny. The biggest thing with lacquer is to make sure that you let it sit, after the final coat, for a minimum for 3 weeks as it will continue to cure and shrink back. If you sand and polish too soon it will look fantastic but as time goes on and it continues to shrink back the imperfections will slowly begin to reappear. Best of luck in your finishing adventure!

Thank you! I did not know about it taking 3 weeks to cure, 😂 2 weeks to go then! And then I’ll do a polish I ll curious if you can 2k over the laquer?

@@SpwnDragn You can 2k over lacquer but FOR SURE let the lacquer cure as much as it possibly can and definitely wet sand at about 600-800 to make sure the 2k has something to "bite." I wouldn't go above 800 grit if you're going to re-coat.

Gotcha, thank you for the info/help, much appreciated

@@SpwnDragn You're very welcome.

This is a custom Tele that I built for Jesse Lawson.

I use wood glue slightly thinned with water. This will fill all the voids left anywhere in the cut slot. I use a damp toothbrush to clean off any squeeze out. Then, I'll use a radius block and clamp the frets down over night for the glue to completely cure. Hope that helps.

@@dabbatecustomguitarsinteresting. So instead of superglue or anything like that to secure the fret you’re using wood glue which also fills in the void left from the cut fret tang. This will also leave a lighter shade along the side of the fretboard where the fret slots are right? I bought a neck of of Temu just to give it a shot and it turns out to be a pretty nice neck, it’s flame maple with high gloss. However the frets are garbage so I’m replacing them with SS. Since it is gloss I’m wondering how to get the fret tang perfectly flush without messing up the clear next to it.

@@DanielRodriguez-eh1qd Oh yeah, if the neck is already clear coated then you definitely want to use wood glue. specifically because it is water soluble and wiping off excess will not hurt the finish. With Super Glue you generally have to use Acetone to wipe the excess. Also, if the clear coat is lacquer (that would be the best situation) you can always use a toothpick and add a drop of lacquer anywhere you might have damaged the lacquer. Lacquer melts into itself. It never cures 100%. So, you can add a drop, let it dry, scrape the drop back with a razor blade and no one would ever be able to tell.

@@dabbatecustomguitars since it’s from Temu I’m pretty sure it’s Poly. But thanks a lot for the info, helps me out a lot. I’ll give the wood glue method a try.