Just wanted to say thank you for inspiring me to restore my old guitar using many of the techniques in your videos I now have a lovely les Paul with a natural finish that I can't put down and it was stuck in bits in my shed for 5 years. So once again thank you Ben and all the team at Crimson guitars
I should be practicing my guitar but I keep finding myself watching your amazing videos!!!! So interesting and informative even for a non guitar builder like me. Your one of a kind Ben ! Awesome.
Watched this series with my wife, who has been trying to decide on the finish for the guitar kit I’m building for her. Decision made! Placed my order for stain and finishing oil this morning.
Hi Ben - actually pouring oil finishes, especially for the first few coats, is exactly the way to approach it. Once it starts to build I get a little more conservative - but those first coats need to fully penetrate. If i had enough volume to dip them in a vat of the stuff - I'd do that :-)
My cherry stain and finishing oil just arrived. Stain is easy to work with and is diluted just right. Finishing oil is amazing as soon as you put it on. Secons coat gets better. Has a nice sheen to it that makes the grain really beautiful.
HEY BIG GUY LOVE IT GOT ABOUT 6 GUITARS OUT OF THE 20 THAT I'VE ASSUMED THE BUILDS ON I DID MY FIRST 5 , NEVER HAVE DONE ANYTHING LIKE A GUITAR BUILD NO EXPERIENCE BUT WATCHED YOUR VIDEOS NOW A YEAR LATER IM PUTTING OUT SOME QUALITY GUITARS . I STILL SHOP OUT A FEW THINGS BUT I'VE MADE GUITARS FOR 6 PAYING CLIENTS. SO AFTER MY INITIAL 20 BUILDS I'M ONLY IN THE HOLE ABOUT $5000BUT STILL DOING 5 BUILDS AT ONCE SEEMS TO KEEP ME BUSY AND FOCUSED ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR ADVICE. MM
A finish I would love to see from Crimson is a easy at home nitro lacquer. I have always loved the way nitro finishes age but have never come across an easy way to get that finish without spending ungodly amounts of money.
That guitar started looking so much better once you started applying the oil. I personally would prefer a darker base stain. Can you mix this stain to get a darker finish or is there another technique you would use?
The stains are all totally compatible with each other, you can mix them all to get exactly what you want and also dilute as well.. Thanks for watching :)
Please, please, please - implore Christopher to do a tutorial on that gorgeous ocean burst finish he did. That is probably the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen in my life. I don't like the high maintenance frets and other excessive MIDI stuff, but I LOVE that finish on that quilted wood! Pity he wasn't on camera for that build.
I'm dreaming of owning a custom Tele Deluxe in exactly this finish one day... With your amazing stains & oil finish aswell as something like an unfinished Warmoth body this just might be possible. Amazing stuff!
9 лет назад
Ben, would the oil seal a maple neck instead of using a clear coat, or would dirt still build up in the top layer?
You guys inspire me to be a luthier something i have wanted to do for a long time my uncle makes beautiful guitars. Unfortunately i live in a trailer and the only tools i have are a knife and pliers so im gonna have to wait on that. :/ i love the look and sound of every one of your guitars i have heard. You guys have a bright future
thank you Ben . looks like it works well . do you have a video showing how many coats and the do you buff it after the coats. i did see you use the paper towels and rub it down i am guessing that was like a fine sanding between coats ?
I'm looking to finish quilted maple topped guitar with a mahogany body using your stains and finishing oil. Only the maple will be stained, then the whole body finished. Do I need to use grain filler on the mahogany before the oil? Also, the body is bound, is this something to worry about or should i just scrape the binding after finishing? thanks
Just started using this oil fingers crossed look ok after two coats just a bit tacky on back of neck but not fully cured yet, see what its like after 5 or 6 coats and leave fully cure.
I saw a guitar with magnets instead of screws to hold the back electronics plate. I know that wood is your passion from watching alot of your videos but would the magnets affect the electronics in anyway? thank you for all your sharing of information.
Do you need to scuff up the finish before applying additional coats? If so, what grit paper should be used? And how does wet-sanding apply in this case, if at all?
its real pain in the arse getting the finish off, not to mention sanding all the contours real nice, think twice before starting, but if youre dead set go for it! (i used a belt sander)
Greetings from 'merikkkuh! I have a question: if I wanted to produce a lavender, one-off, do you recommend purchasing red, blue, and white to mix it myself or could a lavender color be made from purple and white? In either case I think I'd go all out and get that oil, it looks lit. Also, how is the guitar kit idea coming?
I am very interested in oil on a guitar. I have built a couple of strars which are brilliant, but one think I have problems with is the finish. Can I ask a couple of questions - 1. Can you apply oil over a painted guitar - aerosol cans (car paint with primer) or does it only work with stains which keep the wood grain open? Cheers. Stuart
Bill Hearn. Hi Ben I am just bought a used strat body and aim to renovate, I have just watched your video and I like the idea of staining, thefinish you got was very nice but I am wondering if I could infact apply a wax polish to obtain a reasonable sheen to the body or would I get a reaction. Hoping you can advise. Regards Bill.
I think its just ordinary paper towel. Which I believe has clay in it which may have trace amounts of silica in it. Just the natural stuff that you have in paper. Remember how your mum would get angry if you used her fabric scissors on paper? Thats why cause most paper has trace amounts of abrasives in it that will dull scissors which I think is what Ben is taking advantage of here.
hey ben. whats your experience on removing finished. especially those with binding. i have a washburn hb30 in red poly. but want to make it nitro black. cheers!
looking good ben. are your stains compatible with other finishes like acrylic or poly 2k clearcoats ect. also if you get the chance. can you do a video of the amber stain on maple and possibly brown on a softer wood please. thanks Ash
Hi, could I then put some kind of poly on top of it? Or does the oil do the same? Sorry I'm new to this and getting ideas for a school project. Great channel btw.
I have recently built a tele and finished with a minwax stain. I liked the look so much, I just left it like that. Can you get away with simply staining a guitar? What are some of the problems I might run into? I really prefer the wood feel on the neck, so want to try and avoid any finish that will take that away. Any suggestions? Keep up the good work.
I don't know if you got an answer to this, but there's two obvious issues with not applying a finishing coat. The first is that the stain will wear off quicker than with a finishing coat because stain is usually relatively thin, but they do make stains with a finishing product mixed in. The second is that unfinished stains tend to seep out with fluctuations in the weather, so the wood will become tacky feeling and will stain clothes. Usually that happens in higher humidity, but it's usually unheard of to leave wood unfinished.
Ben!!! Crimson Guitar videos are highly adictive! I know this is an old video but I'm hoping you read these. I just discovered you guys. Anyway, I've ordered your finishing oil with some stains. Black and red. I'm applying this to an SG body shape with a spalted maple top that I've put together. My idea is to dob the black around the edges, barley going past the SGs bevels. Then apply the red. How many coats of red need to be applied before I get a deeper red color? Thanks. Your videos really are my favorite. Blessings to you and your family!!!
Just keep going until you have the colour you nees. If you really want a very deep colour you should look at the Vibrant Shots and do not dilute very much, or try it neat. www.crimsonguitars.com/collections/guitar-finishing/products/new-stunning-stain-shots-pastel-vibrant
Interesting product Ben and a lovely finish too. Would this product be ok for classical/ steel string acoustic applications ?These are the guitars I make, no bother with the the rosewood sides and mahogany necks, as these are easy to finish to a high standard, but what about the spruce/pine tops ?Would welcome your thoughts on this, thank you.Cheers,Midge.
Firstly thank you Ben and all your team, really good work. I look forward to each and every video, educational and entertaining, ideal mix 😀. I would personally like to see the stains from your range shown on wood to get an idea of colour. I know the colour will vary depending on wood and other factors, but to get a rough idea. I'm about to buy some stain and finishing oil from your website and really can't decide which direction to go colour wise. I hope this is possible at some point. Thank you again! 🎸
I just purchased the oil for my project, i have no idea what i'm doing tbh - removed the finish from an old bass i had lying around and have removed the frets, is the oil only intended as a finish for the body? I have no idea what i should use to seal the neck, especially as i used wood filler to fill the frets, i should probably protect it somehow should i not? also I'm replacing the cheap P/J pup configuration with two good quality fender jazz bass pups and have routed it to fit, do you guys do custom pickguards by any chance?
Hi Ben , have ordered some cherry red and yellow stains (want to do a burst one a tele) and am looking at getting some finishing oil. Would you use oil on the neck and could you get a "satin" finish /feel?
im doing same guitar as you ive left mine bare grain and looks good do you reckon 1 or 2 diluted coats 1st ,i was going to fine sand 2nd coat on before undiluted coats. thnx
Question: After applying the oil coats to the finish and allowing a suitable cure time can you put a gloss (like a nitro-cellulose) on top of that for a glass like effect?
If i wanted to do some pyrography and burn some designs into my guitar, how would the guitar oil and even the stains react with the burn markings? Do you think it would be okay to do that? Or not really?
The finish is going to be perfect for me as I have some Black Manns Wood Dye which I have had for ages that I need to use up. I am going to do my Tele body and headstock all Black and have been fretting (mind the pun) over the finish. This gives the Guitar a really nice matt look which is what I am after.
If the true oil / your oil builds up after the first layer or so; with a porous wood like mahogany or cedar - do you still need to fill grain before applying? Not used oils before.
Hey ben. Ive used a popular wipe-on poly over an alcohol/transtint & water/transtint stained tops and found that my applicator picked up way too stain, to the point that it seriously changed the top color. Sanded down and started over. How do i avoid such problems, when using a wipe-on product? Also, what causes your CG oil to avoid this 'bleeding problem'? I'd like to order some of your CG oil but shipping to the states can be cost prohibitive.
Great video as usual. I was very interested seeing the finished result as I thought the initial staining was far too orange for Cherry Red - I still think the result is still a little too orange, but I guess it depends on wood type, and how many coats of stain are applied. Lovely finish though. Cheers.
Lol this is a late answer.. But it is instead of a lacquer finish, that wouldn't stick well on the oil. This protects from water and some wear just fine!
I've used lots of Tru-Oil on gunstocks, of course, and with that stuff, to get a bit of a shine, it gets rubbed out (with rottenstone, for us geezers.) Would you recommend a similar process to bring your oil up to a shiny finish?
How is the durability and physical resilience like of this finish compared to more "conventional" ones like nitrocellulose and poly? I'm considering a future sanding down and refinishing of the neck on my current main instrument to make it less shiny and sticky
Ben, thanks so much for the incredibly helpful videos! Question: is it possible to do PRS style "masked-off" binding with dye or stain like this? or with the product simply bleed/seep under the tape and create a blotchy, jagged mess?
I didn't denib, though I suspect I would have got an even better finish if I had. You don't need to sand higher than 320 grit, though if you go to 600 you will get an even better finish. For years I never went higher than 240 and was perfectly happy with my results..
Ok. think I may get some soon to do a guitar I am building, seems like a very good product also how would you do a satin finish on the back but have a gloss finish on the front would you just sand the back with steel wool?
Hello, I really like Crimson Guitars and your instructional videos. what would like to know is, I have a Epiphone SG G-400 (similar to the instrument in this video). it is ebony in color. I want to strip the color off of the face of the guitar and it's neck and do a worn type finish on it, but leave the Black color only on the sides, and back, and head stock of the guitar. can you please give me some advise. thank you
Hey I'm a bit late to the gig here but would you recommend your products on a spalted top?thanks I dig your videos you got me into this many years ago .
i got a gibson worn brown faded if i sanded it with 0000 steel wool and rub some cherry staind will this work out well? i kinda want a more cherry faded vintage worn look
If it goes on thinner than tru-oil, how many coats would it take until it could be wet sanded and polished to a mirror finish? Is that even possible? I've only ever played with polyurethane and nitrocellulose
That's a very nicely finished guitar! I just have a couple questions before pull the trigger and buy oil that may be of no use to me! I want a matt finish on a matt black guitar and wondered if this oil would work as well as lacquer on paint as oppose to stain, or is it better to just stick to the spray on lacquer? Also, I have scolloped a neck (just for a laugh) and now need to seal it. Is this oil a good choice for the neck including fretboard, or would I be better off using a different finish on the rosewood? Thanks Ben, I have spent so much time watching all your vids in random orders, I could have built several guitars by now! :-)
Ben I used water base colours and I made sunburst Now I want to apply your oil But I’m scared for blending the colours Should I use sealer first and then oil?
If the stain is completely dry you can apply the oil. A little stain will come off when you buff but as you add more layers it will just soak in and settle down. Make sure any excess oil is buffed off and it is completely dry between coats. Try this video, it may help. We also have a full playlist of staining videos ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LTLVvVHknzU.htmlsi=DxC0HKR6QQaON24h
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars one more thing cause I don’t want to be annoying… I used oil on a maple fretboard I’m on fifth coat with the penetration oil 2+3 (1-2 per day)I’m always buffing very well after 10 minutes but after hours of rest I’m trying to slide my fingers on the fretboard and it’s not smooth,it’s a little bit grippy but only on the fretboard The head and the back side of the neck it’s so smooth!! Before add the oil I sand everything to 1500 and it was really smooth I put the frets first…should ido something extra?should I wait after many coats if it’s gonna be better? Should I go back somehow and try again?thanks anyway!!
I live in California and cannot legally buy Tru Oil. If I buy this finishing oil, will I encounter the same legislative issues? I want to learn how to do stains and finishes and specifically want to do a Tru-Oil like finish. Can I legally obtain this product?
Does the oil ship to California? Tru-Oil is not legal here. Also been trying to find a good clear top coat for high gloss old school look. What do you use?
+Crimson Custom Guitars Cal. has banned a lot of high VOC type products, the state protecting us from cancer causing things. I say with tongue in cheek. Naphtha and paint thinner have been banned while lacquer thinner and acetone are still available, makes no sense to me whatsoever.
Thanks for your quick response on the oil question would still like to know what you use for high gloss clear coat projects. Maybe a video on this topic, please. Enjoy your videos very much BTW, thanks
Hey Ben, could you possibly show us those white and faded blue stains? I've been wanting someone to make both of those for longer than I can remember...
Can you show us the other stain colors, please? Like blue, green, purple? I want to build a purple stained flamed maple top telly in the future but finding a piece of "perfect" flamed maple in the EU seems impossible to me. Northridgehardwoods has some really nice pieces but its quite expensive especially with shipping. Or you can't get it cheaper anywhere?
Hey Ben, I have a question, can I make an electric mandolin (8 strings) using alder, I have some nice pieces and I dont want to buy any new wood, so will neck be strong enough that it wont bend, or something like that, i didnt plan on using truss rod
Can anyone help, Im new to the wood finishing world (And woodworking world at that) So could somebody tell me, Does this sort of "Finishing oil" work on its own, Or do your still have lacquer it later?
How does this compare to Minwax Antique Oil, which is a really great alternative to Birchwood-Casey Tru Oil and and also used by makers of fine gun stocks?
+Crimson Custom Guitars thanks a lot! I just got the notification that my green and black stains and the oil have shipped. Going to remove the paint from my project guitar next week. Can't wait to paint it!!
Hi, I've been in the process of finishing my dg335 rm Olson guitar kit with the stains and oil from you guys and whilst the staining has gone fine, I've had a bit of trouble with the oil finishing process. I made sure to fine sand the wood before I applied the stain and even after the staining was complete the wood was still very smooth, but, I've noticed that the wood on the guitar has become rougher in texture since applying coats of the oil, this is only really a problem on the sides however I could do with some advice on how to reduce the appearance of the rougher areas of the wood. Second issue is that I've found that after a about six coats, the oil has started to dry streaky (i.e. some areas are shinier than others after the oil dries) I've done 8 coats and this is mainly a problem on the top, is this repairable? Would you recommend d that I pour the oil on and go horizontally across the grain rather that vertically along the grain? Another problem I'm facing is that even when left to cure for over 24 hours (getting on for 48 hours between some of the coats) the guitar still feels sticky and tacky, I have read the instructions and try to follow your recommended schedule for applying the oil as best as I can but this is still a problem. I would really appreciate some advice on what the best course of action is to get my build back on track. I would also like to point out that whilst I am having a hard time applying oil on this guitar, I do understand that different woods react differently to theses types of finish and I would certainly pick crimson guitars finishing oil as my first choice of guitar oil on future projects.
Thats because after your first coat you raised the grain, it should have been buffed back with some 320 grit paper but maybe you could try some wet and dry with a cork block just to level it a bit at this stage?
