How I STAIN and LACQUER a PRS style guitar - Part 2 of 2

How I seal the stain into the top and neck of a PRS style guitar, why I use sanding sealer, how I glue in the neck and install a guitar bridge. Then how I spray the guitar using nitrocellulose lacquer with a Earlex HVLP sprayport and Earlex pro 8 gun. Please ask any questions in the comment section below, like the video and subscribe to the channel if you find it helpful.
The Earlex sprayport is available on Amazon. It would really help me out if you use this affiliate link should you decide to get your own: ebay.us/egwrHb
Here's a link to the sealer I use. It is compatible with any cellulose lacquer and I've also found it works well with wipe on poly (e.g minwax wipe on poly): ebay.us/wjxwxz
Thanks for watching.
Intro music by Grudgewood - / grudgewood
Outro music by The Crushing - / thecrushingband
www.adfinlayson...
/ adfinlayson
/ adfinlayson

[@alexcraig8543]

Well done, and informative series. A detailed and thought out step by step on the finish process. Nice to see someone spend as much effort on the finish that they did on the build. A+

[@pinscherpower1]

Finally blue 😊

[@azmark6894]

Super inspiring, beautiful work.

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks for watching!

[@byteme9718]

Perhaps use a 2K HS clear. With spray guns being so cheap that they're nearly disposable you can even spray polyester with little risk to equipment.

[@ADFinlayson]

This video is pretty old. You will see my setup/process has changed quite a bit since 2020!

[@byteme9718]

@@ADFinlayson Good. Choice of materials is key to finishing. Get the material right and almost no skill is needed to achieve the best of finishes.

[@pierrelacoste9251]

OK MAN YEAH, THAT IS WHAT I SAID????LOOKING LIKE PRS STYLE SHAPE 👏👏👏👌✌✌👍AAH DEEP BLUE LIKE DEEP BLUE SEA.....IF YOU "RE WORKING ON GUITAR SERIAL, TRY A RED LIGHT ONE, OR ORANGE/YELLOW SUNBURST 👏👏👏👏👍👍👌👌✌😄😄

[@mknewlan67]

Oh man when you used the drill press I thought genius! Better than hammering them in but I cringed until it was done lol. I was kind of expecting the sound of wood splitting. I don’t have a drill press so I’m not sure how I’m going to do it.

[@ADFinlayson]

Just hammer them in carefully

[@mknewlan67]

@@ADFinlayson gotcha. Oh well it’s my first time so I’m bound to make mistakes. I’m going to have fun doing it too. Thanks for all the advice! Best of luck to you sir.

[@KhanhMaiTaiPhong]

Great work man ! I have stained like you with a blue ink then sprayed my guitar with nitrocellulose lacquer with a gun . it was a beautiful blue but 4 months later , the blue colour tends to darken more and more and a year later it was too dark for me . I finally sanded the whole guitar and painted myself with water based paint . Two years haved passed and the colour remains like in the beginning . What is the best lacquer that does not darken the original color ? Thank you .

[@Turboy65]

Be aware, nitro lacquer will turn amber and sometimes get dark with age and UV exposure, while blue dyes can vary greatly. Some are lightfast, some fade quickly. It's best to stain samples of wood and leave them out in the sun for a few weeks to see which ones fade and which ones don't. I once stained a guitar in a brilliant turquoise shade and it has faded to ice blue. Still pretty, but I didn't WANT ice blue. I wanted it to stay the color I stained it.

[@anorak211]

19:00 use a pilot drill !!! Why dont you do the drilling before the staining? Good use of the drill to push in the bushes

[@ADFinlayson]

I drill bridge holes after the neck is glued in and I stained prior to glueing. Pilot holes are not always necessary.

[@guitarsofold100]

@32.38 there is a Chem trail shooting across the sky from the hook to the tree! I was checking to see how you attached the hanger arm to the brick wall well done on the finish

[@ADFinlayson]

Lol could be, I'm close to a RAF base. Hanger is screwed in to a couple of rawl plugs.

[@briandietrich1373]

You are braver than I drilling studs free hand. I use my drill press!

[@VanHoutenBuilds]

Really loving the look of this one!

[@B0K1T0]

It looks absolutely stunning! I've noticed you've made the bridge holes such that the lower one is slightly further down. Is that for intonation purposes?

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks mate, yes when I'm doing a tunomatic/wraparound type bridge, I normally put the bass side hole 2mm further on than the treble side. It's much closer to correct intonation so gives the saddles a bit more adjustment room.

[@stevebarnhill8098]

,I have in joyed learning how to build a new guitar kit I've now have the info to build .

[@jan-ovepedersen5764]

Thank you for your very informational videos. I want to build a PRS style kit guitar and watching your videos has been very helpful. Great guitar, love the colours :-)

[@gilmarriner3011]

Excellent video!

[@ADFinlayson]

thank you, you might want to check out my latest video. There is no talking in it but you will get to see a lot of the finishing process: kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5vJqX6fgdloesU&lc=UgyOWXifypsiJGswwdN4AaABAg

[@ironmonkey1512]

I think I am going to put bubble level on end of my drill.

[@mototakahe836]

Thank you from an "enthusiast". I love how to do stuff even though I probably will never do it. However never say never! Thank you for this superb couple of videos warts and all. I was really concerned that you were getting a bit close on wet coating , but no, you know your kit. Thank you for this superb couple of videos warts and all.

[@ADFinlayson]

Thank you, appreciate that. This video is quite old, I’m in a new workshop now with new spray equipment and have changed my processes quite a bit. If you watch some of my newer videos you will see. Cheers Ash

[@klauswigsmith]

7:34 I made the SAME NOISE when I heard that! lol

[@positivevibration7145]

Thank you,very inspiring.level11 👌

[@edadpops1709]

I probably missed it but is there a neck angle? Did you angle the pocket or the neck?

[@ADFinlayson]

Yeah, neck angle is 2.2º on that guitar. anywhere around 2.5 is ideal for a wraparound if you won't want it sitting miles above the body

[@6xcchamber971]

I just purchased and used a ANI r160q mini gun and it works good. I just started down the road of building guitars and my regular hvlp gun for painting cars is too big. This gun can do very narrow pattern or wider and it uses very little air! Hope this helps.

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks for the comment. This video is over 2 years old and I've changed my setup since uploading - I'm now using a iWata LPH80 and a small compressor which gives me all the flexibility I need for clear and bursts with barely any level sanding.

[@devrexable]

Really enjoyed this, thanks for sharing! You mention in part one that you used to use wipe on poly. Would that work on top of the sealant instead of spraying?

[@ADFinlayson]

Yes I used to use minwax wipe on poly on top of this cellulose sealer before I started spraying, I can't promise compatibility with other brands though, whatever you use, do a tester.

[@mauricelavergne3434]

Great videos, I really enjoy them and I have learned a great deal. I am currently building a Les Paul Junior and am using a Graph Tech ResoMax Sonic 1 compensated wraparound bridge, it does not have separate intonation screws for each saddle, it only has a screw on each side of the bridge that move the against the posts to intonate. I have a 1.5 degree neck angle. I have two questions for you. 1. When you have an angled neck pocket, such as yours at 2 degrees how do you measure the scale length from the nut? I was told that because of the neck angle it would place the scale a bit further back than when using a hard tail bridge by about 2-3 mm. Does that make sense to you? 2. In your video you are measuring the placement of the Gotoh wraparound bridge. Did the center of the post on the high E side end up behind the scale line towards the back of the body? Did you position the high E saddle directly on the scale line? Sorry I guess that’s more than two questions, haha. Now looking at your stain, grain filler and lacquer video. Keep up the great work, awesome guitars. Maurice

[@ADFinlayson]

Hey Maurice, thanks for watching. You don't need to adjust scale length for break angle. You need to measure how far the centre of your post sites behind the scale line on the bridge to work out where to drill the hole for the post. e.g on the schaller signum bridge, the centre of the post sits about 5mm behind the scale line for the top E, 7-8mm for the bottom E. On the Golden Age wraparound bridge (from stewmac, which I mostly use now), the high E post sits on the scale line. Hope that helps Cheers Ash

[@marcopotenza881]

Thank you so much for sharing this with us. I'm going to replicate all the process for my next build, I've just a question regarding the lacquer. I'm going to use your same Chestnut Sanding Sealer. Since it's difficult to find a proper lacquer in my country, do you think I can use "Chestnut Acrylic Gloss Lacquer" or "Chestnut Melamine Gloss Lacquer" and reaching the same result? And if yes, which one is better? Or is it better to go with a tung oil more than using these Chestnut Lacquers? Thank you so much if you answer me!

[@ADFinlayson]

Hi, I can't give you a certain answer because I haven't used their acrylic or the melamine lacquers. According to their website the cellulose sealer is compatible with the acrylic and the melamine lacquer, but if I was using the acrylic lacquer I would user their acrylic sealer too. They have a compatibility section on each of their products pages which is quite handy (chestnutproducts.co.uk). If you can find another cellulose based lacquer then I expect their cellulose sealer will be compatible, I'm not using chestnut lacquer because I want to stick with lacquer that melts into previous coats and both melamine and acrylic lacquers require levelling between coats. Hope that helps, good luck with your build.

[@michaelhumphreys7882]

Great instructional video, thanks for posting👍

[@DaveLovallo]

i live in AZ, 100% correct!~

[@christianurgese]

Very fine painting result

[@joepiontek9564]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. You know what you are talking about. Blessings.

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks Joe, if you enjoyed this video then I recommend you watch the new updated version I uploaded recently kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpuyZqFua9ycf5I

[@ChrisAlia123shredmadinsanity]

Did you sand back the sanding sealer before spraying the lacquer?

[@ADFinlayson]

No I only spray enough sealer to lock the colour in then clear right over the top

[@joebryant8500]

Amazing work, but you need air extraction. Especially with a little rugrat popping in.

[@ADFinlayson]

Yeah i know, I've moved since this video and I'm currently setting up a new shop with better extraction among other things.

[@kenwhite6362]

Whete did you get the stain from I've been looking for the color stain for my guitar

[@ADFinlayson]

the blue is Angelus leather dye

[@steveroberts]

That's a very nice blue. What product did you use?

[@ADFinlayson]

Angelus dye

[@noiseintheoffice]

How are you gauging depth for the drill bit? I put a masking tape flag on mine to get exact depth.

[@ADFinlayson]

I believe I just did it by eye in this video, I often put a line on the bit with a marker pen these days

[@ChrisAlia123shredmadinsanity]

Killer video!

[@spenceramandahowe6536]

at 14:50, are you using the straight edge to continue the neck taper on its continued trajectory and then finding the center line at the scale length?

[@ADFinlayson]

yes that's right, marking the scale length and locating the centre line, just in case the centre line wondered during the glue up.

[@mrfrontranger7911]

Where do you buy the metal center protractor?

[@ADFinlayson]

amzn.to/2BLKhRR

[@guidosaur7506]

I bought a kit guitar on a whim last week and have been watching a lot of videos on how to stain it. The other people's videos are really showy and not nearly as helpful as this series. I watched both of these and took down some notes and I feel prepared enough now. Good work man

[@ADFinlayson]

Rock on dude, good luck

[@guidosaur7506]

@@ADFinlayson thanks man it's been fun lol I'm to the point of waiting for my wipe on polycrylic to dry before I start screwing stuff in

[@tomdab3657]

Lovely guitar! dDo you think automotive 2k high solid lackquer would work?

[@ADFinlayson]

I don’t see why not, I’ve since moved to high build cellulose

[@tomdab3657]

@@ADFinlayson Thanks, I work on custom cars and bikes and always have fancied to stain a guitar

[@shredmetalshred7395]

What is the significance of the wood oxidizing?

[@ADFinlayson]

freshly cut or sanded grain is going to give a better glue bond. a planed/sliced grain is best but planing a neck pocket isn't practical

[@6xcchamber971]

At 26:47 of your video it appears that the bridge post on the Low side is not positioned the same as the high E side. Is this a manufacturers speced thing?? Thanks for the Video! B

[@andyt5559]

you keep brushing your hands over the body applying the oils on your skin all over what you are going to finish, hopefully you degreased it??

[@vamcaptain]

So why don't you stain the back and then seal it all at once?

[@ADFinlayson]

Good question. I grainfilled the mahog on the back prior to filming all this. The natural binding edge of the maple is a bit of a PITA when it comes to grainfilling the mahog, it needs to be taped off really carefully because the grainfiller stains the maple and can be awkward to get out. So I get all the grainfilling done and tidied up before I work on the top

[@mareDBS]

on 26:40 you sad that you get maple from Croatia? Where in Croatia I can buy that wood. Thank you .Beautiful build. Well done :-)

[@spesh1974]

Apologies if I have missed this but what do you recommend to grain fill and seal the Mahogany back before finishing with lacquer? Thanks!

[@spesh1974]

Having now gone back and watched your Build-Off 2021, I see you used an aqua coat with mixed results. What would be your recommendation if you were to do it again? Aqua coat or Mahogany Grain filler? If the grain filler, any tips on a good mahogany grain filler? Cheers for the great vids!

[@ADFinlayson]

I’ve used aqua coat rarely, I don’t like it much. Jecofill is a good grainfiller although quite messy. I mostly make my own now, if you look through my vids from 2020 you will find a video on that. Cheers, Ash

[@davey_tones]

well done video series! I just finished my first nitro finish on a tele and want to try staining and nitro over that so this helped alot! thank you!

[@ADFinlayson]

No worries, glad you found it useful. This was the finished article. I kind of left the series a bit short not including the levelling and buffing. I'll do a better series in the future kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4aUpadrgLmbmaM

[@davey_tones]

@@ADFinlayson Ill take a look! I was mainly looking for stain, sealer, and clear order, there was a bit of conflicting info on preference. I think the order you did makes the most sense to me.

[@victorramsey5575]

This was exactly what I was looking for. Im doing a strat in transparent Tiffany Blue using TransTint. I needed to specifically know if I can spray nitro on it. By the way, Im using a white grain filler so the grain pattern will really pop thru the color.

[@DavidImrie]

Great video dude, very informative, whats the deal with the earth wire? I thought they were generally in place when the posts get seated?

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks bud, yes I did, you must have fallen asleep when I put the studs in :P

[@ADFinlayson]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnbWcqCiid2erMU

[@DavidImrie]

@@ADFinlayson oh so you do... yeahhhhha t'other half has had half a bottle of rum and is distracting me from my hardcore youtube viewing lol.. She is however enjoying the crushing XD

[@rickybaca]

Hi, great video! Up to now, have you ever found a way to get rid of that blue bleed on the bevel?

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks, yeah carefully sand and scrape

[@rickybaca]

@@ADFinlayson Thanks! I run through the same issue and went for the same solution, but a very light stain still remains (unfortunately I used a very porous top). I was thinking at some kind of product that could work for the purpose, but after a few tries I had to surrender and deal with it :')

[@ADFinlayson]

@@rickybaca It's a hard finish to do well, and I expect is why PRS paint most of their backs

[@MakeYourVision]

Why guitar luthier used only nitro lacquer? Why is not acrylic?

[@KyleP133]

nature's fly filters LOL

[@ADFinlayson]

Yeah not ideal. I'm in a new workshop now and will be building a proper booth, but you can get decent results outside if you're only spraying clear.

[@davethain885]

I was going to use cellulose sanding sealer over Angelus Red dye and then 2K polyurethane clearcoat BUT I have read that poly does not adhere well to sealers. Any thoughts or recommendations?

[@ADFinlayson]

I don't use poly anymore however I have used minxwax wipe on poly over cellulose sealer with no issue in the past. Do a tester

[@davethain885]

@@ADFinlayson thanks for the info.😁

[@ADFinlayson]

@@davethain885No worries, good luck with your build

[@johnwoods6539]

Come on we want to see all the steps you do...details men..

[@tonypirulli571]

holy crap..i feel sorry for his neighbors,and the birds in the air...sprayin all that clear coat...dammm...shoulndt that be done indoors?????

[@ADFinlayson]

If you watch my most recent series, you will see I've built a spray booth.

[@thawthaw03]

no way i can do this. better i buy new one. lol😂😂😂

[@ADFinlayson]

yeah, I could have bought a lot of nice guitar with what I've spent on building a workshop. It is a lot of fun though.

[@thawthaw03]

@ADFinlayson but it looks Hella good tho. For sūre

[@richardforrest5781]

Which kit did you use?

[@ADFinlayson]

This was a scratch build

[@davethain885]

Which Morrells pre-cat lacquer would you recommend....they seem to sell 250 and 280. Also what made you decide to switch from poly?

[@ADFinlayson]

the 250 is a medium build lacquer which I used to use, I am currently using the 280 high build but I think I prefer the medium build for my LVLP gun, I will probably go back to 250 when I've finished this tin. Lacquer is much easier to repair than poly and poly is considerably more harmful to breath in and you really need a positive pressure air fed spray mask. So given my home spray booth setup, cellulose is the better option. I also like how the finish feels to the touch, poly just feels like plastic to me.

[@davethain885]

@@ADFinlayson many thanks....I think i will follow suit.

[@ADFinlayson]

@@davethain885if you are not using LVLP, I would suggest the high build

[@davethain885]

@@ADFinlayson I have bought an Apollo 1500 HVLP.....should do the job?

[@ADFinlayson]

@@davethain885 I have never used an Apollo system so I couldn't tell you, but I got on well with my Earlex system. A conventional gun and compressor is superior though IMO

[@charliemcgrain]

Dude, you came this far and it loos beautiful, we all want to see the finished product with hardware and strings!!!!!!!!!

[@ADFinlayson]

That's an old build, I'm sure you will see if if you scroll through my instagram to a few years ago

[@bassmana2z686]

Thanks for the great content.

[@monday6524]

A great video (part 2). As I am new to finishing I keep coming back to this video as a GREAT reference.

[@ADFinlayson]

Thank you mate, I have just uploaded a new and updated video for this kind of finish work. I recommend checking it out if you liked this video.

[@christianlee807]

How do you deal with humidity on these sprays out of interest?

[@ADFinlayson]

Back when I used to spray outside I’d only spray on sunny days with lower humidity. Also that lacquer is quite forgiving, you can spray fin 65% without issue

[@christianlee5206]

@@ADFinlayson Is that the sealer that's forgiving or the lacquer you use after?

[@ADFinlayson]

@@christianlee5206 no that sealer will go milky if you spray in high humidity

[@nashvillelicks5247]

Brother you are

[@ZL1LoVeR]

This looks gorgeous 😍 I also have to give a shout out to the birds singing outside at around 10:30 - this is exactly how I visualize a relaxing time, nature cheering me on while I work on a passion project like a guitar build 😌 serenity

[@ADFinlayson]

ha I had some audio normalisation issues in this video, hence the bird song. I'm going to upload another guitar finishing video in the next couple of weeks

[@carlodevivomusicontent2138]

what are the settings of compressor? psi?

[@ADFinlayson]

The turbine produces 5.5 psi

[@zolar55]

What is that digital instrument called?

[@ADFinlayson]

It’s called a vernier calliper. Not expensive but very handy! ebay.us/G1ZRnR

[@craigwolstenholme359]

Amazing video, very informative . Need to see the final result when completed . Great job mate 👍

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks Craig, I'll try and do a demo of sorts or get it's new owner to do one

[@TheDiaboliq666]

Using the pillar drill to press in the pins makes more sense than not using it to drill the holes. Wouldn't it be easier than using those straight edges? Awesome video tho!

[@ADFinlayson]

Now that’s a good question! I like to start the bit in reverse for the first mm to prevent tear out, particularly when I’ve already got some finish on there, but my drill press won’t go in reverse. I’ve also been doing it with a hand drill a lot longer than I’ve had a drill press and I’m a bit set in my ways. Thanks for checking the video out. Ash

[@TheDiaboliq666]

I'd venture a guess that while disengaged you could palm turn it in the opposite direction, though, with the tape on it is very unlikely to get a tear anyways. Never could figure why, but it works. It's oddly efficient when cutting wood as well. But hey, it's just me being more uncertain about keeping the drill straight even with the straight edges so... :)

[@syaheer8689]

No grain filler on the body?

[@ADFinlayson]

Yes, I think I mentioned in part1 - I used a walnut coloured grain-filler to darken the mahogany up slightly.

[@dunboozin]

Where do you source your timber ?

[@ADFinlayson]

That top came from ebay

[@cortsway4]

Great vid and the guitar looks fab. Do you grain fill before or after you use the leather dye. I want to try this and don't want to make a mess of it. Thanks.

[@ADFinlayson]

Thanks mate, maple doesn’t get grain filler. Mahogany does which I usually do before because there is lots of rubbing down of the grain filler and you don’t want to scratch the top. It’s all about the prep. Best of luck with your build

[@cortsway4]

@@ADFinlayson Thanks for that.

[@RockOn4eBay]

@@ADFinlayson awesome build and a great tutorial. I have a question. You mention grain filler on the Mahogany. Did you Grain fill this one?

[@ADFinlayson]

@@RockOn4eBay yes I did mate just didn’t film it. I used jecofill walnut filler, it’s messy stuff and needs min 24 hours to dry

[@jimjones9897]

If using a sanding sealer do you sand it back before using tru oil finish?

[@ADFinlayson]

How much sanding depends on how much sealer I've put on and how smooth it is, in this case I just gave it a rub down with wire wool. I don't use Truoil but I would imagine, given that the wood is already sealed, you don't need an initial flood coat, just build up thin layers.

[@jimjones9897]

Thanks man. Looks awesome

[@jimjones9897]

You’re the only KZbin guitar builder to ever answer an email from me. Thanks

[@ADFinlayson]

@@jimjones9897 Sorry to hear that Jim :(

[@jimjones9897]

A D Finlayson Guitars well you may have gained a customer from it. I’m staying my first kit right now. Will you sell just the body and necks? I’m enjoying customizing my own.

[@HostilePride]

Me: Bet he wishes he had a large drill press for the bridge stud holes. Next minute, Using drill press as arbor press. Me: Huh.... Guess not.

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

Theirs not enough contrast in that stain job. Sanding the first stain layer back and staining it again with a lighter or diluted version of the same color brings out the flames more.