Is it possible to stain Spalted Maple?

Malkav

Hey all,

I couldn't get a straight forward answer about this on the other forum I was looking at...

Bassically I'm in love with this finish:

But have recently found out it was photoshopped off of this image:

My only question is, is the finish achieved in image 1 possible?

Tonedef

I'd wager that's not a stain, but a tinted clear coat.

[deleted]

Norman86

Well im sure something like that is possible...
Warmoth do similar finishings on their guitar bodies that they custom build!

Tonedef

Stratisfear wrote:
Chad Adam Browne wrote: But have recently found out it was photoshopped

Tonedef wrote: I'd wager that's not a stain, but a tinted clear coat.
?

:?

Let's ASSUME it wasn't shopped. Just for a teensy minute.

How would you achieve that finish?

Yes, you guessed it. Successive tinted clear coats. Like every other transparent burst paintjob out there.

http://www.alembic.com/info/wood_colors.html

Blue Moonburst finish pictured on a Series II bass over 5A Quilted Maple. A pale blue at the center, bursting to brilliant sapphire at the edges.

ETA: I must agree that it's EXTREMELY pretty. If you can find someone who's handy with an airbrush, Chad, I'd say GO FOR IT! Maybe look in the BikeSA mag, you get lots of guys who do excellent airbrush work on helmets and whatnot.

AlanRatcliffe

Yup. Tinted coats. Unlike figured woods, you can't stain spalted maple directly as it's very inconsistent.

The one pictured would be tricky as it fades from green to blue with the green being lighter - you wouldn't be able to overlay the blue over a green coat, so you'd have to do the colours in one coat.

Tonedef

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: The one pictured would be tricky as it fades from green to blue with the green being lighter - you wouldn't be able to overlay the blue over a green coat, so you'd have to do the colours in one coat.

I can't really see why you'd need one coat. You just need to adjust the opacity of your blue coat as you work towards the center - either by feathering it more, or (probably better) by using less tint. The Alembic website states that they do a clearcoat between tinted coats, it makes the colours deeper.

Malkav

Thanks for the responses everyone ?

So it looks like a clear coat job then...hmmm that does seem a bit tricky, but I really love that finish in particular (reminds me of the ocean). If possible could someone explain the coating process a little more or could someone maybe point me in the right direction to learning more about this process?

I've decided I love how spalted maple looks, it's just not very common and even less common in colours (other than naturals and shades of brown/gold etc) it would appear.

Correct me if I'm wrong in saying this but isn't the spalting caused by bacteria or a fungus that eats the wood and creates those fine lines? If this is the case would it not be possible to find spalted quilted maple? or spalted flamed maple?

Tonedef

Yar, fungus.

Here's what I would do:

- Clearcoat over raw wood
- Tinted light blue coat over face
- Clearcoat, let dry
(Maybe repeat previous 2 steps once or twice depending on tint opacity)
- Dark blue coat feathered from edges (maybe a couple of coats with clearcoat inbetween, same as above)
- Clear polyurethane cover coat
- Polish the living daylights out of that puppy

TBH it doesn't seem too tricky to me, I might give it a shot when I hotrod my strat.

(and maybe eat some humble pie in the process) ?

AlanRatcliffe

Yeah spalting is caused by a fungus. It tends to make the wood very soft and punky though, which is why spalted tops are usually bound and with thick poly finishes.

Carvin is another one who does the green-blue burst. In fact the 'shopped pic is a Carvin.

Malkav

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Carvin is another one who does the green-blue burst. In fact the 'shopped pic is a Carvin.

I want that burst (well maybe a more neon green) so badly...Do you think if I e-mailed them about their processes they might be able to shed some light on it for me?

Tonedef wrote: TBH it doesn't seem too tricky to me, I might give it a shot when I hotrod my strat.

If this works I would love to see the result...I've recently gotten very excitable by spalting...Also things that are guitar related, even when theoretically not difficult, always somehow prove to be a nightmare ?