I am fully aware that none of you has sunk so low as to build one of the Saga electric guitar kits. A friend has purchased one and wants me to help assemble it- more importantly to finish it and set it up. It will be a gift for his son who has a birthday in early December.
Why am I not asking you know where? Well, because there is an air of tolerance here that can be missing elsewhere. I am aware that these come with pretty good looking but thin fiddleback maple caps. My friend wants the figure to show, but in a dark stain. So, anyone here have a friend, or low-life cousin -you know, not an OLF Genuine Luthier, who has found a stripper that works without trashing the pre-bound body? The cap is a thick veneer and from some research, I find that trying to sand it off can go through the maple.
I have an ancient ferrous dye formula usually used on muzzleloading rifles that penetrates properly leaving the hard stripes somewhat dark golden, and the "base wood" a transparent dark brown. It will still work with the sealer in the pores, but I need clean surface to stain.
If I cannot really get the miserable stuff off, then it will be color in the finish, base shellac and then stain/dye overcoats(teenager- FP wouldn't last an hour)--though now that I think about it, this would be a decent piece for FP learning/practice. Thanks- for open-minded tolerance of my heresy and offering advice. Mike T.
