Official Luthiers Forum!

HI Guys

I'm new here and working on my first electric build. For context it's not a complete from scratch build it's a Warmoth body blank and prebuilt neck with paddle head. So I basically just cut it out and went from there. I have done alot of inlay in both the body and headstock and am now aht the point of final sanding/sealing and finishing.

My question is 2 fold. I would like to ask what the best way to deal with the inlay is for the sealing and base coat. Should I mask before or after sealing and also is masking the best way to deal with the inlay for the base color coat?

Also I'm going for a Dark Blue finish on this project and would be curious what finish products you guys would recommend and would be the easiest to work with.

I have spent days searching the web for something definitive on this and haven't found anything yet.
Thanks in advance.

It would help us to know what wood you chose for the body, and what materials you used for the inlay. Also - post pix if you can. We LOVE pix!

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

the neck and body are mahogany.

Sorry forgot the inlays. I used the different variations of MOP a white a mottled color and a goldish color. All of it is shell.

Well, it looks like you've got two sets of control holes already, and I can't quite tell what you did on your body inlays, so my suggestion would be to completely seal neck and body with 2 coats of DuPont 1980S sealer. It's water thin, and clear - it's like shrinkwrap in a can. After that you could mask off your inlays and start shooting a couple thin color coats. This is just for starters, and keep in mind that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

In other words - sing out, guys. Let's give the man some options!

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

The original holes Wormoth drilled in the blank didn't suffice for what I was after so I filled them and drilled others. It's a non issue finish wise as I'm not going for any sort of trans finish. The finish will be solid and opaque so they won't be seen. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by not being able to tell what I did with the inlay. It's mop inlay put in with stewmac epoxy and mahogany saw dust.

You answered the first question. Thanks

As to the final finish I need to determine what product to use. I see alot of options out there and in the forums here but not sure what to go with just yet.