Materials:

Here is a custom Koa Strat from Rick "The Wizard of Arizona". I'll let Rick give you the "Blow by Blow" details. Thanks for the pic, Rick!

"I started with a Warmoth body.  The body is semi hollow with chambers routed
out and a Koa flame top laminated over a non flame 5 piece back.  I used
spray shellac as a sealer in two coats and sanded smooth.  Then I stained it
with the water soluble yellow you sent me ( I forget the name) {GRYEL yellow}.  I hand
stained it several times, lightly sanding between coats.  Then I shot a
coat of clear over that. I then put on two coats of Parks sanding sealer,
more sanding to level  and then a coat of clear.  Following the clear came a
couple of coats of reducer {alcohol or lacquer reducer} soluble medium brown lacquer air brushed around
the edges front, sides and back with sanding between coats.  I had some
cherry red clear (that I made from a Stew-Mac lacquer soluble liquid) left
from a project with my Lucille custom so I air brushed that over the brown
and yellow towards the middle giving the brown a kind of red-wine effect and
a cherry burst into the yellow for a three color burst that's a bit unique if
I do say so. I then wet sanded the body with 3m imperial with grades from 600
to 2000 and some even finer I found in a hobby store.   I rubbed out the body
with 4 varying degrees of Meguiers purchased as a set from Stew-Mac.  I think
total I have 4 cans of clear lacquer and varying amounts of colored that I
applied with an air brush.  The neck is paduak shot with Behlens satin finish."

Back to Guitar ReRanch Home