Natural finish on a JS-6: What is it?

stratoskier · #1 02-02-2003, 11:55 PM

Hi,
I am redoing a finish on a mahogany-body guitar and want to leave it natural, similar to a JS6. Can anyone tell me what Ibanez used on them? Was it a stain directly on the wood, with some sort of semi-gloss finish? Or just tung oil? Or...? I've got it stripped to bare wood and am ready to move on, but I've realized I don't exactly know what's next. I've looked at various tutorials, but am a bit confused what with all the sealers, pastes, stains, dyes, etc. that are mentioned. Any help greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Bert

Project Guitar · #2 02-03-2003, 04:06 AM

I think it was just Tung Oil

vaijem777 · #3 02-03-2003, 04:57 PM

My JS6 looks like tung oil to me.

stratoskier · #4 02-03-2003, 11:29 PM

OK, tung oil it shall be! Do you use any kind of grain sealer first, or just apply it directly to the wood? And I guess that nothing goes on after the tung oil either, right?
Thanks,
Bert

Project Guitar · #5 02-04-2003, 03:37 AM

Nothing before and just wipe off the excess afterwards

You'll find complete directions on the side of the can

6828 · #6 02-04-2003, 07:56 AM

Maybe Tung Oil.

My woodwork lecturer at uni told me something about oil finishes. He said something like "Oil each day, then each week, then each month then each year", meaning reapply the oil since it doesn't soak in the first few applications.

I've found if I leave out the re-application, the oil finish just looks cheap and nasty.

Hmmmm, what was that wax we used, pure bees wax or something, that got really nice results too.

Tony

frankfalbo · #7 02-04-2003, 03:24 PM

Lots of companies, including Minwax have a paste wax suitable for the final rub out, after you are all done, and you have gone over it with either around a 1200 grit wet sand, or 0000 steel wool. Some catalog photos make that JS look shiny. It's not that there's a gloss on it, its just that the smoothness of the finish and the final buffing allow the finish to reflect light, instead of looking just like raw wood. So to re-cap, tung oil, or some other oil finish, steel wool or sand between every few coats, then wax at the end. The paste wax makes all the difference.

stratoskier · #8 02-05-2003, 08:25 PM

Thanks for the tips everyone. So if I add a final paste wax, I suppose I should wait until after I've applied quite a few coats of the tung oil. If that's really the way to go (multiple tung oil coats over weeks or months), it'll be quite awhile before I can reassemble this guitar. It'd be pretty hard to apply the oil and wax properly with everything installed.

6828 · #9 02-06-2003, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stratoskier

Thanks for the tips everyone. So if I add a final paste wax, I suppose I should wait until after I've applied quite a few coats of the tung oil. If that's really the way to go (multiple tung oil coats over weeks or months), it'll be quite awhile before I can reassemble this guitar. It'd be pretty hard to apply the oil and wax properly with everything installed.

Nah I'd just do an application each day until it doesn't look blotchy. When it's an even "soak" I'd wax it, and wack it together.

Tony