Alder Strat body finishing

[tomjackson]

I have a AM Standard Strat that I’ve had since 1994 but I’ve decided it’s pants.  I refinished the body and found out it was nine piece alder with a veneer, the neck is shallow and acoustically uninspiring.  It has BK IT’s which I plan to retain.

So I want to get an unfinished alder body and I’m wandering if it will look any good with a True oil finish like my swamp ash tele?  As I understand Alder has hardly any grain pattern and I presume would look boring and even odd?
I don’t want to pay for finishing to keep things on the cheap and don’t really want to be spraying Nitro again.

Any Ideas for DIY finishing?

The other option would be to get a swamp ash body but I’m worried it wouldn’t be ‘classic strat’ sounding enough….

[Philly Q]

I think alder looks OK, it can have nice parallel lines in the grain.  Not very pretty or exciting, but it has a "functional" look about it.  Didn't Nuno Bettencourt have unfinished alder bodies on his Washburn N4s?

I have the same problem with DIY finishing - I actually enjoy spray finishing but it's just too messy to do in the house, which only really leaves oil finishes.  I have some Warmoth bits which I'm going to try Tru-Oil on, I hope I like the results!

[Denim n Leather]

My alder body just has a nitro spray. Looks great!

[tomjackson]

This guy here has stained the alder body prior to True oil, I think it looks pretty good actually.

[Dreichlift]

I know they're budget guitars but the Yamaha pacificas best selling model was their natural finished alder.

[PhilKing]

I think alder looks OK, it can have nice parallel lines in the grain.  Not very pretty or exciting, but it has a "functional" look about it.  Didn't Nuno Bettencourt have unfinished alder bodies on his Washburn N4s?

I have the same problem with DIY finishing - I actually enjoy spray finishing but it's just too messy to do in the house, which only really leaves oil finishes.  I have some Warmoth bits which I'm going to try Tru-Oil on, I hope I like the results!



I spray in the garden - can you do it in the bus shelter when the neighbour's away?

[Philly Q]

I spray in the garden - can you do it in the bus shelter when the neighbour's away?

It's a good idea, but they seem to be up and about 24/7 (usually shouting something unintelligible but vaguely threatening-sounding...) and never show any signs of going anywhere.  :(

[FELINEGUITARS]

I spray in the garden - can you do it in the bus shelter when the neighbour's away?

It's a good idea, but they seem to be up and about 24/7 (usually shouting something unintelligible but vaguely threatening-sounding...) and never show any signs of going anywhere.  :(

The joys of living in South London

[Philly Q]

I spray in the garden - can you do it in the bus shelter when the neighbour's away?

It's a good idea, but they seem to be up and about 24/7 (usually shouting something unintelligible but vaguely threatening-sounding...) and never show any signs of going anywhere.  :(

The joys of living in South London

Oh yes indeed.  And the hot weather seems to make it worse, people are more inclined to hang around in the street being rowdy.  Oh for a nice drop of rain....