KMG 000 First Build

[Dave Bagwill]

John - FWIW, I would probably use steel wool to level the finish - get rid of all the shine - and then apply a coat of zinsser, let dry, then steel wool it back to a dull surface leaving the shellac in the pores. Repeat until the pores are filled. Then sand and begin with additional TO. It usually takes me two applications of the zinsser to fill the pores.

[John J]

Thank you Dave your advice is greatly appreciated. After sanding back down and a seemingly endless round of pore filling I think he finish is greatly improved. Now have about five layers of TO and it's coming along.

[John Parchem]

That finish is looking nice!

[Kevin in California]

NIce and shiny!

[John J]

Back and sides just about there. First coat on the top. I now know why they call if finishing. If you started with this part of your build I think you might just give up. Hopefully one gets more proficient with repeated attempts.

[Dave Bagwill]

If I thought, at the beginning of a build, that everything I did was worthless if the finish was not mirror-perfect, I would not even start a guitar. It would suck the joy right out of me. :-)
Be happy with a guitar that plays easily, sounds great, stays in tune and looks good. $.03

[John J]

I was at a store earlier looking at various Martins to see if I want to go with a 00 for my next one and when I looked at the finish on those guitars my thought was that it looks so perfect that it doesn't look like real wood. They can look like a picture of wood grain. I'll take the labor of love any day.