# How to replicate this finish?



## spn_phoenix_92 (Feb 3, 2014)

I've always loved the guitar finish where the main wood is black, but the grain is red. I think it's done on swamp ash if I'm not mistaken. How are these finishes done & is it possible to do at home? Oh & what's the official name for them?


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## M3CHK1LLA (Feb 3, 2014)

can't answer your question, but that's a nice finish.


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## Devotee (Feb 3, 2014)

It's a stained grain filler applied onto the body, painted over with black and then sanded back. I agree it's a pretty killer finish.


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## dedsouth333 (Feb 3, 2014)

Subbed in hopes that someone posts a step-by-step.


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## Pikka Bird (Feb 3, 2014)

One method:

1) Media blast the body (lightly) to whittle away the softer pores and create the ravines. (Alternatively you can go at it with a wire brush attachment for an electric drill- just go along the grain).
2) Stain the wood black. Make sure it's got good penetration so you don't sand through it immedately on the last step.
3) Apply red grain filler.
4) Sand until the ravines are at the width you require. If you do sand through then I guess you could spot-stain it. Or if your filler is non-stainable then just apply stain all over.


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## Walterson (Feb 3, 2014)

Pikka Bird said:


> One method:
> 
> 1) Media blast the body (lightly) to whittle away the softer pores and create the ravines. (Alternatively you can go at it with a wire brush attachment for an electric drill- just go along the grain).



2.) paint it black

3.) paint it red

4.) sand back the red paint until it is only left in the pores...

there are many ways to do this.


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## Pikka Bird (Feb 3, 2014)

Walterson said:


> 2.) paint it black
> 
> 3.) paint it red
> 
> ...



Also works. With proper paint you won't get the grain lines showing through in the black, though. If that's an essential part of what someone likes in this type of finish then I think stain is essential.

Also, one might google "ceruse fininsh".


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## ormsby guitars (Feb 3, 2014)

I do it with a wire brush, then two pack paint: two coats, then filler or contrasting paint or... Glow in the dark filler! Carefull sand back, then clear in gloss or satin.


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## Necromagnon (Feb 3, 2014)

There's been already a thread on that, where many answers were given. And the commercial names are "Voodoo" for Gibson, and "Monolith" for Mayones. In wood working, it's called "ceruse" (and I'm sure you'll find plenty of "how to" with searching with this keyword on the web).


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## cwhitey2 (Feb 3, 2014)

Does this work with any kind of wood?


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## sehnomatic (Feb 3, 2014)

Works on the ash family of woods, preferably swamp ash due to the depth of pores.

1. Coats of black, making sure there's enough material to not be 100% sanded back.
2. If you dont put multiple coats of black, use a sealer to prevent losing any black when sanding back
3. Buy a grain filler, not wood filler, preferably timbermate white and you can dye it whatever color you want. You can even use food coloring.
4. Fill the ash pores with your timbermate and let it dry for a day.
5. Sand back the timbermate, letting it sit in the pores, this is why you want multiple layers of black or a sealer.
6. Again sealer or clear coat to seal everything in.


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## Necromagnon (Feb 3, 2014)

Ok, some hint (thanks search function ... ):
http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/lu...customizations/232847-black-white-finish.html

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/lu...zations/240598-ash-reverse-filler-effect.html


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## callankirk (Feb 3, 2014)

Called a Ceruse finish. Check it aht.


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## dougk (Feb 3, 2014)

You guys are making this much more complicated than you need too. You can do this with any grainy wood.

Sand entire guitar to 220-320 grit. Make sure there are no imperfections, the filler will highlight it.

Spray wood black first, directly to wood.
sealer wash coat
behlens grain filler "natural" with white pigment then red tint added to it. Grain fill guitar.
wait 24 hours, scuff excess away. 
Seal, clear as normal.

You can also do any base color with any tinted filler you want as a contrast.





red with black filler




green with black




black with blue filler (my personal favorite)




pink with black




blue with black




white with brown




and black with white. 

The ones in the OP are swamp ash bodies so they have a much more severe grain.


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## AwDeOh (Feb 3, 2014)

Would this work on a red door if I wanted to paint it black?


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## spn_phoenix_92 (Feb 3, 2014)

Ok for a few questions after all these responses 

When using a wire brush attachment, does it have to be tiny & only go in the grain?

Would it work to paint it black first, then paint it red but wipe off the excess right away, leaving only the in grain red? I do something similar but with black paint to achieve a weathered effect when I paint certain projects & props.

Is media blasting the same as sand blasting?

& lastly, is a stained grain filler required or will paint work?



AwDeOh said:


> Would this work on a red door if I wanted to paint it black?



I see what you did there


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## Pikka Bird (Feb 6, 2014)

@dougk: You are of course correct. For most applications this will work wonderfully. But accentuating the grain with a wire brush makes the pores even deeper and wider for a more dramatic effect, which is an essential part of the "ceruse" finish.



spn_phoenix_92 said:


> Ok for a few questions after all these responses
> 
> When using a wire brush attachment, does it have to be tiny & only go in the grain?
> 
> ...



It doesn't have to be tiny. I'd use one with fine bristles, though. You can actually quite easily use a regular hand held wire brush too. And yes- you MUST go along with the grain.


I think it would work fine. I'd use a rather rigid rubber "squeegee" to wipe it off.

Yes it is. "Media" just acknowledges the fact that you can use other media than sand, such as glass beads, granulated walnut shells, etc.

I don't see why not, actually.


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## FIXXXER (Feb 6, 2014)

MAYONES is using this finish a lot, it's definitively very nice looking, especially the
bkacl/white one. i can also imagine how awesome it would look with a black/yellow
combination!


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## Necromagnon (Feb 6, 2014)

FIXXXER said:


> MAYONES is using this finish a lot, it's definitively very nice looking, especially the
> bkacl/white one. i can also imagine how awesome it would look with a black/yellow
> combination!


We wanted to try black with dark purple veins with my buddy. I think I'm just gonna try it on scrap wood to see how it looks, and to try this kind of finish.


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## spn_phoenix_92 (Feb 10, 2014)

Thanks everyone for all the info, I've got a custom swamp ash body design I've always planned on building but couldn't decide on the finish, now I know what I'll do, but that will be a while from now. As for now, I've been planning on getting my old 2001 Squier Strat (my first guitar) out & doing lots of work to it in early spring just to make it worth playing, & I'm gonna try to do a refinish like the ones in post #14, just my guitar is made of alder, does anyone know if that will work?


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## Necromagnon (Feb 11, 2014)

I think the "white with brown" on post 14 is made of alder. It looks like so. Btw, it will look something like those guitar, a much thinner grain. That still looks cool.


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## sehnomatic (Aug 8, 2014)

EDIT: OOPS


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