Rock & Roll Photo Op

We used two ¾" x 30" x 48" Baltic birch plywood sheets for the construction of the guitar, which was cut with a jigsaw from my sketch. One piece was used for the main guitar body, and the other piece was used to create the neck and a stand to hold the guitar upright. With a ¼" round over bit, the edges were slightly rounded, and the entire piece was sanded and ready to be painted. 

I used General Finishes Java Gel Stain on the front and back of the neck, as well as the kickstand piece, to allow the woodgrain to still be visible. I brushed it on with a foam brush and then wiped it off with a clean rag, leaving behind the darker, enhanced grain.

We wanted a really bright color for the body of the guitar so that gave me a chance to try Unicorn Spit’s Purple Hill Majesty—a bright “Purple Rain” kind of color. Oh, and it’s jasmine scented! Having never used this strangely named gel stain and glaze before (and not following the directions…ahem), I should have prepared the wood before applying it for a smoother application. But since I didn’t, I went right to work. 

I also used White Ning Unicorn Spit to blend with the purple to give the guitar a little more dimension and add some lighter highlights. I kept the darker purple towards the edges and blended in lighter toward the center. I sprayed on some water to keep the paint moving as I blended. Once dry, I applied three coats of General Finishes HP Gloss Topcoat. The white area in the middle was where we were going to paint the pickguard and pickups—but we came up with a much better idea! 

A local sign shop was able to print the entire pickguard, strings, frets and everything as a two-piece decal! Yes! That made life a lot easier than trying to paint all that detail. 

For the tuners on the head, we upcycled some thumb studs from band clamps used in dust collection. I painted over the blue with General Finishes Argentine Pearl Effects. 

The guitar has now been returned to the Woodcraft corporate office building in Parkersburg, West Virginia, with many signatures. It hangs in the office along with a plaque and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame pass designed for Woodcraft’s visit to the museum. A very nice way to commemorate our time in the rock and roll city. 

For more pictures and details, read my compete blog on this - link at bottom.

Rock on, friends!