1973 F212XL Mahogany stain

Rob Reilly

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New member, second post.
I recently bought a 1973 Westerly F212XL which has a dark red mahogany back and sides.
There are quite a few chips in the sides which show up, lighter than the original finish.
I have clear cellulose.

Question for the experts:
Does anyone know a source for, or commercial equivalent of, the stain?
The closest I have found so far is Minwax Bombay Mahogany, but I am not sure it is a match, and I would have to special order it just to see.
 

Rich Cohen

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Send a query to Jacobs Customs Guitars...they're located in Florida. They have extensive experience and deep knowledge about vintage Guilds, and might be able to help with your question about the stain, as well as other problems.
 

CosmicArkie

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Welcome.

As I wandered the ether in search for a formula for the neck of my '66 F-20, which is most likely similar to yours, very dark reddish cast to bare 'hog where it has chipped, I inquired of Hans Mount, resident guru. He said "It wasn't one specific color; it was a mix and I don't think it was a very exact mix, so there's quite a bit of variation between different instruments from that pareticular period. Matching an older finish coat can be quite difficult and it's probably easier to refinish the complete neck. I usually use stuff that's available to me in Europe."

Given that I had a rattle can of Stew-Mac's cherry tinted lacquer, I gave it a try. http://www.stewmac.com/Materials_an.../ColorTone_Tinted_Aerosol_Guitar_Lacquer.html

About 4 coats of fooling around blending and sanding out to feather things, it is a nearly perfect match.

For your purposes, you can spray a little into a container and use the drop fill method, and put a little clear over the top after drying. I did this on my cherry flavored D-15 edges with excellent results.

YMMV
 

Rob Reilly

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Thanks Rich and CosmicArkie.
I was sort of expecting to hear that it was not like auto paint where you can get exact matching.
I will try mixing a small cup of Minwax Red Mahogany with a little darker stain like Jacobean and see what I get.
Then try it on a test sample.
I only need a few dabs with a Q-tip on the upper and lower sides.
 

CosmicArkie

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Careful with the Q-tips, they carry a _lot_ more material than you'd think. And might leave fuzz. Small artist brushes are much more exacting.
 

Rob Reilly

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It turns out Minwax Red Mahogany is just about right, if you put it on in three applications.
Waiting a few days, then will finish with cellulose.
I had 26 little chips to be stained; must have had an owner who was careless around stand mics or something, if only these old guitars could tell their stories, eh.
 
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