christien Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Just picked up a 2016 Les Paul Special I in worn cherry as a starter for a project guitar, first time I've ever attempted any serious modifications. First up is to refinish it. Looking at the inside of the pickup cavities, if there's a veneer on there it's paper-thin. Can I sand this at all to remove the finish, or am I going to go right through it? Alternatively, could I sand it gently then mix in some other stain to darken it? Thanks for any advice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihcmac Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 The standard method of Epiphone solid body construction is usually 3 large blocks of mahogany with a thin veneer on the top and back for a nice wood grain finish, coated in polyurethane. The top, back and sides can be lightly sanded but avoid sanding the edges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christien Posted January 29, 2019 Author Share Posted January 29, 2019 I went ahead and started sanding, it's a veneer maybe 1mm thick. I was able to sand all the finish off and get to bare wood. At first I thought I had removed the entire veneer and was down to the mahogany, but then I tested a spot underneath where the neck plate goes and went through to a lighter wood. I'm no expert, but it sure looks like a mahogany veneer over something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mihcmac Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 Some of the entry level Specials use Poplar under the veneer with an Okoume neck like in the VE models. Poplar can light in color with grains of grey or green in it.. The Special II's are currently either all mahogany or all Okoume. From your photo I think it looks like Poplar. Poplar hard wood can have variations in the grain color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 Although it is a veneer, in that photo in looks pretty thick, I believe its a bit over 3mm or 1/8". Mihcmac may be right about poplar under the veneer, it could also be basswood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christien Posted January 30, 2019 Author Share Posted January 30, 2019 Great info, thanks. What would I be looking at if I removed all the veneer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorgle Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 Great info, thanks. What would I be looking at if I removed all the veneer? You'd be looking at basswood, poplar or some other kind of wood, but most likely it wouldn't be one solid piece- it would be several pieces glued together. When I look at the sides of my Wildkat, I can see 4 distinct pieces of mahogany were glued together to make the body blank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 Great info, thanks. What would I be looking at if I removed all the veneer? I pray you do not plan to remove that veneer, your have enough would to do some light sanding to have a great finish. IMHO it is the better of the woods Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christien Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 Agreed. Here's the (maybe) finished product. It looks less brown IRL, but I would like a bit more black in it. That's 3 coats of black stain and a coat of pure tung oil. I might disassemble and re-stain in the future, not sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 Looking good. May I suggest a product called Tru-Oil. A lot of guys use it on refinishing their guitars. Stewart McDonald has some nice dye they sell pretty cheap and you only need to apply it once. Once you get the color the way you like it, rub in the Tru-Oil several times, the more you apply the shinier the finish. There is a lot of YouTube how to videos of guys doing this with guitars, check them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christien Posted January 31, 2019 Author Share Posted January 31, 2019 Good to know, I'll check it out. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorgle Posted January 31, 2019 Share Posted January 31, 2019 I also highly recommend the tru-oil finish. It really brings out the color of the wood and you can get a nice matte finish by applying two or three coats of it using P800 grit sandpaper. Just pour the tru-oil right onto the surface and rub it in with the sandpaper. If you want more gloss, rub on a few more coats on with an old cotton t-shirt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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