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I have a kit guitar that I bought as an initial project and did not build. Now, I'd rather see the pile of parts make music as best it can. I also can use the practice of finishing it. The body was delivered to me assembled less a top and binding. The body is, according to its vendor, a sycamore laminate, quite light, and the guitar was sold on the premise that the body would not finish well with a light finish, and needed to be stained before finishing. I'm interested in applying a stain and finishing with lacquer. I do not want to stain the backstrip which carries around the endpin to the top, or the binding I'll be installing. I'm at a loss of what order of operation I need to follow to get a finish that's stained, sealed smooth, lacquered, and (light) wood bound. I also want to stain the neck with the body stain for something approaching a color match.

Any advice/comments/suggestions/experiences offered would be very much appreciated.

Thanks very, very much

What material are the backstrip etc made of? You mention light wood bindings as well. The only way I know is to carefully seal only the things you do not want to stain with a de-waxed shellac to kep the stain off of them. There is the possibility though your stain may eat the shellac off, or the stain, if a penetrating one will creep under the sealer. Test panels are definitely in order.

Brian, what you said is about where I'd gotten so far. The backstrip, near's I can tell is wood. I don't think I'll have enormous headaches with the bindings, as I intend to use bindings with a white fiber strip separating the bindings from the sides and that might be enough of a barrier there. The fun's gonna be in the backstrip. Atleast the price was right. The education won't be all that expensive in money.