Ash with Quilted Top, Dinky Kit Finish

Method Used for This Ash Quilted Top Guitar Finish

To achieve this ash quilted top guitar finish on the body and neck of the Jackson Dinky kit guitar, these guitar finishing products were used, taking care to sand the neck beforehand:

• a liquid dye of Black colour,
• a liquid tincture of Blue colour,
• two Brilliant water-based varnishes (2L for a robust finish),
• a refillable aerosol can and a refill

The colour Black was first applied all over the body, and on the back and headstock of the neck, 2 coats. The body top and headstock were then polished to make the grain visible, so the blue dye could be passed over the body top of the guitar and the headstock. Finally the gloss varnish was applied: first 4 coats with a brush with light sanding between coats, then 3 coats using the refillable spray. That is a total of 7 coats of varnish for this Jackson Dinky kit finish.

Expert Comment on Quilted Top Finishing

A basic technique to reveal that beautiful quilted top of our Jackson Dinky kit guitar. Technically quite simple and inexpensive for a magnificent rendering! The Guitar Factory would also tend to use Black Wood Filler on the back and sides of the body and the back of the neck, 2–3 coats, then dye everything black as defined above. This greatly reduces your need for varnish, especially since the body is ash and the open grain of an ash body finish guitar drinks up product. Likewise, to further reduce the quantity and improve the grip of the varnish, you can first use a transparent water-based primer. With the sealer and primer you can comfortably reduce the amount of varnish to 1L. You can also use the black dye to darken the fretboard further. Finally, a polishing step #10 can be interesting if you want more shine. PS: for this type of quilted top finishing, screw your neck onto the body before you start, for a homogeneous result!

Products to Obtain This Ash Quilted Top Finish

This finish can be reproduced by selecting our guitar finishing kit in kit form: WATER-BASED FINISHING KIT - DYE AND NATURAL and selecting:

• a black filler (recommended)
• a liquid dye of Black colour,
• a liquid tincture of Blue colour,
• a glossy water-based varnish 1L
• a refillable aerosol can (if you don't have a spray gun)

We also recommend a refill with an aerosol can to simplify the application of the 1L varnish. Polishing #10 is always welcome if you desire a brighter finish. Note that if you prefer, the varnish can be replaced by polyurethane or nitrocellulose varnish.