Read our article for complete Dye-Mixing Guidance, plus our Tru-Oil user guides for Translucent Finishes, Veneer Tops and Highlight-Grain Effects.
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BUILD YOUR OWN TRU-OIL FINISHING SET FOR A WARM, HAND-RUBBED TRANSLUCENT FINISH ON ANY WOOD.
CREATE ANY COLOUR YOU WANT AND REVEAL THE WOOD GRAIN, DYE + TRU-OIL + YOUR OPTIONS.
This set lets you build a complete Tru-Oil finishing system for translucent / transparent finishes: from natural looks to bold custom colours. Choose a ready-made dye or the metal-complex dye kit to mix any colour (or no dye for a natural finish), your Tru-Oil (90ml for a body or a neck, 240ml for both), and the optional extras that suit your build: grain filler (mahogany / natural / black / none), Clear Sealer & Filler for a faster, more even base, Sheen & Conditioner to dial in satin or matt, and lemon oil for rosewood / ebony fretboards.
90ml covers a body or a neck; take 240ml for a body and a neck (depending on guitar size and number of coats). Ideal for multiple colours, test batches, bursts, fades and custom mixes.
Prefer a water-based clear coat? Check our other guitar finishing kits.
Flammable products: shipped to the UK and most of the EU.
HOW TO TRU-OIL YOUR GUITAR: PROCESS & WHAT TO SELECT
1. Prep & sanding: Sand the body/neck progressively to a fine grit for a clean, even base (optional sanding set).
2. Masking & protection: Protect cavities and edges for crisp lines (optional masking tape).
3. Grain filler (optional): Choose mahogany / natural / black / none for grain pop and a smoother base, natural can be tinted with dye for ceruse effects, black gives high contrast on open-pore woods like ash.
4. Dye (not needed for a natural finish): Pick a ready-made dye, or the metal-complex dye kit (powder to mix with ethanol) to create any colour, then apply your colour(s) to the bare wood. For a sunburst, seal the dye with the Basecoat before the Tru-Oil.
5. Basecoat Clear Sealer & Filler (optional, recommended on raw wood): Seals the bare wood, fills open pores and locks in colour for a faster, more even Tru-Oil build. Skip it on closed-pore woods if you prefer.
6. Tru-Oil (required): Hand-rub thin coats (90ml for a body or a neck, 240ml for both). It penetrates and seals the grain, dries fast, and builds depth, more coats = higher gloss.
7. Sheen & Conditioner (optional): Once cured, takes the gloss down to a soft satin (repeat for matt), removes minor imperfections and conditions the surface for a hand-rubbed feel.
8. Fretboard care (optional): Lemon oil cleans and nourishes unfinished rosewood / ebony fretboards (fretboard only, not the oiled body).
COVERAGE & NOTES
90ml covers a body or a neck; 240ml a body and a neck. Coverage depends on guitar size, number of coats and application method. Tru-Oil is applied in thin, hand-rubbed coats and dries fast, but let the finish cure fully before polishing with Sheen & Conditioner. Always test your colour on scrap wood or inside cavities before committing to the full body. Detailed mixing recipes and colour-adjustment rules are in our user guide.
