Deep brown mahogany finish

[cnb]

Hey everybody, I'll be working on an SG soon and I'm pondering the finish. I'm really attracted to the idea of making a classy, rich mahogany finish kind of like an old piece of furniture. I've been thinking of using shellac because it requires no special equipment, doesn't have noxious fumes like lacquer, and it's traditional to that type of finish.

Any thoughts on shellac, how I should fill the grain (would a black or red filler help?), and how to get that deep finish?

I will be Tru-oiling the neck, so I'm not opposed to doing the whole guitar that way, as another option

 

[emoney]

If you want the darker color on the body, why not try hand rubbing a dark mahogany stain on there? Requires no special tools outside of your hands and can be acquired at almost any big-box store.

 

[John Bauers]

Hey everybody, I'll be working on an SG soon and I'm pondering the finish. I'm really attracted to the idea of making a classy, rich mahogany finish kind of like an old piece of furniture. I've been thinking of using shellac because it requires no special equipment, doesn't have noxious fumes like lacquer, and it's traditional to that type of finish.

Any thoughts on shellac, how I should fill the grain (would a black or red filler help?), and how to get that deep finish?

I will be Tru-oiling the neck, so I'm not opposed to doing the whole guitar that way, as another option

Shellac comes in a variety of shades,

• Pale, which has virtualy no colour.
• Lemon, gives a brown.
• Button, mid brown
• Garnet, deep brown.
• Black,

It sounds to me as if you should try out either the button or garnet polish. With these types of finish the colour deepens with every coat. It gets a great colour over mahogany or walnut.


Try a few samples,enjoy.

 

[cnb]

Thanks for the tips so far!
I like the idea of just using shellac and building up to the color I want. Will it fill the pores well enough on its own, or should I use something else for that purpose?

 

[John Bauers]

Thanks for the tips so far!
I like the idea of just using shellac and building up to the color I want. Will it fill the pores well enough on its own, or should I use something else for that purpose?

You could use a grain filler, it would speed up the process to get a smooth finish, you can also get a shellac based sanding sealer that would again help to get a flat surface to build a finish on.