The title is not in the least misleading. This is an incredibly relaxing video. Perfect for de-stressing after dealing with idiots at work. And the guitars are breathtakingly beautiful as always.
Dear friends, I want to ask if the guitar is shipped to Vietnam, Tay Ninh province, how much is the shipping fee, please check is out, thank you very much!
I'm the very happy purchaser of the very first of your KP-L5s, Isaac. After a year of playing she now sounds full and sweet and compares very favourably (actually a bit louder and sweeter...) alongside my 1947 Epiphone Emperor and my 1941 Gibson L7... in fact, she's my go-to guitar for practice and acoustic gigs. If anyone is in the vicinity of Banbury and would like to hear and test the guitar, please let me know and we'll arrange a meeting.
Great video, thank you for putting the time in. Been watching a bunch of different methods of FP, and it's interesting to see the different approaches. Guitar is beautiful. The egg white trick looks interesting. It's the binder for tempera painting pre-dating oil paints. Never thought to use it this way.
The Bob Ross of guitar finishing. Felt like I had a buzz when it was over. That finish is stunning. I just told my wife she was eating bug poo on those jelly beans. Her reaction was epic.
I’ve just built my first electric guitar using a highly figured yellow elm. I’ve spent a lot of time struggling with what finish to use to complete it, but after watching your video, I believe I’m sold on shellac. If my results are half as good as yours, I’ll consider it a success.
I'm still amazed that the weird neck mounting holds solid. I 100% thought "That is gonna bend under tension and sound like crap" and then it just...worked. I dont know if he uses light gauge strings or if that is just a way stronger joint than i ever imagined but here we are and it works perfect. Learn something every day.
Came out great! I did my first telecaster last year in a White nitro finish. I had planned on staining it but the blank I got ended up not being as visually appealing as I'd hoped. It's all mahogany except the fretboard which is maple. The mahogany on the neck actually looks great and has some flames running from the 3rd fret all the way up the rest of the board towards the body on the back of the neck. I learned a lot from my first complete from scratch build but overall I'm really happy with how it came out. But I'll certainly be using poly on my next build for color (if there is any) and especially for the clear. Maybe even a wipe on poly I'll make myself. The Nitro finish on the neck is excellent but the body is already showing a good amount of wear after only a year. And while I was fully aware of nitro being much less durable than poly I was expecting to get at least a couple years without much wear before it started naturally relicing. I was talking with some professional builders who say they often see checking with nitro before they even get it out of the shop. I guess if you want more durable nitro it needs to be pre cat? I was really tempted to touch up the areas with wear (mainly where my right arm runs on the corner edge of the lower bout) but if I do that it will be an endless pursuit. So I've just decided to let it naturally relic and enjoy it as such. And it's worth noting I was using the expensive colortone Nitro too from Stewmac. It came out really great it just hasnt held up well to getting played everyday a minimum of an hour. I also have used some of the cheaper Nitros and out of them the minwax nitro held up much better, ain't that some shit? I even got a much better spray from the min wax can tips then I did from any of my aftermarket montana cans tips or stock colortone tips. I wonder if that has something to do with why its held up much better. But anyways I also really like the idea of using shellac cause it has the repairability of nitro but is likely easier to touch up. But theres the downside of it not protecting the wood as much as say a hard thick polyurethane or epoxy would be. I've also experimented with using Cyanoacrylate Glue as a finish material on one of my fret leveling file handles. It actually looks and feels great, nice and thin nut hard and buffed out to high gloss rather easily compared to poly. Only thing is I imagine doing a large piece of work would be difficult and it would have to be done on small sections. Anyways, looking forward to more videos!
Dear Cranmer - a kind observation... you have +60k subscribers and only ~230 comments. Perhaps they are like me, they are just speechless! You have shown and taught me so much in a few minutes versus the RUclips trawling I've done for many months to try to find this same amazing outcome. I can see the parallels with the egg white to its use in grand master paintings as a stabilizer - intentional or not, this proves the use here is also to be considered in the same light. Many thanks, I really enjoy and appreciated your amazing art.
@@CranmerGuitars It seems that way. I employ a technique that I call, Polish polish, on account of my father having been born in Poland. Keep up the beautiful guitar work.
Well, if it can’t smell like nitro cellulose or shellac, lemon’s pretty good! Beautiful beautiful work sir - sounds gorgeous, looks stunning (although I’d prefer a lighter set of burst colours), and I adore your neck joint!
How did you get to know all this stuff? I must ask if you apprenticed under someone great like Benadetto. I think that's how to spell his name. I built guitars in the past but a lot has changed in just a few years. Your guitars are awesome. I had to stop building guitars because it became an idol to me. Great voice to your guitars and a large contributing factor are the finishes you prefer.
I'm at a lost I don't under stand the beetle poop It must be some kind if inside joke. anyway it is a beautiful finish and looks fantastic. The sound of this guitar is amazing. You are a true craftsman and artist.
Translate text with your camera Is it pigment powder paint applied to the guitar? At what temperature did you add it to the hot water and did you start applying it to the guitar after it cooled? Can the same color pigment paint be applied to painted guitars?
Great finish on camera. No comments as to why sanding is against the grain, seems counter intuitive but there must be a reason to expose the grain. The French Polish finish is to die for, luxurious but will not last the test of time. Beautiful job.
I disagree. If it's taken care of properly it will last just as long as any other finish, and it can be restored incredibly easily. You'd be shocked at the dampening effect modern finishes have. Either way, entropy consumes us all.
Hi Isaac. Only just found this video. Nice build. Cake is good. Hope you're well and hope to come and see you next year, I have a vehicle again. Miss you buddy.
This is a real piece of art, congratulations! I was wondering if you use a pore filling process before starting the french polishing (pumice stone powder over a shellac base?) or if you go straight with this. Maybe with open-pore woods other than maple?
Looks amazing. I'll try this out soon myself! May I ask what grits of sandpaper you have used to take the colours off inbetween? I'd say 240? Higher grits would close the pores too much I guess.
Am I right in my understanding that in the french polishing stage that the shellac is then melting out the scratches in the previous coats that have been sanded flat?
This seems like a ridiculously hard way to do something you can achieve with tinted lacquer an $15 HVLP gun and a $20 garage sale compressor. My first attempt looked phenomenal. I sprayed the perimeter with a translucent Lacquer I tinted with leather dye then sprayed the whole thing with self-tinted amber lacquer using dye made the same way. I added a few coats of clear lacquer, just cuz, sanded to remove orange peel with higher and higher grits and polish with automotive compound. This seems labor intensive. I believe French polish and shellac have a purpose but this seems very time consuming and shellac will be less durable than lacquer. The guitar does end up looking nice and sounds good, you are just doing it the hard way.
Is that a dunlop straplock pin recessed into the back? I was actually thinking about recessing mine the other day. Now that I see it I reckon I'm gonna go on and do it.
I think what you're seeing is the little button for the adjustable neck system (I put my strap buttons where the heel was meant to be.) Don't see why you couldn't put a strap lock on the back tho!
Thank you for your beautiful job and video. I use an alcohol based stain and shellac. I'm not glad. Can you tell me what a water base stain you use? Best regards, Mike
Hi Mike! Yes, alcohol stains and shellac are not a fun combination - as you have discovered. I used water based Aniline dyes from a company called Rothko and Frost, but I'm sure other places sell them too
I use the vertical movements on the first 8 sessions to build the body of the finish, and then switch to the circular for the final few sessions. Not sure how correct my technique is, but I'm happy with the result ☺️
@@CranmerGuitars thanks for the quick reply. One last question if you please, do you use the g-wax everytime? It's my first time doing french polishing and I'm not sure whether a wax top coat is mandatory or not
Great video, really relaxing. A question- what pound cut are you using right after last stain (first shellac coat i presume) and how much color does it lift?
It's a 2 pound cut (I basically follow Dan Erlewine's method with some alterations.) The colour barely lifts - I'd say it's about the same amount as a rosewood back. Since the stain is water based, the alcohol doesn't reactivate it. I did try shellac on alcohol stain once for fun and it was a mess! A beautiful mess
I made my own finishes from beeswax and mineral oil, beeswax and tung oil, and beeswax and Tru Oil. Note that you can buy a case of small glass jars from Amazon pretty cheaply. They don't melt. Making and using the finishes was fun, and they all work very well, and buff out nicely. Such a beautiful guitar! I wish I could afford it. Thanks for sharing.
I used good old titebond original. I'd like to try hide glue again, but I haven't had good experiences with it in the past. Must have been my technique!
The wood looks magnificent. The finish looks great, but the dye job was mediocre. You need to work on that technique.
You may think the dye job was mediocre, but personally I thought it looked like an abstract piece of art.
Donny, you are out of your element.
@@l.k.1011 Who's Donny?
@@timhallas4275 A quote from the best movie in human history.
Watchu talkin bout Willis
The title is not in the least misleading. This is an incredibly relaxing video. Perfect for de-stressing after dealing with idiots at work. And the guitars are breathtakingly beautiful as always.
Hah, I meant the title as a joke, but I'm glad you liked it! ♥️
For sure !
These guitars are available to buy - either through reverb or on my website!
Dear friends, I want to ask if the guitar is shipped to Vietnam, Tay Ninh province, how much is the shipping fee, please check is out, thank you very much!
Beautiful work! I used to practice french polishing on offcuts for relaxation... I think it's time to start that habit again.
That is one of the sweetest sounding guitars I've ever had the pleasure of hearing, thank you.
I'm the very happy purchaser of the very first of your KP-L5s, Isaac. After a year of playing she now sounds full and sweet and compares very favourably (actually a bit louder and sweeter...) alongside my 1947 Epiphone Emperor and my 1941 Gibson L7... in fact, she's my go-to guitar for practice and acoustic gigs. If anyone is in the vicinity of Banbury and would like to hear and test the guitar, please let me know and we'll arrange a meeting.
I am soooo blown away by the shellac finish !!! Gorgeous guitar, Craftsmanship and a True Piece of Art that sounds Fantastic !!!
I've always struggled with getting a beautiful, mirror like finish on my guitars and you made it look so effortless.
Incredible work!
Shellac polishes up nice. It's not real durable and not particularly suited for guitar necks.
here's a video to inspire you..
ruclips.net/video/vKFQ8B4cx64/видео.html
a good marble-like gloss finish requires a lot of work and patience
Great video, thank you for putting the time in. Been watching a bunch of different methods of FP, and it's interesting to see the different approaches. Guitar is beautiful. The egg white trick looks interesting. It's the binder for tempera painting pre-dating oil paints. Never thought to use it this way.
This is unreal.
It's absolutely beautiful.
Love it
The guitar looks great and sounds even greater, and the process of finishing is surprisingly pleasant!
Great video! Feel free to make these videos even longer - I could chill out to this for at least half an hour!
The Bob Ross of guitar finishing. Felt like I had a buzz when it was over. That finish is stunning. I just told my wife she was eating bug poo on those jelly beans. Her reaction was epic.
I told my wife the same thing lol
I’ve just built my first electric guitar using a highly figured yellow elm. I’ve spent a lot of time struggling with what finish to use to complete it, but after watching your video, I believe I’m sold on shellac. If my results are half as good as yours, I’ll consider it a success.
It takes a lot of time to get a finish as good as this - an awful long time - but isn’t this result worth it!
I'm still amazed that the weird neck mounting holds solid. I 100% thought "That is gonna bend under tension and sound like crap" and then it just...worked. I dont know if he uses light gauge strings or if that is just a way stronger joint than i ever imagined but here we are and it works perfect. Learn something every day.
Perfectly beautiful finish love it!
Magnifique, le vernis à la française fait effectivement de très belles finitions 👍💙
you know what? We use the same air filter too, at this point, nothing surprises me anymore (also I learned so much in this video)
We might as well be the same person at this point. A wise man once said: "The most knowledge can be gained at the bottom of the RUclips description."
@@CranmerGuitars hahaha you imbecile. I smell, but not beetle's poop. What's the plural of manchild anyway ?
Bravo, this is not only a beautiful guitar, but an instrument with a wonderful sound, congratulations from the bottom of my heart
Came out great! I did my first telecaster last year in a White nitro finish. I had planned on staining it but the blank I got ended up not being as visually appealing as I'd hoped. It's all mahogany except the fretboard which is maple. The mahogany on the neck actually looks great and has some flames running from the 3rd fret all the way up the rest of the board towards the body on the back of the neck. I learned a lot from my first complete from scratch build but overall I'm really happy with how it came out. But I'll certainly be using poly on my next build for color (if there is any) and especially for the clear. Maybe even a wipe on poly I'll make myself. The Nitro finish on the neck is excellent but the body is already showing a good amount of wear after only a year. And while I was fully aware of nitro being much less durable than poly I was expecting to get at least a couple years without much wear before it started naturally relicing. I was talking with some professional builders who say they often see checking with nitro before they even get it out of the shop. I guess if you want more durable nitro it needs to be pre cat? I was really tempted to touch up the areas with wear (mainly where my right arm runs on the corner edge of the lower bout) but if I do that it will be an endless pursuit. So I've just decided to let it naturally relic and enjoy it as such. And it's worth noting I was using the expensive colortone Nitro too from Stewmac. It came out really great it just hasnt held up well to getting played everyday a minimum of an hour. I also have used some of the cheaper Nitros and out of them the minwax nitro held up much better, ain't that some shit? I even got a much better spray from the min wax can tips then I did from any of my aftermarket montana cans tips or stock colortone tips. I wonder if that has something to do with why its held up much better. But anyways I also really like the idea of using shellac cause it has the repairability of nitro but is likely easier to touch up. But theres the downside of it not protecting the wood as much as say a hard thick polyurethane or epoxy would be. I've also experimented with using Cyanoacrylate Glue as a finish material on one of my fret leveling file handles. It actually looks and feels great, nice and thin nut hard and buffed out to high gloss rather easily compared to poly. Only thing is I imagine doing a large piece of work would be difficult and it would have to be done on small sections. Anyways, looking forward to more videos!
Dear Cranmer - a kind observation... you have +60k subscribers and only ~230 comments. Perhaps they are like me, they are just speechless! You have shown and taught me so much in a few minutes versus the RUclips trawling I've done for many months to try to find this same amazing outcome. I can see the parallels with the egg white to its use in grand master paintings as a stabilizer - intentional or not, this proves the use here is also to be considered in the same light. Many thanks, I really enjoy and appreciated your amazing art.
Thanks Mark, glad you found it useful 🙏
I've French polished two acoustic guitars so far but it never occurred for me to wax them afterward. I'll have to do it on my next one.
Thank you for a great video. Your skill and patience brought out a amazing finish.
Beautiful results, and fascinating to see the process. Masterful finishing! And now I know why I never liked jellybeans. 😅
Simply stunning. Thanks for showing!
beautifully done. I'm going to have to research french polishing more. it looks fun and the results are beautiful.
I French polish almost every guitar I build. It's cool watching another version. Same results. Beautiful archtop work, man.
The fun thing about French polish is how many ways you can apply it. I don't think I've done it the same way twice!
@@CranmerGuitars It seems that way. I employ a technique that I call, Polish polish, on account of my father having been born in Poland. Keep up the beautiful guitar work.
Amazing work! Beautiful!
What a BEAUTIFUL guitar!! Fantastic job!
Well, if it can’t smell like nitro cellulose or shellac, lemon’s pretty good!
Beautiful beautiful work sir - sounds gorgeous, looks stunning (although I’d prefer a lighter set of burst colours), and I adore your neck joint!
How did you get to know all this stuff? I must ask if you apprenticed under someone great like Benadetto. I think that's how to spell his name. I built guitars in the past but a lot has changed in just a few years. Your guitars are awesome. I had to stop building guitars because it became an idol to me. Great voice to your guitars and a large contributing factor are the finishes you prefer.
I studied acoustic guitar making for 4 years, but I'm mainly self taught with archtops. Lots and lots of research/ trial and error!
It's so satisfying that one stucks stared watching this work of art : )
Incredible work. Thenks for sharing.
Incredibly Beautiful!!
You have my respect sir , a fantastic work by spectacular skill !
Beautiful craftsmanship!
Thanks for posting - I learned something ! 😃
gavent seen a skill parallel to this - amaizng
Beautiful!
I'm at a lost I don't under stand the beetle poop It must be some kind if inside joke. anyway it is a beautiful finish and looks fantastic. The sound of this guitar is amazing. You are a true craftsman and artist.
Thanks! The gloss finish (shellac) is literally excrement from a beetle - no joke!
WOW thanks I never knew that
That's a lot of time,but it is very stunning finish.
Such an awesome finished guitar!
Wow what a fine looking guitar thanks for sharing this with us I learned a lot
gorgeous guitar sounds great too, I like the finish as well.. I'm looking for secret recipe Stradivarius used on old violin finishes..
Beautiful instrument. Bravo !
That’s top o the notch! Dang good stuff for certain!
That neck joint is very Parker like
What a pleasure to see this. Exquisite workmanship. How about freshening up my Martin D 28? Any advice? Besides sending it to a luthier.
Absolutely stunning 😍
What grit did you use to sand the eggwhite? Also, in case of other types of wood, would you use pumice over a first coat of shellac to fill the pores?
came out beautiful. I was leery of sanding across the grain in the beginning though.
The best work its my eyes se.
Beautiful and sounds sweet too!
Beautiful work!
Translate text with your camera
Is it pigment powder paint applied to the guitar? At what temperature did you add it to the hot water and did you start applying it to the guitar after it cooled? Can the same color pigment paint be applied to painted guitars?
Good stuff. Beautiful guitars! However, shellac is not beetle poop. It is a secretion.
After "goma laca" how many time we can put some creme polish?
Great finish on camera. No comments as to why sanding is against the grain, seems counter intuitive but there must be a reason to expose the grain. The French Polish finish is to die for, luxurious but will not last the test of time. Beautiful job.
I disagree. If it's taken care of properly it will last just as long as any other finish, and it can be restored incredibly easily. You'd be shocked at the dampening effect modern finishes have. Either way, entropy consumes us all.
It's just a fairy tale, a dream! In my next life, I want to be a guitar maker.
Great work, good video editing
Hi Isaac. Only just found this video. Nice build. Cake is good. Hope you're well and hope to come and see you next year, I have a vehicle again. Miss you buddy.
I was thinking of you when I wrote the part about cake 😉 Hope to come to Newark for the next graduation show!
замечательно! гитара похожа на гибсоновские арктопы...которые я видел только на фото! спасибо автору за его искусство!!!🙂🙂🙂
You say thanks for watching.
I say no, Thank you for sharing!
Cheers!
This is a real piece of art, congratulations! I was wondering if you use a pore filling process before starting the french polishing (pumice stone powder over a shellac base?) or if you go straight with this. Maybe with open-pore woods other than maple?
Thanks! Yep, for woods like mahogany I'll use 0000 pumice, but there's no point with maple since it's not very porous
wow that Neck Joint is freakyy
Looks amazing. I'll try this out soon myself! May I ask what grits of sandpaper you have used to take the colours off inbetween? I'd say 240? Higher grits would close the pores too much I guess.
Yep, p240/320
@@CranmerGuitars Thanks 💪!
Nice! Thanks for sharing 😀👍
Beautiful result, lovely tone. Which stains are you using? All water-based?
That must have been very rewarding for you.
Wait wait ,you said me ,you no use vernis on this guitare ??? Gg man .great ,big great job dude👍👍👍👍
Am I right in my understanding that in the french polishing stage that the shellac is then melting out the scratches in the previous coats that have been sanded flat?
Fascinating!
The guitar is beautiful, sure, but the sound of it is extraordinary; If I get a lotter win tonight, I'll be in contact
This seems like a ridiculously hard way to do something you can achieve with tinted lacquer an $15 HVLP gun and a $20 garage sale compressor. My first attempt looked phenomenal. I sprayed the perimeter with a translucent Lacquer I tinted with leather dye then sprayed the whole thing with self-tinted amber lacquer using dye made the same way. I added a few coats of clear lacquer, just cuz, sanded to remove orange peel with higher and higher grits and polish with automotive compound. This seems labor intensive. I believe French polish and shellac have a purpose but this seems very time consuming and shellac will be less durable than lacquer. The guitar does end up looking nice and sounds good, you are just doing it the hard way.
Very good
Do you let the orange dry a but before starting to apply the brown?
It looks incredible
I try to keep it as wet as possible to help blend between the colours
Is it possible to sealing mahogany pores with that egg technique?
Thanks
What brand of dye do you use, please?
great job! how many different colours did you use?
wikipedia slash kerria laca. it aint poop. wonderful job btw turned out beautiful.
Que tipo de pintura usas ??
How much do you charge for an electric guitar? MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Beautiful.
Did you use stain or dye?
Outstanding!
Is that a dunlop straplock pin recessed into the back? I was actually thinking about recessing mine the other day. Now that I see it I reckon I'm gonna go on and do it.
I think what you're seeing is the little button for the adjustable neck system (I put my strap buttons where the heel was meant to be.) Don't see why you couldn't put a strap lock on the back tho!
@@CranmerGuitars Ah I see, yes it makes sense to be a neck adjustment.
Thank you for your beautiful job and video. I use an alcohol based stain and shellac. I'm not glad. Can you tell me what a water base stain you use? Best regards, Mike
Hi Mike! Yes, alcohol stains and shellac are not a fun combination - as you have discovered. I used water based Aniline dyes from a company called Rothko and Frost, but I'm sure other places sell them too
@@CranmerGuitars , greetings from Russia ! It seems I found this stain. It is Dartfords brand, available on Amazon. Thank you very much!
fantastic, thee is a difference between layering shellac in vertical movements rather than circular ones with the pad?
I use the vertical movements on the first 8 sessions to build the body of the finish, and then switch to the circular for the final few sessions. Not sure how correct my technique is, but I'm happy with the result ☺️
How long do you wait between the coats of shellac? Great guitar
You can wait about an hour if you're in a rush, but I usually do two full sessions - one in the morning, one in the evening
@@CranmerGuitars thanks for the quick reply. One last question if you please, do you use the g-wax everytime? It's my first time doing french polishing and I'm not sure whether a wax top coat is mandatory or not
Use t-cut and super nicko buffing compounds (in that order) Don't really use G-wax much anymore - in fact, I forgot it existed up until last week!
Hello
How much does this guitar cost please ??
9:50 wet or dry sandpaper?
Great video, really relaxing.
A question- what pound cut are you using right after last stain (first shellac coat i presume) and how much color does it lift?
It's a 2 pound cut (I basically follow Dan Erlewine's method with some alterations.) The colour barely lifts - I'd say it's about the same amount as a rosewood back. Since the stain is water based, the alcohol doesn't reactivate it. I did try shellac on alcohol stain once for fun and it was a mess! A beautiful mess
I made my own finishes from beeswax and mineral oil, beeswax and tung oil, and beeswax and Tru Oil.
Note that you can buy a case of small glass jars from Amazon pretty cheaply. They don't melt.
Making and using the finishes was fun, and they all work very well, and buff out nicely.
Such a beautiful guitar! I wish I could afford it. Thanks for sharing.
great job, such a satisfactory result. real beauty. i prefer thung oil tho'
Try Renaissance wax instead
Beautifull!!!
Awesome !!!
What type glue did you use to join the bookmatched center seam of the top-plate, titebond original, fish glue, hide glue etc. ? Thank you.
I used good old titebond original. I'd like to try hide glue again, but I haven't had good experiences with it in the past. Must have been my technique!
@@CranmerGuitars ... Thank you for all your kind help.
Painting f holes with a brush, is using a q-tip just as good?
Could work quite nicely - I'll give it a shot!
Wow!
Beautiful pal 😬