Edit: After reading all the crap in the comments, I'll say this once for all the dudes "you sanded through 100% of the veneer"
The yellow layer is sealer. The pale layer is the veneer. The brown areas are the veneer after staining.
The only spots where I actually sanded through the veneer are around the 3‑way switch and near the F‑hole. That's it.
I really don't see the tragedy here ✌🏻
Hey everyone, I need some outside perspective.
I'm in the middle of a strange Starcaster project. The goal was simple: strip the factory paint, stain it dark walnut, add a faux binding, and clear coat it. But the guitar had other plans.
Here’s what I discovered under the sunburst paint:
- Under that, there’s bare, pale maple. That’s where the sealer chipped off or got sanded through.
- I tested stain on the back, and it only soaks into the bare maple, it just slides right off the old yellow sealer.
So now I have this accidental 3-zone finish:
-The back: partially stained dark walnut (where the maple is bare), partially original yellow sealer.
-The top and edges: mostly the original yellow sealer, with patches of bare maple and a few darker stained spots where I experimented.
-Natural binding: appeared by itself along the edges and F-holes after I sanded.
It honestly looks like a heavy relic that’s been poorly refinished twice and worn down over decades. Kind of cool, but also… chaotic.
Here’s my question:
Should I lean into the chaotic relic look and leave it as is, or should I try to stain the bare maple patches on the top to match the dark walnut on the back? I'm worried about ruining the natural binding and the weird vintage vibe, but also about it looking like a mistake rather than a design.
What would you do?
- Leave it as a multi-layer relic?
- Stain the top patches dark walnut to match the back?
- Try to strip the old sealer completely?
Any advice or similar experiences welcome. I'm attaching photos so you can see the chaos.
Thanks in advance.