@russ If you have any questions just let me know. I'll see if I can grab some pics of it after 4 or so months of playing. (it's already looking beat up which is also likely due to the fact the body is alder and not the hardest stuff either.

Will do. 👍 

🙂🎶🎸🙏

lol Dinged the heck out of it already... I am not sure this approach is for everyone (I was really trying to do something as non-toxic as possible as almost a proof of concept, and figured there were one or two other folks out there that might want to own something made this way?) but I've found that guitars with modern finishes are really quite indestructible so I was going for something that after a year of playing would really tell its story all from just being played. 

Here are some pics from the "process" 

Cheers Dave 👍 

🙏🎸🎶🙂

Here are some pics from the "process" 

During the French polishing process I essentially filled the grain with the black dust I saved from the lightly sanding between coats of the milk paint. (which is really fickle and crazy stuff)  It's an interesting finish, and can be brought to a mirror like sheen although it takes a long time! (also not exactly rock and roll strong but then again I like it when guitars are authentically a bit beat up)

Congrats on the build, and the finish, but that comment wasn't so good to read ... have you dinged it already???

(Though every guitar I've got seems to get "naturally relic'd" sooner or later!!).

Nice work Dave. I might try out your finish. Looking at just about every different way to finish a guitar. 

🙂🙏🎸🎶

Finally got around to posting my finished build. (couldn't have done it without Mark's excellent courses)

The finish believe it or not is black milk paint which is totally non-toxic and French polish. (I used Everclear as the solvent for the shellac... Turned out OK and relics naturally really well)

Can't wait to do my next one (a telecaster type thing) and hopefully sell it? 

Hope all is well in the UK and I hope to take a course with Mark in person one of these days. 

-Dave