I love these "process" videos. Quality craftsmanship. When Paul was starting out in his upstairs Annapolis shop, he repaired a broken top on my Guild D40 (the Rhode Island Guild factory tried and got it wrong). 40+ years later the repair looks flawless. Should have had him sign it...
@@chrispile3878 The time will come when he won't be with us, but I've no doubt his company will survive a good long time. We're fortunate to be here when he's still around, because I've no doubt it's a huge part of the reason the quality of everything with his name on it, from SE to core, is so consistent and professional.
WARNING! THESE VIDEOS MAY COST YOU A LOT OF MONEY. After watching the Neck and Body Assembly video 9 days ago I decided to check Reverb and found my dream build (2021 Core McCarty 594, Wood Library - Quilt 10 top in River Blue with 58/15 LT (TCI) pickups). Nearly $5k later, I have the best looking, best playing and best sounding guitar I have ever owned. At that price, it better be. Worth every penny though. Now to start selling off the gear I no longer use like I've been promising the wife for the last few years. I've always wondered how they kept the natural maple binding exposed. Fascinating video. Thank you to everyone at PRS for making dreams come true. I'm very fortunate to own one of these guitars.
Everytime I see these guys working, I can’t even imagine having the skill to do that. An alcohol stain, then a water stain, then an oil stain, then a sealer coat, then a finish coat, and every single one of the them has to be *perfect*, or the guitar can’t be sold. Much respect to this very skilled crew.
The different stains are used so they do not mix when applied. Using all water based woukd cause the three colours to blend so they use different types to avoid this
Spoiler: it doesn’t take a lot of skill to apply that finish. They literally just showed you how to do it. Plenty of videos out there of people getting great results at home.
@@mr.nobody68 I have a wood library McCarty that's beautiful, but I recently bought a custom shop 59 les paul and I don't know what Gibson does but the top looks absolutely amazing so much depth to it....I might like the Gibson finish better
I just want to say thank you for actually explaining the exact process, not keeping the secrets of your process for such beautiful guitars. It makes it easier for hobbyist builders like myself to make guitars that are obviously not as amazing as yours, but it gets me close and makes me happy at the end of the day for my builds. Well done, and thank you again.
I'm not sure what happened to Carvin custom guitars, but they used to make some beautiful and fairly decent priced axes using beautiful wood and finishes...
I’ve seen this done online before but it never gets old. I have an emerald green CU 24 10 top I would love to see that color applied some time. This is a great series!
@@chrispile3878 yes sir, didn't find it and I've never seen one in this exact color, although I'm no PRS expert. All I find is the charcoal burst or the grey black, but both of those have a lot of grey in em as well.
I used to work in Annapolis Maryland at a high end auto body shop called bay city,about 20 years ago the original owners son took it over and renamed it UNITECH COLLISION,I was their top paint refinisher for a decade and always wanted to work for PRS because I too am a guitar player and I'd loves to have had an opportunity to paint their guitar's.
If a guitar fails QC with an unfixable imperfection or defect, its band sawed into pieces. This is why you will never see a guitar from PRS themselves with a "b-stock" grade. Everything is flawless from the factory to the best of their abilities.
@@th3m1ke One of my local shops that carried PRS guitars, had a coffee table book about the PRS company. In it was a story about how when going through quality control on a guitar that was being built, they found some minor imperfection in the wood. So it was to be scrapped. The person working on the guitar had mentioned that this particular guitar was set to be a solid color and it would never be seen. He was told (Might have been by Paul himself in the earl days of the company?) "but we would know it's there". And that's really all you need to know about the PRS company. I've owned 3 PRS guitars in my lifetime. Two 2009 Mira's (identical models - different finishes) and my first was a 1994 CE-24 which I actually sold (my biggest regret in all of my guitar regrets) so I could buy the 2nd Mira. I later sold those as well, as I now have a local guy that has built me 4 custom guitars. So no regrets there as I'm not a hoarder of gear. But that 94 CE-24 was my first really nice guitar, and I'm really bummed I was too poor at the time to keep it. Not sure how much I'd play it as I love the custom builds. But for nostalgia, I wish I still had it in my possession. :-(
I'd really like to see an updated version of the Al Di Meola Prism finish and how it's done. There was a video of it floating on the internet number of years ago but it disappeared mysteriously.
As a hobbyist leather crafter it was fun to notice you use same dyes as we do, at least I could spot some familiar looking bottles on the shelf there :) About to try this out on a acoustic I got for free, it will be interesting. I have to admit I'm keeping my expectations rather low considering the final product I'll end up with :D
Big D’s guitar page shows a more in depth look at the process. He in fact does use leather dyes. What’s not really shown here is the extensive sanding and reapplying the of the dyes that’s involved. Especially when doing bursts
@@briw4647 I really think the isolator should be something stays on there. then it could help once again during pour filling process later on. Since the stains were water base, +alchohol, and oil base.... So.. solvent base sealer,base coat is the last suspect...
@@mr.nobody68 Yep. but my question was about ingredients of the isolator, or product name of it. I can guess what that is, but my candidates are making confilcts with later painting process.
@@SpeedisH94 - Could be any number of things - clear lacquer, sanding sealer, shellac, even super glue. Basically anything to keep the stain from absorbing into the grain of the top.
@@chrispile3878 Agreed. Maybe my lack of experience is making this question, but anyways, my concern is mostly on the bleeding issue. So now I'm only guessing all these stains and pour filler colors are generally weaker than their basecoat meterial.. and they should have used same stuff also as the isolater. BTW super glue is quite convincing..hehe
I know it's been asked a couple of times already - with no answer no answer as of yet. But, I was wondering, what is the "isolator" that they put on the wood binding? Is it shellac, or varnish, or something else? The mention of the "isolator" is at 1:30 in the video.
Looks great even though wait times are terrible with the pandemic. I ordered an S2 McCarty 594 singlecut in burnt amber burst from Ryan Fowler a year ago and I'm still waiting to hear anything about it. I know the wait will be worth it though!
is the downdraft table on all the time? Thanks I have a similar top on my assembly table, that snaps in for that purpose, remove it and put on the smooth top, or the router drops in the same vacuum hole. small shop challenges!
Just a guess, but the first alcohol based stain (charcoal) is probably not affected by the water based stain (orange) being applied on top of it. If they were the same type of stain, applying the orange would probably smear the charcoal stain already applied. I imagine the same logic would apply to the oil based stain (red). It won’t reactivate (probably the wrong term) the water based stain below it and cause bleeding or smearing. Of course I could be way off the mark, but that would be my guess
Wonderful explanation! I wonder (if anyone minds to explain :) if this process can be applied (hand sanding instead) to wood veneer for multi colour/multi-layered stain? Not sure if it'd be possible without sanding your way through the veneer after aplying, lets say, 3 colours and their corresponding 3 sandings 🤔 Any tips appreciated!
Best case: acquire a scrap of the same material as your workpiece (guitar) and test the process on it first. "Sanding " is a relative term , there's a huge difference between 40 grit and 400 paper...stay with the higher grits and I'd say you're going to be alright. In other words, easy does it. Surfboards are my thing, and I've ve sanded through more than I can remember. Always happened when distracted or hurried. Guitar work is just fun for me. I'm not too serious. Have fun.
Nice to watch an artist/craftsman at work. Very smooth. I have a kit guitar I'd like to do a red burst on. Disclaimer.. I have nowhere near this level of skill. I'm guessing if I sit it next to my PRS when done, the comparison may not be as favourable 😂
Cool to see the fire burst red as I have a 2010 ten top cu22 special in this color. Almost looks more like a reddish brown. Maybe it gets darker after all the clear n stuff is done? Mine is pretty dark, looks really good. My gray-black cu22 looks almost like the first step. My sunburst22 is the dirty Mcarty color. That's the only 3 I have left, my 3 favorites. Had a beautiful blue 513 with a natural back, was amazing looking just never took to the 513 pickups. Had an all black 513 that looked like a piano finish, sold for same reason. And 1 se cu22 for if the wife n I travel.
Nice video, amazing! I'm would assume PRS has their own brand of stain that they make or buy in bulk but I was wondering what most people are using on their home built guitars for fillers, stain, polishes etc. any suggestions? Also what is the difference of using stain and powdered or liquid dye? Is there any benefit to using dye?
really wish they would say what the isolator coat is made out of! I'm assuming something akin to shellac that would act as a buffer between the oil stain and the pore fill.
This is so cool I'm doing a flame top Tele DIY I've used a honey brown stain and it looks good but will lightly sand and re apply What I need is what to use for top coat to make the maple pop Thanks
Can anyone give me a hint or product name on what this Isolator liquid is that protects the binding. At the beginning short before he starts staining? At 01:30. Would like to do this too.
Awesome video! Question re: "...a small layer of isolator around the guitar [binding area]..." at 1:08 time, What solution is used as that "isolator"? (thanks in advance!)
This is the greatest script reading of all time
I love these "process" videos. Quality craftsmanship. When Paul was starting out in his upstairs Annapolis shop, he repaired a broken top on my Guild D40 (the Rhode Island Guild factory tried and got it wrong). 40+ years later the repair looks flawless. Should have had him sign it...
Too many people don't know Paul had humble beginnings as a guitar repairman, not a music industry giant.
@@chrispile3878 The time will come when he won't be with us, but I've no doubt his company will survive a good long time. We're fortunate to be here when he's still around, because I've no doubt it's a huge part of the reason the quality of everything with his name on it, from SE to core, is so consistent and professional.
make a video showcasing it please 🥺 just to put an image to this story :) (did he added a new top or glued it with extra arcs for support?)
anyways, back in reality......
Hind sight is 20/19
This video passed QC inspection.
I thought it was a little blotchy
Hi Kfir! You’re awesome man!
The two letters that are the most important after P, R and S, are Q and C.
Seriously.
WARNING! THESE VIDEOS MAY COST YOU A LOT OF MONEY.
After watching the Neck and Body Assembly video 9 days ago I decided to check Reverb and found my dream build (2021 Core McCarty 594, Wood Library - Quilt 10 top in River Blue with 58/15 LT (TCI) pickups). Nearly $5k later, I have the best looking, best playing and best sounding guitar I have ever owned. At that price, it better be. Worth every penny though.
Now to start selling off the gear I no longer use like I've been promising the wife for the last few years.
I've always wondered how they kept the natural maple binding exposed. Fascinating video.
Thank you to everyone at PRS for making dreams come true. I'm very fortunate to own one of these guitars.
Too late.. 2021 Core Paul’s guitar 10-top in violet blueburst. Just waiting for it. 🙌🏽
@@TheRnB69 LOL! I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
Some of the best, if not THE best, finishes in the industry
I think PRS and Kiesel are in a league of their own
@@grenade.turtle I'm actually waiting on my first Kiesel to be completed as we speak 😁
@@chrisggoodwin777 awesome! Congrats on your first purchase! 🤘
@@grenade.turtle thanks 😊 it'll look nice next to my Custom 24
Everytime I see these guys working, I can’t even imagine having the skill to do that. An alcohol stain, then a water stain, then an oil stain, then a sealer coat, then a finish coat, and every single one of the them has to be *perfect*, or the guitar can’t be sold. Much respect to this very skilled crew.
The different stains are used so they do not mix when applied. Using all water based woukd cause the three colours to blend so they use different types to avoid this
Spoiler: it doesn’t take a lot of skill to apply that finish. They literally just showed you how to do it. Plenty of videos out there of people getting great results at home.
Yup stain videos never get old
@@mr.nobody68 I have a wood library McCarty that's beautiful, but I recently bought a custom shop 59 les paul and I don't know what Gibson does but the top looks absolutely amazing so much depth to it....I might like the Gibson finish better
2:21 Definitely not reading off the script there. 😄
It’s great to see that process and how much skill goes into it.
🤣 didn't see his face the first time... seems like he should wear glasses 🤓
@@0000song0000He's watching the video.
The fire red burst is my absolute favorite especially when it’s dark!
Alot of these guys have been with the company decades ❤ bravo.
One word, Craftsmanship!!!!
This is my favorite PRS stain video.
I just want to say thank you for actually explaining the exact process, not keeping the secrets of your process for such beautiful guitars. It makes it easier for hobbyist builders like myself to make guitars that are obviously not as amazing as yours, but it gets me close and makes me happy at the end of the day for my builds. Well done, and thank you again.
Look at how gorgeous the wood is, the quality of the whole body and neck. Absolute quality craftmanship.
Gorgeous guitars, hope to own one some day.
Amazing. Can't wait to buy my first PRS!!!!
I love these staining videos. I wish there were more of this on this channel.
I'm warming up on my McCarty 245 soapbar while watching this! I love these and Suhrs for the rest of my days!
PRS have the most beautiful guitars imo. I hope to own one someday!! 🤞
I'm not sure what happened to Carvin custom guitars, but they used to make some beautiful and fairly decent priced axes using beautiful wood and finishes...
@@judgegarry I think Kiesel bought them out.
I really like my guitar from PRS. Even though they are not fire finished I still like those colors. Thanks for posting the making of videos.
The best guitars!! I will never change
The God's of staining wood.
😎👍💗🇺🇸🎸💣🔥🎼LONG LIVE PRS!!!
Relic free since 1985!
Mark! killer video! Thank you!
Great demonstration of great technique.
I’ve seen this done online before but it never gets old. I have an emerald green CU 24 10 top I would love to see that color applied some time. This is a great series!
amazing skills, could watch guitars being made all day
Beautiful works of art.
I love these videos. Craftmanship relaxes my senses.
Love these behind the scenes posts! Obviously a ton of effort goes into PRS guitars from A to Z ensuring perfection!
i can understand why they are expensive
Great job Walter !👍
This is my favorite color combo PRS does, by a long way.
Ok that first layer with the charcoil stain looks amazing! I'd be super happy with a black PRS like that!
They offer them.
@@chrispile3878 I mean how it looks at around 2:23 before he sands down the color
@@xchump Checked their website?
@@chrispile3878 yes sir, didn't find it and I've never seen one in this exact color, although I'm no PRS expert. All I find is the charcoal burst or the grey black, but both of those have a lot of grey in em as well.
Wow that was great to watch
Fascinating!
I enjoy watching videos like this as the are very interesting and make you realize the skill, time, and effort that goes into the making of a guitar.
Awesome. I love stuff like this.
Man that bright orange to dark red in a burst would be beautiful
Very cool. Looks fun.
We need more of these! So soothing to watch.
I used to work in Annapolis Maryland at a high end auto body shop called bay city,about 20 years ago the original owners son took it over and renamed it UNITECH COLLISION,I was their top paint refinisher for a decade and always wanted to work for PRS because I too am a guitar player and I'd loves to have had an opportunity to paint their guitar's.
3:09 WOW that just pops amazingly, beautiful
Orange Tiger is my favorite... Red still looks wicked... that was an awesome top to work with.
Nice. My favourite prs guitar colour
that's beautiful
Masters at work. The most important part of the vid is the smile at the end, happy worker means good product. Simple, right?
Mark Carroll is a pro in vocal fry.
helped me sleep lol
1:37 what happens after a failed qc? Y’all go for the Hendrix light it on fire method, or the traditional overhead smash?
If a guitar fails QC with an unfixable imperfection or defect, its band sawed into pieces. This is why you will never see a guitar from PRS themselves with a "b-stock" grade. Everything is flawless from the factory to the best of their abilities.
If they fail the QC stage they become Gibsons.
@@frozendivots1564 lmao
@@th3m1ke One of my local shops that carried PRS guitars, had a coffee table book about the PRS company. In it was a story about how when going through quality control on a guitar that was being built, they found some minor imperfection in the wood. So it was to be scrapped. The person working on the guitar had mentioned that this particular guitar was set to be a solid color and it would never be seen. He was told (Might have been by Paul himself in the earl days of the company?) "but we would know it's there". And that's really all you need to know about the PRS company.
I've owned 3 PRS guitars in my lifetime. Two 2009 Mira's (identical models - different finishes) and my first was a 1994 CE-24 which I actually sold (my biggest regret in all of my guitar regrets) so I could buy the 2nd Mira. I later sold those as well, as I now have a local guy that has built me 4 custom guitars. So no regrets there as I'm not a hoarder of gear. But that 94 CE-24 was my first really nice guitar, and I'm really bummed I was too poor at the time to keep it. Not sure how much I'd play it as I love the custom builds. But for nostalgia, I wish I still had it in my possession. :-(
My favorite finish. 😎
Awesome work
More videos please. Watching a natural guitar get stained is somehow fulfilling.
My PRS is Fire Red, it's awesome to get a close look at how it was stained!
I'd really like to see an updated version of the Al Di Meola Prism finish and how it's done. There was a video of it floating on the internet number of years ago but it disappeared mysteriously.
Oh how I've waited for this, it's my favourite colour and no one does it like PRS, please post the rest of the process
Walter is an artist.
As a hobbyist leather crafter it was fun to notice you use same dyes as we do, at least I could spot some familiar looking bottles on the shelf there :) About to try this out on a acoustic I got for free, it will be interesting. I have to admit I'm keeping my expectations rather low considering the final product I'll end up with :D
Big D’s guitar page shows a more in depth look at the process. He in fact does use leather dyes. What’s not really shown here is the extensive sanding and reapplying the of the dyes that’s involved. Especially when doing bursts
Gloss finishes are beatiful, but that's really something about satin.
I find theses guitar staining videos oddly satisfying.
I have a CE24 semi-hollow in this color. Wonderful instrument.
That’s going to be a pretty guitar. PRS makes a very nice guitar.
I’ve got a McCarty that I absolutely love. I want them all but I’ve gotta get that custom 24 someday.
Incredible handcraft job ;)
I've got 2 guitars to stain so I appreciate this stuff
Will the water trick work with oil based stains as water and oil dont mix and will repel one another?
Great Guitar and Colour.. Epic! COOL
Would have been nice to see this all the way through to the final finished color ready for delivery.
Very, very nice.
Cool. Love my PRS guitars. Would like to know what they use for the isolator on the "binding".
as someone who's seriously considering applying to work at the factory this video was super interesting and helpful!
Did you hire on? It's a truly great company. Paul takes good care of the employees.
@@thedevilinthecircuit1414 nope, life got in the way
Anyone know about the isolator applied on guitar's side? It looks super usefull.
Or.. Is it just a thinned basecoat?
I've been told before the isolator is a sanding sealer type product but I couldn't find much else either
@@briw4647 I really think the isolator should be something stays on there. then it could help once again during pour filling process later on.
Since the stains were water base, +alchohol, and oil base....
So.. solvent base sealer,base coat is the last suspect...
@@mr.nobody68 Yep. but my question was about ingredients of the isolator, or product name of it.
I can guess what that is, but my candidates are making confilcts with later painting process.
@@SpeedisH94 - Could be any number of things - clear lacquer, sanding sealer, shellac, even super glue. Basically anything to keep the stain from absorbing into the grain of the top.
@@chrispile3878 Agreed.
Maybe my lack of experience is making this question, but anyways, my concern is mostly on the bleeding issue.
So now I'm only guessing all these stains and pour filler colors are generally weaker than their basecoat meterial.. and they should have used same stuff also as the isolater.
BTW super glue is quite convincing..hehe
Love to see all of the color u mentioned in se line!✨ that would be awesome.
Use the internet.
@@chrispile3878 the charcoal burst they mentioned is in the se line i know, but orange tiger and dark cherry burst? I don’t think so
Would be great to show the final result at the end.
I know it's been asked a couple of times already - with no answer no answer as of yet. But, I was wondering, what is the "isolator" that they put on the wood binding? Is it shellac, or varnish, or something else? The mention of the "isolator" is at 1:30 in the video.
huh, that water trick is cool, I've never thought of that
wow Wow WOW!
Very cool episode..thank you for bringing us in. Have 2 se, Paul's and 245 so far, maybe S2 or core soon.
Anyone know what that "isolater" liquid is? They mention it at 1:28
No One?? 😟
"...later down the line it will get a burst..."
WAAAAAAAAA...the burst was the part I wanted to see!!!!
Great videos!
Looks great even though wait times are terrible with the pandemic. I ordered an S2 McCarty 594 singlecut in burnt amber burst from Ryan Fowler a year ago and I'm still waiting to hear anything about it. I know the wait will be worth it though!
@@mr.nobody68 I didn't realize a full year was typical for them. Hopefully I will hear something soon. I was originally told 4-6 months.
is the downdraft table on all the time? Thanks I have a similar top on my assembly table, that snaps in for that purpose, remove it and put on the smooth top, or the router drops in the same vacuum hole. small shop challenges!
Does anyone know why they use three different types of solvent for the dyes? Would this not work if they were all alcohol, water, or oil based?
Just a guess, but the first alcohol based stain (charcoal) is probably not affected by the water based stain (orange) being applied on top of it. If they were the same type of stain, applying the orange would probably smear the charcoal stain already applied. I imagine the same logic would apply to the oil based stain (red). It won’t reactivate (probably the wrong term) the water based stain below it and cause bleeding or smearing.
Of course I could be way off the mark, but that would be my guess
@@JoeyJoJoJr51 Thank you for your thoughtful answer.
Really nice
Great video. I just wish we’d gotten to see the finished body.
Wonderful explanation! I wonder (if anyone minds to explain :) if this process can be applied (hand sanding instead) to wood veneer for multi colour/multi-layered stain? Not sure if it'd be possible without sanding your way through the veneer after aplying, lets say, 3 colours and their corresponding 3 sandings 🤔 Any tips appreciated!
Best case: acquire a scrap of the same material as your workpiece (guitar) and test the process on it first. "Sanding " is a relative term , there's a huge difference between 40 grit and 400 paper...stay with the higher grits and I'd say you're going to be alright. In other words, easy does it. Surfboards are my thing, and I've ve sanded through more than I can remember. Always happened when distracted or hurried. Guitar work is just fun for me. I'm not too serious. Have fun.
@@stevenrich824 Thanks mate! I might decide to go for a drop top instead finally. Figured out the creative possibilities are wider ;)
Uma obra prima!!!
Real work of art there. Wondering what it looks like after the final spray..
Nice to watch an artist/craftsman at work. Very smooth. I have a kit guitar I'd like to do a red burst on. Disclaimer.. I have nowhere near this level of skill. I'm guessing if I sit it next to my PRS when done, the comparison may not be as favourable 😂
I'm about to dive into my first kit, a PRS style from Solo ( A Canadian company). This is the finish I'm going to try.
Cool to see the fire burst red as I have a 2010 ten top cu22 special in this color. Almost looks more like a reddish brown. Maybe it gets darker after all the clear n stuff is done? Mine is pretty dark, looks really good. My gray-black cu22 looks almost like the first step. My sunburst22 is the dirty Mcarty color. That's the only 3 I have left, my 3 favorites. Had a beautiful blue 513 with a natural back, was amazing looking just never took to the 513 pickups. Had an all black 513 that looked like a piano finish, sold for same reason. And 1 se cu22 for if the wife n I travel.
I'd like to see how they make the Eriza Verde finish. That would be interesting to watch.
You did a great job! Could You tell how do make
"sour grapes" finish ??
🔥
Why do you use colors based with alcohol, water, and oil instead of colors all of one base?
What do you use for the isolator? It might come in handy for my furniture work. Thanks
Nice video, amazing! I'm would assume PRS has their own brand of stain that they make or buy in bulk but I was wondering what most people are using on their home built guitars for fillers, stain, polishes etc. any suggestions? Also what is the difference of using stain and powdered or liquid dye? Is there any benefit to using dye?
really wish they would say what the isolator coat is made out of! I'm assuming something akin to shellac that would act as a buffer between the oil stain and the pore fill.
This is so cool I'm doing a flame top Tele DIY I've used a honey brown stain and it looks good but will lightly sand and re apply What I need is what to use for top coat to make the maple pop Thanks
What substance is being applied as the idolator to stop the bleeding into the side?
Can anyone give me a hint or product name on what this Isolator liquid is that protects the binding. At the beginning short before he starts staining? At 01:30. Would like to do this too.
Awesome video!
Question re: "...a small layer of isolator around the guitar [binding area]..." at 1:08 time, What solution is used as that "isolator"? (thanks in advance!)
it’s just clear poly, probably loaded with activator so it dries instantly. I do the same thing with clear lacquer before dyeing a top.
Would this be helpful using plastic binding?
I wish I could afford a USA PRS. Beautiful guitar!