Awesome, thanks for the kind words! Yeah there are some similarities in the painting techniques between the Bee and the 5150. Hopefully this series will help you too!!
Man, I needed this video last summer when I was making my Frankie guitar, I had the most frustrating time trying to work with Stew Mac’s grain filler. I kept pulling the filler out on the 2nd and 3rd coats by introducing water, like you were saying. So I went with z-poxy instead. Layering it with the sanding sealer like that is genius. Next time I guess 😅. Awesome video.
Oh man! That would be super frustrating!!! Sorry you had to deal with that mess!!! Well, I'm sure you will eventually want to build another one even though we always say "this one is my last" but we always build more!!! ;) So, the next time you build another Franky or Bee, you can try out this technique. Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers!
Thank you so much! Yeah...I wish I had more time to spend on them as well. Life gets a little crazy at times, so unfortunately the projects go to the backburner.
I have a northern white ash pacer special body. going to do an 84 EVH, will use your method for the grain filler on this one. Thanks for the video Brian.
That's great to know! I'm looking forward to trying it. I purchased a similar product made by "Car-Rep" which is also a 2k clear, but has an infinite shelf life. I'm using that to spray on my test sample boards in the meantime.
Thanks Kyle! I'm not sure yet...maybe after I get the Bee finished I can think about another build. Right now I'm still struggling waiting for the right weather and enough time to start painting...but soon! Thanks for watching!
I just use Amazon...either the Green Fine Line, or the Blue vinyl stuff. You might have to pay $20 with delivery, but that's a far cry from $60. Hope that helps.
I’m starting a Frankie build. Should I also fill the body? Because the original Frankie isn’t I believe. You can see the ash shape even underneath the paint
I’ve seen it done both ways…with and without grain filler. There is some noticeable grain in the original, so it really depends how much of it you want to show through your paint. I’ve seen people use a little bit of grain filler just to reduce some of the deeper pores. I think that’s probably the best option…but it’s totally personal preference on this.
Another great video even though Eddie never bonded with the original bumble bee guitar due to tone reasons I think it was not necessarily the ash body but I think it was the rosewood fretboard that effected the tone maybe if he had swapped out the rosewood fretboard with a maple fretboard I think he may have then liked the guitar. And what makes me think that is when Chris gill made the frankenstrat replica for Eddie having never seen the original Frankie or knowing it was basswood he got everything else right but the body was made of ash just like the bumblebee but Eddie loved the Frankie replica even saying it sounded better and played better than his original Frankie. Again I am saying this because maybe you should Consider doing a bumble bee but with a maple fretboard instead of the rosewood fingerboard or maybe do an ebony fretboard as Eddie actually loved real gaboon ebony fretboards too. Anyway as I write this I blew up at someone on a UA-cam video in the comments after seeing 50 million videos trashing nitro cellulose laquar like it's the same formulation from the 1950s and seeing all these so called guitar guys saying laquar sucks or it does not cure or yellows and that's why I use polyurathane or no I use polycrylic or say tone wood does not matter in a solid body guitar which is just not true. I mean did Eddie go out to do his guitars go out and buy a huge 2 part catylist fancy automotive polyurathane paint and go I only will use polyurathane laqusr sucks no he went to the bicycle shop and bought bicycle paint and cans of krylon and made the Frankie. And that's my point and my brother In law is a master instrument maker who also is a master acoustic guitar luthier although he stopped doing guitars in the early 1980s who made stringed instruments for works famous Orchestra players and did he coat the voilins in a bunch of polyurathane absolutely not he did boiled linseed oil hang dried the instrument for up to 3 months and made his own varnish which I think was shellac or a homebrewed laqusr and did his stringed instruments get yellow and crack no they didn't my hope is you can prove that your spray painted Eddie guitars will still look nice 5 years later and have not yellowed or cracked except for normal wear and tear again thanks for doing these videos without all the ridiculous technical stuff and jargon over laquar.
Eddie used a maple neck with a maple board on the Bumblebee...and that's what I plan to do as well. I don't think I've ever seen a photo of Ed's original Bee with a rosewood board?
Yes the original bumblebee that is buried with dimebag I swear had a rosewood fretboard he had others made that looked like the bumblebee. But Eddie said he never liked the tone of the original bumble bee that it was not bright enough. But I know eddie I don't think minded rosewood in a fender strat itself but just did not like it prefered maple and ebony as we all know from his les Paul's.
Man I'm loving your videos. Have you ever tried doing graphics like the B.C. Rich / Ibanez guitars from the 80s? I guess the ones that weren't airbrushed had some kind of water slide composition, but I can't find any info on that, just some videos of bike tanks that were painted this way.
Thanks so much! I love your avatar too, btw. Haha! I have not tried doing graphics outside of the realm of EVH related patterns. I would love to learn though. I recently purchased an airbrush to get started on that journey one day. I think I know what you mean, though. I remember seeing some great looking graphics that were supposedly printed and laid underneath the clear coat back in the day. There's a company called Inzane Skins doing something like that now, and I've thought about ordering a print to try it out. Although they make a version with a laminate coating that doesn't require clear coat on top...but I'm sure it would be way more obvious since there would be a visible "edge" to the decal.
@@CoffeeDrinker71 I appreciate your response! Skins are cool but I'd like to go for that custom shop look. I tried reaching out to pro guys who do this for a living but they obviously don't like sharing their methods, haha! What I could piece together from what they told me is that they mix airbrushing, stencils and water slide decals, sometimes separated by layers of clear, but it all depends on the graphics you're trying to put on the guitar. In the future I'd like to make a replica of Joey Allen's (from Warrant) felix guitar with some very high gloss clear on top. I've been doing some research on heat transfers and water silde decals, as soon as I get an air compressor (and some free time) I'll do some tests on some scrap wood.
@@luislanga Yes I agree. Having that graphic properly done would be very cool. Lee at GMW Guitar Works painted that exact model back in 2020 (posted on FB). You're right, there are a lot of details and methods that most artists keep to themselves. I've tried researching it as well....Mike Learn has some really good information on his website and UA-cam channel. Plus, my wife just purchased a Cricut machine, and that gave me ideas to learn how to create stencils for airbrushing (eventually). I would highly recommend watching videos on the different Cricut machines and how they can be used to create stencils. Seems fairly straightforward for the most part, but I'm sure there's still a massive amount of skill involved. Just bought my first airbrush to learn with...from Paasche. However, I'm still unsure what types of paints are best for this type of work. Yes, you are correct on the layers of clear. House of Kolor makes a product called "SG-100" which is an "inner-coat clear". Basically you create one layer of art work, then seal it down with a coat of the SG-100, then it's protected during the next layer(s). I've used it before in the past on one of my 5150 projects and it really does help.
@@CoffeeDrinker71 great stuff! I saw the felix BC Rich you're talking about, GMW is awesome. Thanks for sharing all this information, I'm glad I found your channel! Keep posting please!
Yes, it can be a little thicker depending on how much water is added...or depending on the brand/style that you use. I really like the TimberMate filler. I've used it successfully for several projects now, and have no complaints. Glad you liked the video! Thanks for watching!
Great video, did you like this body more than the KNE body? Which one would you recommend this one or KNE? Looking to start a project I use to USACG but not anymore.
I would give the edge to Locke! They are extremely meticulous when it comes to matching every single detail of the originals. The fit and finish is always superb with Locke as well. Hope that helps!
Ok another rookie question....is the full grain fill process still recommended for a different wood with lighter grain? I'm using an alder body with barely-visible veins through the grain. Thanks in advance!
That's a great question. In short, no. Some species such as alder and basswood have a tighter (closed) grain pattern that usually doesn't require any type of filling process. With those bodies/woods you can simply use a good sanding sealer and it will be fine!
YES!! Thanks for waiting patiently!!! The last 3 months have been crazy busy around the house! I've got the bodies in primer as we speak (just filmed last weekend) and getting ready to lay down the yellow base coat within a few days...so hopefully I can get Part 2 out very soon!!! :) Thanks for asking!!!!
@@CoffeeDrinker71 awesome. You are how I found out about the duplicolor paints so thank you! I did a ffanky was a fun and super rewarding experience as I did it with my young son, guitar is great. Also music craft neck. I’m about to do the bumble so can’t wait to see yours.
@@CoffeeDrinker71 awesome buddy, so I wanna paint a build but it’s not any VH striping I wanna do a relic job. If I use a good primer will still need sanding sealer? Also do I still need to wet sand after clear coating
Totally up to you! Mahogany is somewhat of an open-grained species but not nearly as open-grained as ash. You might be able to get away with just sealing it but that's something you'll have to decide. You can always seal it then see how it looks...if you see the pores, then start adding grain filler, then seal it again.
Thanks!! I think Locke has the bodies dialed in much more accurately....if that's what you are asking? I've never had a single quality issue with KNE and the same can be said for Locke. They both make fantastic bodies, it really depends what features are important to you. Locke has continually improved their designs over the past few years on several models.
I haven't painted the stripes yet! But...I did a pretty thorough search of the internet and found a ton of photos to use whenever I get ready to paint! Thanks!
No, keep in mind Ed's "Bee" didn't have back plates. Go to the 3:20 mark for an explanation and 3:40 mark for a photo of Ed's. That's why there are no plates.
@@donaldyoung9838 Yep, I put it in the description. 2-piece northern ash. 2-3/16” Fender sized neck pocket. Floyd bushings. That’s pretty much the basics….
Thank you. I take this as the ultimate compliment. 😎 However I do not offer any painting services at this time. This is just a hobby for me and it takes me forever (it seems like) to finish one body.
Filling the grain with an ash body is an exercise in futility. Especially with something that’s water based because the grain will swell. It makes things so much easier to start with a tight grain wood.
Yes but that defeats the purpose. In order for this to be a "replica", you need to use northern ash since that's what Eddie's was built with. Tighter grain wood could have been an easier option but not correct for this Bee replica.
Super excited for this! Will be following closely for my own 5150 build, love how yours came out in your previous videos
Awesome, thanks for the kind words! Yeah there are some similarities in the painting techniques between the Bee and the 5150. Hopefully this series will help you too!!
Man, I needed this video last summer when I was making my Frankie guitar, I had the most frustrating time trying to work with Stew Mac’s grain filler. I kept pulling the filler out on the 2nd and 3rd coats by introducing water, like you were saying. So I went with z-poxy instead. Layering it with the sanding sealer like that is genius. Next time I guess 😅. Awesome video.
Oh man! That would be super frustrating!!! Sorry you had to deal with that mess!!! Well, I'm sure you will eventually want to build another one even though we always say "this one is my last" but we always build more!!! ;) So, the next time you build another Franky or Bee, you can try out this technique. Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers!
Same thing for me! I can’t even tell you how much grain filler I went through on a Frankie build I did!
Love these evh builds man! Just wish they were more frequent 😊
Thank you so much! Yeah...I wish I had more time to spend on them as well. Life gets a little crazy at times, so unfortunately the projects go to the backburner.
Great job! Thank you for sharing this. I really learned a lot. I’ve been grain filling all wrong!
Thanks for watching! I’m glad this video has been helpful!!!
I have a northern white ash pacer special body. going to do an 84 EVH, will use your method for the grain filler on this one. Thanks for the video Brian.
That sounds like a fun project!! Good luck with it! Cheers!
Great video, Brian. Can´t wait for episode 2.
Thanks Peter!
The spray max clear is great automotive paint, I've been using it for years on different paint project. Your gonna love it. Great videos 👍👍
That's great to know! I'm looking forward to trying it. I purchased a similar product made by "Car-Rep" which is also a 2k clear, but has an infinite shelf life. I'm using that to spray on my test sample boards in the meantime.
And so it begins
Yes indeed!!!
What'll your next EVH build be? I think building the Unchained Guitar would be cool. Keep up the good work!
Thanks Kyle! I'm not sure yet...maybe after I get the Bee finished I can think about another build. Right now I'm still struggling waiting for the right weather and enough time to start painting...but soon! Thanks for watching!
@@CoffeeDrinker71 Mhm, You're Welcome.
This is awesome man 🎸 🔥 very informative
Thanks!!! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Where’s the best place to order 3/16 tape? I need to get my 5150 finished but I can’t find it online, without spending $60
I just use Amazon...either the Green Fine Line, or the Blue vinyl stuff. You might have to pay $20 with delivery, but that's a far cry from $60. Hope that helps.
I’m starting a Frankie build. Should I also fill the body? Because the original Frankie isn’t I believe. You can see the ash shape even underneath the paint
I’ve seen it done both ways…with and without grain filler. There is some noticeable grain in the original, so it really depends how much of it you want to show through your paint. I’ve seen people use a little bit of grain filler just to reduce some of the deeper pores. I think that’s probably the best option…but it’s totally personal preference on this.
Another great video even though Eddie never bonded with the original bumble bee guitar due to tone reasons I think it was not necessarily the ash body but I think it was the rosewood fretboard that effected the tone maybe if he had swapped out the rosewood fretboard with a maple fretboard I think he may have then liked the guitar.
And what makes me think that is when Chris gill made the frankenstrat replica for Eddie having never seen the original Frankie or knowing it was basswood he got everything else right but the body was made of ash just like the bumblebee but Eddie loved the Frankie replica even saying it sounded better and played better than his original Frankie.
Again I am saying this because maybe you should Consider doing a bumble bee but with a maple fretboard instead of the rosewood fingerboard or maybe do an ebony fretboard as Eddie actually loved real gaboon ebony fretboards too.
Anyway as I write this I blew up at someone on a UA-cam video in the comments after seeing 50 million videos trashing nitro cellulose laquar like it's the same formulation from the 1950s and seeing all these so called guitar guys saying laquar sucks or it does not cure or yellows and that's why I use polyurathane or no I use polycrylic or say tone wood does not matter in a solid body guitar which is just not true.
I mean did Eddie go out to do his guitars go out and buy a huge 2 part catylist fancy automotive polyurathane paint and go I only will use polyurathane laqusr sucks no he went to the bicycle shop and bought bicycle paint and cans of krylon and made the Frankie.
And that's my point and my brother In law is a master instrument maker who also is a master acoustic guitar luthier although he stopped doing guitars in the early 1980s who made stringed instruments for works famous Orchestra players and did he coat the voilins in a bunch of polyurathane absolutely not he did boiled linseed oil hang dried the instrument for up to 3 months and made his own varnish which I think was shellac or a homebrewed laqusr and did his stringed instruments get yellow and crack no they didn't my hope is you can prove that your spray painted Eddie guitars will still look nice 5 years later and have not yellowed or cracked except for normal wear and tear again thanks for doing these videos without all the ridiculous technical stuff and jargon over laquar.
Eddie used a maple neck with a maple board on the Bumblebee...and that's what I plan to do as well. I don't think I've ever seen a photo of Ed's original Bee with a rosewood board?
Yes the original bumblebee that is buried with dimebag I swear had a rosewood fretboard he had others made that looked like the bumblebee.
But Eddie said he never liked the tone of the original bumble bee that it was not bright enough. But I know eddie I don't think minded rosewood in a fender strat itself but just did not like it prefered maple and ebony as we all know from his les Paul's.
@@gabrielstern4992 Interesting!
Hey man great build! Did Eddie do this much prep work before painting to his ‘78?
Thanks! ....and I highly doubt he did much prep work on his B/W '78.
Man I'm loving your videos. Have you ever tried doing graphics like the B.C. Rich / Ibanez guitars from the 80s? I guess the ones that weren't airbrushed had some kind of water slide composition, but I can't find any info on that, just some videos of bike tanks that were painted this way.
Thanks so much! I love your avatar too, btw. Haha! I have not tried doing graphics outside of the realm of EVH related patterns. I would love to learn though. I recently purchased an airbrush to get started on that journey one day. I think I know what you mean, though. I remember seeing some great looking graphics that were supposedly printed and laid underneath the clear coat back in the day. There's a company called Inzane Skins doing something like that now, and I've thought about ordering a print to try it out. Although they make a version with a laminate coating that doesn't require clear coat on top...but I'm sure it would be way more obvious since there would be a visible "edge" to the decal.
@@CoffeeDrinker71 I appreciate your response! Skins are cool but I'd like to go for that custom shop look. I tried reaching out to pro guys who do this for a living but they obviously don't like sharing their methods, haha! What I could piece together from what they told me is that they mix airbrushing, stencils and water slide decals, sometimes separated by layers of clear, but it all depends on the graphics you're trying to put on the guitar. In the future I'd like to make a replica of Joey Allen's (from Warrant) felix guitar with some very high gloss clear on top. I've been doing some research on heat transfers and water silde decals, as soon as I get an air compressor (and some free time) I'll do some tests on some scrap wood.
@@luislanga Yes I agree. Having that graphic properly done would be very cool. Lee at GMW Guitar Works painted that exact model back in 2020 (posted on FB). You're right, there are a lot of details and methods that most artists keep to themselves. I've tried researching it as well....Mike Learn has some really good information on his website and UA-cam channel. Plus, my wife just purchased a Cricut machine, and that gave me ideas to learn how to create stencils for airbrushing (eventually). I would highly recommend watching videos on the different Cricut machines and how they can be used to create stencils. Seems fairly straightforward for the most part, but I'm sure there's still a massive amount of skill involved. Just bought my first airbrush to learn with...from Paasche. However, I'm still unsure what types of paints are best for this type of work. Yes, you are correct on the layers of clear. House of Kolor makes a product called "SG-100" which is an "inner-coat clear". Basically you create one layer of art work, then seal it down with a coat of the SG-100, then it's protected during the next layer(s). I've used it before in the past on one of my 5150 projects and it really does help.
@@CoffeeDrinker71 great stuff! I saw the felix BC Rich you're talking about, GMW is awesome. Thanks for sharing all this information, I'm glad I found your channel! Keep posting please!
thought grain filler would of been a lot thicker. This eases my concerns that it was a bit harder to get right.
Yes, it can be a little thicker depending on how much water is added...or depending on the brand/style that you use. I really like the TimberMate filler. I've used it successfully for several projects now, and have no complaints. Glad you liked the video! Thanks for watching!
Awesome! 🎸🎸🎸
Thanks!
Great video, did you like this body more than the KNE body? Which one would you recommend this one or KNE? Looking to start a project I use to USACG but not anymore.
I would give the edge to Locke! They are extremely meticulous when it comes to matching every single detail of the originals. The fit and finish is always superb with Locke as well. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the info.
Ok another rookie question....is the full grain fill process still recommended for a different wood with lighter grain? I'm using an alder body with barely-visible veins through the grain. Thanks in advance!
That's a great question. In short, no. Some species such as alder and basswood have a tighter (closed) grain pattern that usually doesn't require any type of filling process. With those bodies/woods you can simply use a good sanding sealer and it will be fine!
Awesome thanks man. Anxiously awaiting the nitro finish episodes!
waiting for part 2, have my coffee ready.. any updates on drop date ?
YES!! Thanks for waiting patiently!!! The last 3 months have been crazy busy around the house! I've got the bodies in primer as we speak (just filmed last weekend) and getting ready to lay down the yellow base coat within a few days...so hopefully I can get Part 2 out very soon!!! :) Thanks for asking!!!!
@@CoffeeDrinker71 awesomeness! Are you going to use duplicolor color ford chrome yellow? I saw you used duplicolor red for franky if not mistaken
@@jason5150kid Yes! Totally correct! I'll be using the Duplicolor Perfect Match "Ford Chrome Yellow".
@@CoffeeDrinker71 awesome. You are how I found out about the duplicolor paints so thank you! I did a ffanky was a fun and super rewarding experience as I did it with my young son, guitar is great. Also music craft neck. I’m about to do the bumble so can’t wait to see yours.
@@jason5150kid That is great news! It's always exciting to hear other people's experiences about building their own! That's what it's all about!
Hey Brian can you give me tips on painting my build I never did it before
That's what this series is all about! ;)
@@CoffeeDrinker71 awesome buddy, so I wanna paint a build but it’s not any VH striping I wanna do a relic job. If I use a good primer will still need sanding sealer? Also do I still need to wet sand after clear coating
@@cheesewesil18 Yes I would still use a sealer otherwise your paint will sink into the grain.
Do you need to add the filler if you are painting a mahogany body ?
Totally up to you! Mahogany is somewhat of an open-grained species but not nearly as open-grained as ash. You might be able to get away with just sealing it but that's something you'll have to decide. You can always seal it then see how it looks...if you see the pores, then start adding grain filler, then seal it again.
Are they better than KNE?
Great vids !
Thanks!! I think Locke has the bodies dialed in much more accurately....if that's what you are asking? I've never had a single quality issue with KNE and the same can be said for Locke. They both make fantastic bodies, it really depends what features are important to you. Locke has continually improved their designs over the past few years on several models.
Hi, what pictures did you use to replicate the stripes?
I haven't painted the stripes yet! But...I did a pretty thorough search of the internet and found a ton of photos to use whenever I get ready to paint! Thanks!
Cool
Thanks!
Do they include the back plates
No, keep in mind Ed's "Bee" didn't have back plates. Go to the 3:20 mark for an explanation and 3:40 mark for a photo of Ed's. That's why there are no plates.
Hey my friend how long did it take for you to get the body from locke after you ordered it thanks
It took exactly 8 weeks.
@CoffeeDrinker71 thanks can I get your specs on yours anyou ordered off the site thanks
@@donaldyoung9838 Yep, I put it in the description. 2-piece northern ash. 2-3/16” Fender sized neck pocket. Floyd bushings. That’s pretty much the basics….
@CoffeeDrinker71 thank you sir I really appreciate it
@@donaldyoung9838 My pleasure! Cheers!
How much would you charge to paint one of if I sent you a body ?
Thank you. I take this as the ultimate compliment. 😎 However I do not offer any painting services at this time. This is just a hobby for me and it takes me forever (it seems like) to finish one body.
Where did you get your bodies at?
I speak about it in great length at the beginning of the video…..Locke!
Filling the grain with an ash body is an exercise in futility. Especially with something that’s water based because the grain will swell. It makes things so much easier to start with a tight grain wood.
Yes but that defeats the purpose. In order for this to be a "replica", you need to use northern ash since that's what Eddie's was built with. Tighter grain wood could have been an easier option but not correct for this Bee replica.
It worked for him, didn't it?