Koa Custom "Gecko-2" Strat

Here is a custom Koa Strat from Rick "The Wizard of Arizona". I'll let Rick give you the "Blow by Blow" details. Thanks for the pic, Rick!

"I started with a Warmoth body.  The body is semi hollow with chambers routed out and a Koa flame top laminated over a non flame 5 piece back.  I used spray shellac as a sealer in two coats and sanded smooth.  Then I stained it with the water soluble yellow you sent me ( I forget the name) {GRYEL yellow}.  I hand stained it several times, lightly sanding between coats.  Then I shot a coat of clear over that. I then put on two coats of Parks sanding sealer, more sanding to level  and then a coat of clear.  Following the clear came a couple of coats of reducer {alcohol or lacquer reducer} soluble medium brown lacquer air brushed around the edges front, sides and back with sanding between coats.  I had some cherry red clear (that I made from a Stew-Mac lacquer soluble liquid) left from a project with my Lucille custom so I air brushed that over the brown and yellow towards the middle giving the brown a kind of red-wine effect and a cherry burst into the yellow for a three color burst that's a bit unique if I do say so. I then wet sanded the body with 3m imperial with grades from 600 to 2000 and some even finer I found in a hobby store.   I rubbed out the body with 4 varying degrees of Meguiers purchased as a set from Stew-Mac.  I think total I have 4 cans of clear lacquer and varying amounts of colored that I applied with an air brush.  The neck is paduak shot with Behlens satin finish."



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