no option to delete

[Jedi Clampett]

no option to delete

[Jedi Clampett]

I am planning to to put thin veneer on a precision bass body copy.
I used to correspond with with the late Chip Todd who never bothered to vacuum bag, but found using weight sufficient. The problem area would be the edges. I am not planning to use binding, but round over the edges, so the veneer will be stuck to the flat areas. If there is a problem then can use bondo and paint the edge opaque that would cover the bondo edge like the beginning of a sunburst.
Just looking for opinion and advice since no doubt some of you have done this very thing and have some knowledge to share. Now it may be that a little light sanding will do the trick to feather the edge into the top, but again, your experience can benefit me.

[Barry Daniels]

I would not recommend your approach. The sanded veneer edges all around the body curves looks funky to me.

[Peter Wilcox]

I agree with Barry - something needs to hide the veneer/top interface, whether it be binding, sunburst, or opaque color. I have used the following method on several veneer-top guitars:

-Round over the edge - fill any pits or defects with epoxy - make sure the top is sanded flat
-Apply any dye if desired

-Apply a number of coats of clear finish to the top (I use lacquer)
-Flatten the top - careful not to sand through the clear
-Apply opaque color to the edge

-Sand off any overspray on the top - easy because of the clear base.

[Barry Daniels]

Peter, those look great but Jedi is dealing with a fender bass which has very rounded edges so hiding the veneer edge just won't work as well as it does on your sharper edged bodies. Sort of apples and oranges.

[Peter Wilcox]

I don't think the size of the roundover matters - the veneer/body interface will be in the roundover, and will be hidden by the opaque color, as long as the glue line has no defects. If there are defects, they can be filled, as long as they don't extend into the flat face of the veneer.

[Gordon Bellerose]

I recently saw a guitar with a veneer top. It had very round sides. Probably a 1 inch radius, or more.
It looked as though the veneer was applied to the top, then the sides were rounded over, leaving a very tiny "ledge" for lack of a better word.
The top was just proud of the rounded over side. It didn't look too bad.

[Barry Daniels]

I could be proven wrong.

[Gordon Bellerose]

On the guitar I speak of, the veneer did not wrap down the sides. It may have a bit before the sides were routed, I can't say for certain.
The top ended up with the veneer, and the sides and back were simply the body wood.