On a whim one Saturday afternoon: I redid the top of my PV Predator XP Plus
Usually, the videos on this channel are pretty planned. I know where I'm going, I have a plan, a list of equipment, all that. Well, this time, no. Not at all.
Let me introduce you to my Predator XP Plus. It's my guitar, my first one, the one that's been with me for a very long time, even through a loooong hiatus from playing (yeah, it happened, believe it or not). The problem is, the top is completely wrecked. The wood is basswood, and over the years, it's become riddled with indentations. It saddened me to see it like that. So, on a bit of a whim, I decided to fix it. today. Direction: complete sandblasting of the top, new dye, new finish. Something more colorful, more personalized, more like me. The hidden challenge? I wasn't touching the sides, just the top—so I had to manage to blend the new finish with the existing rebate. A crazy idea, maybe. But I was confident.
Sandblasting: easier than expected
After completely disassembling the guitar, I set off with my orbital sander and 60-grit sandpaper—yes, heavy-duty, because I didn't want to spend all day fiddling with it. The result: it was considerably faster and less dusty than I expected. The factory finish was clearly quite thin. The real challenge was the areas where the indentation was too deep to simply sand. For those spots, I pulled out a technique I'd already used on a neck: thoroughly dampen the wood, then run a soldering iron over a damp cloth to raise the compressed grain. I just had to be careful not to burn the wood or detach the groove. It worked, not as quickly as I would have liked, but it worked. Once the wood was raised, it was back to sanding, this time with 120 and then 150 grit. Linden wood is not mahogany — it never stays perfectly smooth — but the grain that came out with a damp cloth was really beautiful.
The dye: a turquoise burst inspired by the sea
Once the masking around the groove was done, I tested an idea I'd been toying with: a sort of natural-to-turquoise burst, inspired by a guitar I'd seen with a sea and sand look. The Rit stain, straight from the bottle, is really, really blue—but it reacts with the wood color, and once the oil finish is applied over it, it becomes distinctly turquoise. The technique: apply only to the outline at first, then blend the application inwards with a damp cloth to create a gradient (a fade, if you will). You had to resist the urge to go too far towards the center—subsequent coats would naturally bleed inwards. I applied two coats, each time focusing on the outline to darken the burst, always finishing with water to blend the transitions. A little tip if you try this: don't be fooled by the appearance of the stain as it dries; it looks "faded." The true indicator of the final result is the appearance of the surface while it is still wet. After drying, I cleaned up the excess stain on the rebate with a modified X-Acto knife blade (one corner broken, part masked to avoid cutting myself), using my fingers as a guide to maintain a constant distance from the edge.
A hiccup: the water-based nail polish that didn't like the Rit dye
There, I made a time-consuming choice: applying a water-based polyurethane, the same one I use on the Explorer, to seal the stain. The first coat was applied with a foam brush, using my usual technique—from the inside out, quickly, without pressing too hard. The result after drying: bad news. The color remained blue and patchy, and the varnish seemed to have dried too quickly—it didn't adhere properly, leaving large marks. The verdict was clear: Rit stain and water-based varnish don't mix. So, back to square one: sanding down to the bare wood, more masking (I'd done it three times by now), and this time, an oil-based polyurethane.
Second attempt: oil-based varnish, slower but so much more effective
With oil, everything changes: you have much more time to work, no need to go over the same spot ten times. Apply with a foam brush, always working outwards, trying to use as little pressure as possible. This project reminded me of something important: finishing is a test of patience. It doesn't really mesh well with a spur-of-the-moment weekend project—like this one, for instance. But you learn. The wood, being porous in places, absorbed the varnish unevenly—normal with basswood. I let it dry, layered the coats, lightly sanding between each one (with 600-grit sandpaper) to level the surface. Once enough material had accumulated, I applied the final coat, wiping it off with a cloth, after a light sanding with soapy water and 2000-grit sandpaper, just enough to create a good surface without piercing the varnish. A very simple but effective trick: a lamp placed close to the surface allows you to spot bubbles or missed areas that you wouldn't see otherwise.
Results and next steps
The final result? I'm happy, really happy with the turquoise hue I achieved—exactly what I had in mind from the start, despite the detour. The result is already relatively smooth and clean, enough to reassemble the guitar and start playing it again right away. The next step is standard: let it harden for a good month before the final polishing (removing the neck and strings for this). Until then, the Predator is back in action, with a top that finally suits it.
Do you ever find yourself starting projects on a whim like that? Let me know in the comments.
