Now that I’m at our vacation home, I set up the workstation in the basement and did some test coloring and more examination. I decided that the neck should remain as-is, because it seems like there’s a more durable coat of sealant on it. I tried sanding off the top coat on the back of the joint where it would connect to the body, but it was taking more effort than I expected.

In various angles of light, I could see the shimmer of the mahogany, so it felt like it’d be a bit of a shame to lose that contrast with the future blue body.

I assembled the tuning machines just for a sense of some accomplishment:

I sanded down the body with 220 grit sandpaper to prep it for the Goodfilla ebony grain filler.

Then I realized my first mistake. I didn’t sand enough, because when I wiped off the dried grain filler with a damp shop rag, I was taking off all of it. I ended up right where I started again. So I went down to a 120 grit to take the sealer off and then I could tell that I was making a difference with a touch test. I applied the grain filler, thinned with a little bit of water to make it more paste-like than chunky-solid.

It was late when I finished laying it in on the back of the body, so I decided to let it dry and sit overnight until I could tackle it in the morning again.