The Amp Garage

I have an old Mojo cab from years ago before they offered lacquering and would very much like to give this thing a makeover, since I currently hate it. Any tips for this? Staining? I have no idea and I don't care to make a pristine lacquered piece. Just something preferable to this bare tweed.

Thanks!

David

I prefer shellac as it's easier on the nose and you can brush it on.
If you want a uniform color, it's hard to get without spraying, either shellac or lacquer.

But if you are like me and don't want uniformity, you can go quick and dirty with a brush.

I've gone for a dark, road worn, smokey bar look, so I wanted inconsistency, runs, beer glass circle stains, scrapes etc.
I mixed Colortone dyes into the shellac (2# cut Bullseye. 1# cut sealer works also), and brushed it on in 2 or three thin coats.
Color can be tricky with tweed as it will pool up in the low areas, so the first coat can be clear, followed by color coats. You can make it look as new or old and worn as you want. .

I love that Fender 5b6 combo amp you built. Sweet.

I am going to do another tweed in the next week or so and will do some samples with the water based products I have. Tweed should be here today.

Tele, I'm digging that tweed in those pics! Very nice amp!

The only thing about this particular inquiry is that I don't want it to be too extensive. I was originally just going to do a regular Deluxe in that bare tweed cab, but figured I might be able to make it more appealing. I don't have a lot of finishing products, just Minwax semi gloss lacquer. I think there are a couple of stains as well. Would that lacquer be a wise choice to use for a few coats? I really do just want something that I can do in a day or so by end of the weekend.

Here is one take on what to do and I think it is fairly simple: http://carlscustomamps.com/what-is-lacquered-tweed/

Thanks Phil!

You could also try brushing on some of the water based polys like Diamond or Minwax Polycrylic.Tough as nails. You would need to do two coats, lightly sanding after the first to get the fuzz off as the water will "raise the grain" so to speak in the cotton. The next coat will lay flatter. No need for spray gear.

Thanks Tele! This project got pushed because of interest in the amp from a friend, so time will allow seeking out a more appropriate product, like you've suggested. Those seem to be simple enough for someone like me to use lol.