How do you do a "burst" on a spruce top.

[Neil K Walk]

Many here find them pretty but I know that the tobacco burst was originally used to disguise flaws. My second build has flaws in workmanship - particularly in the purfling inside the binding - that I have been able to fill with AR glue and spruce sawdust but the color matching is off so the purfling doesn't look so "crisp." Going back and rerouting the binding and purfling is not something that I want to do so I'm considering this as an alternative and would like to know what the process is.

Thanks!

[Skarsaune]

I've used StewMac's tobacco burst spray kit for two guitars, and followed their instructions plus the Guitar Finishing book available from them. I wasn't going for full gloss, so YMMV.

It's pretty much like any other finishing schedule -
Final Sand
Seal
Pore fill - just back and sides
Final Final Sand
Spray yellow
Scuff
Repeat a couple of times
Spray brown, working around the outside. You can use a mask, I had better results w/o. A mask leaves lines, you want it to blend.
Scuff
Repeat
Spray the darkest brown on the outside
Scuff
Repeat
Spray clear
Scuff and repeat as many times as you can stand
Buff if you feel lucky

Scrape the bindings/purfling to remove the lacquer that you've sprayed on them. This way your black/white/black shows up clearly and with a nice contrast to your burst.

It's not going to fill or smooth any mishaps re:your purfling, but it will get rid of color issues. Until you mislocate the bridge and have to remove it, then retouch the whole darn thing. Ask me how I know.