BexGears Guitar Kit: Why My Stain Didn’t Work (And What I Tried Instead)

Today we’re talking guitars and life with a deep dive into the BexGears engraved guitar kit. If you've been following the journey, you know I hit some major hurdles with the staining process. In this video, I’m getting real about the challenges of budget kits—from stubborn factory sealers to "invisible" glue spots that just won't take color. I’m experimenting with furniture touch-up markers in Walnut, Mahogany, and Cherry, plus some Tangerine Rit Dye, to see if I can salvage the look. This isn't a perfect "how-to" tutorial; it's an honest look at troubleshooting and turning flaws into character. Key Topics: Dealing with glue spots on engraved bodies Testing furniture markers vs. wood dye Troubleshooting factory sanding sealers Planning hardware upgrades for a rock and roll machine Timestamps: 0:00 Intro: Guitars and Life 0:23 The Staining Challenge: Recapping the Kit Journey 0:42 First Look: Furniture Touch-Up Marker Set 1:50 Experimenting with the Horn (Under the Pickguard) 2:44 Testing Colors: Walnut, Mahogany, and Cherry 4:46 Testing Maple Markers: The Burgundy Look 6:38 Brainstorming the Engraving Strategy 7:37 Tangerine Rit Dye Experiment 9:42 Gunstock Stain Application 12:43 The Struggle with Foam Applicators 14:51 Organizing the Build Order 19:06 Mid-Build Update & The Peanut Butter Pretzel Switch 19:32 Sanding the Back: Dealing with "Character" Spots 21:06 Identifying Stubborn Glue Spots in the Engraving 22:58 Applying the Second Coat of Tangerine Dye 25:24 Discussing Kit Feedback: Junk vs. Potential 28:51 Hardware Plans: RK Big Pole Pickups 31:32 Final Thoughts on the "Character Build" Products mentioned/tested: Varathane Gunstock Stain Rit All-Purpose Dye (Tangerine) Furniture Touch-Up Markers (Maple, Cherry, Walnut) 320-grit sandpaper ____ AKLOT Stryde Guitar Kit https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMhTW3lOIKQ3O3eEZb2_ivTrkvk5UMFVh Shoutouts:​ @Roy_Gaber (Roy) @TimRock1269 (BBM) @TonJager (Brant) @Jayde-guitar (Jayde) @2bikemikesguitartopics145 (Mike) Checkout our playlist page for more series and journeys https://www.youtube.com/@TedTalksGuitars/playlists Special Thanks to our channel members "The Jacks" Want to support the channel? Feel free to explore Channel membership options: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBr6kaWeOvldTHvntB3tnMg/join Ted Talks Guitars & Life Merch Store: https://tedtalksguitars-shop.fourthwall.com/ Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3W3PZox *If you click on this link to shop at Amazon the channel will receive a modest financial commission from your purchases. Guyker Referral Link: https://www.guyker.com/?ref=tedtalksguitars If you use the link you will save 15% at Guyker Use the coupon code: TEDSMITH #guitar #BexGears #GuitarKit #DIYGuitar #GuitarFinishing #StainFail #Luthier