DIY guitar - need advice on re-painting guitar body

jamesstarky · 21-12-2009, 12:39

Hey

Can anyone give me advice on how to re-paint my guitar body.

I have a fender bass thats black and I just want to give it a new colour and a proper finish.

I've looked at several youtube 'guides', just wondered if anyone local has any experience.

Cheers

james

chanser · 21-12-2009, 13:20

I have done a guitar for a mate of mine.

Remove electrics and neck.

Sand it down to the undercoat, try to leave the undercoat on, if you go to the grain of the wood it will look naff. Fill any dings with a compound such as a car body filler, I used one that is OK to use on wood, can't remember what it was called. Once filled, sand smooth again.

Mask anything you dont want to spray paint and hang the body up so you can spray all the way round. Put on lots of very thin coats of paint, maybe 10 or 15 coats, if you put it on really thin, it wont run. Build the colour up slowly and be very patient.

Then put on lots of varnish coats, another 10 or 20 very thin coats.

use some t-cut scratch remover to polish it up like glass.

Job done.

jamesstarky · 21-12-2009, 17:45

Cheers

I'm wondering if I should do it between Christmas and New Year.
How long do you think it takes in total, and for the varnish to dry hard especially?
Just want to work out how long I'll be without being able to play.

Cheers
James

chanser · 22-12-2009, 08:19

If you have all the stuff you need, you could finish it in a week I guess, depends on the environment, I don't have a garage so I did it outside when the weather was nice. One thing you need to do is let the paint dry fully before you put more on, read the can for instructions. It will take a day at least to get the paint off, and a day to fill and sand smooth. the painting will depend on how many coats you put on, same with the varnishing.

Also do you need to strip and paint the headstock?

Go online and look up how to set up the instrument, when you rebuild it you can check the action/intonation and truss rod adjustment. Clean the neck and frets while the strings are off etc.

jamesstarky · 22-12-2009, 11:52

I found some really good websites:

manchester guitar tec
uk guitar builders forum

I'm only doing the body. Now my main concern is if these low temperatures and moisture in the air will effect the drying of the lacquer.

I'll let you know how I get on, if I do.

Cheers
James

chanser · 22-12-2009, 12:59

Good luck with it.

Do some before and after pics. I'd love to see how you get on with it.

Chris_Sleeps · 22-12-2009, 13:54

There are some helpful people on the Ultimate-Guitar forums. Link. Never tried a paint job myself before though.