guitar paint stripping and binding

V

VertuGoGo

New member
this is sort of a repeat of my question about removing paint off a solid body guitar. my friend said that instead of sanding the paint off, i should just strip it with some stripping fluid. but he can't remember the kind that will not harm the wood of the guitar. can anybody recommend a good stripper? hehe.

once i strip the paint, i want to go further and do some mods on my les paul custom shaped guitar. i want to sand some wood off to give the body a forearm contour and maybe even a tummy cut. my question is when i apply new binding to the guitar, will it be able to follow the new guitar profile with the contours? or is binding only for "block" shaped guitars like les pauls and telecasters?
 
leave your guitar alone!
if your insistent in ruining your guitar....sand it.paint stripper is dangerous
 
BIX (thats the brand name) makes some fairly fast paint strippers. But no matter what stripper you use there is bound to be a certain amount of permanent coloration to the wood from the original finish. Wood is porous, the paint seeps in and lives there forever. Stripper is fine if you are going to repaint it a solid color. If you intend to stain ( see a bit of atural wood type finish) than keep sharp to the bleeding.
 
opps I forgot about the binding part. As mentioned befor, the binding serves one of two purposes. First to cover seams where two seperate pieces of wood join (top meets sides), and second as an aesthetic pretty bit of decoration.. pinstripe if you will. I dont suppose there is any law against you running binding for visual effect anywhere you want.
 
Diarmo said:
leave your guitar alone!
if your insistent in ruining your guitar....sand it.paint stripper is dangerous
Click to expand...

Not as dangerous as inhaling the paint particles you'll generate when sanding. If you do sand it, make sure you get the right repirator.
 
Well, it could either be a misspelling of 'respirator', or someone who makes a living stealing back the shit that pirates stole from his ancestors.
 
Well, it could either be a misspelling of 'respirator', or someone who makes a living stealing back the shit that pirates stole from his ancestors.
Click to expand...


....thats freaking funny....

I wouldn't attempt refinishing vintage...ever

However, on a whim, just stripped down an all black '83 Squier Strat and stained it "transparent oak yellow" and sprayed it with clear acrylic. It took many passes at sanding, staining, clear coat/sand/clear coat/sand (about 5 coats of clear coat). It definately does not have that deep clear finish like a professional job but it looks great from 3 feet away and it now psychologically plays better for me....like a new guitar.

Oh yeah, I used a very powerful stripper. The first stripper (gel) I tried didn't haze the finish. Sanding it would be a pain in the ass, and in my opinion, more likely to cause damage. Black and red are the worst colors to completely strip for obvious reasons.

There are lots of pages out there regarding refinishing tips and supplies. I think I got my info from The Guitar Ranch (and I got my supplies from Home Depot....like I said "on a whim").
 
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