Painting your guitar?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jouni
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Jouni

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Hiyall!

I've got these cheapo gits laying around and I was thinking that since I also draw and paint somewhat decent, I'd like to customize some guitar with mee own artwork. Perhaps the dg-350 ibanez.

But that'd take an airbrush, I'd also have a friend that has a set at his disposal but with compressors and paints and dilutions that all seems a bit of a chore... And not really worth it if I'm just gonna decorate one guitar.

Should I go "Hendrix" and just paint the thing with nailpolish? :D

Got any insight on that ??
 
No one ever like.. drawn a design with a pencil and just clearcoated it?..

It wouldn't probably hurt the tone if I just encased the thing with some nice leather?.. :D
..would look excellent! :D
 
I've known guys to apply decals, sign their names, doodle with a Sharpie, glue beer bottle labels, sandetch, tape, everything but smear boogers on their axes and clearcoat them...When I repainted my guitar last year I was very tempted to make a stylised decal on the computer, "Stetto-caster" and apply it where the neck position pickup would go...Didn't though...

The Fender catalog has some artsy-fartsy guitars in it...

Eric
 
I graphic-ed up my brother's guitar with model paint once. It's a little tricky keeping the artwork thin enough to completely cover with clear coat, and sand flat. Try it on scrap lumber first. Mine came out quite acceptable.
 
The finish will turn out the best if you pay careful attention to the temperature and the humidity. If it's too cold the paint doesn't cure as well. If it's too humid the paint won't cure as well. I don't mind a good rattle can finish, I just hate it when the paint is forever gummy.

Another thing to think about is the stripping process. if the body is some shitty soft plywood crap, when you sand it, you can be "reshaping" it. Try and be gentle. Sometimes, you can just scuff up the old finish, then put on a bazillion coats of krylon in a hot, dry garage and it will look pretty decent.

Metallic car spray paint works well. It tends to hid the imperfections better than regular opaque colors.
 
I think you're going to want to use a compressor to clearcoat. You can use spray cans, but the control is so much better with a compressor, it will be a lot less work for a nicer finish.
 
For what it's worth, Guitar World had a whole bunch of issues on sanding down and painting guitars. They probably don't have it on their web site tho, but if you want I could find all the issues and scan 'em or make a big post or something.
 
You had better figure out what the paint is that you are painting over, polyurethane and acrylic will not work together and will make a bubbly mess. If you take it down to bare wood you will need a sealer coat or the paint won't want to stick, it may just run off in drips. :mad:
 
mshilarious said:
I think you're going to want to use a compressor to clearcoat.
Click to expand...

Actually, rattlecan technology has entered the 21st century along with everything else. For a price, spray cans with "regulated" output and varied spray patterns are available, and you can have custom colors mixed and filled into them. I've done some impressive work with a spray can, just not on a guitar...Being as I have an HVLP in the shop... :cool:

Eric
 
Ya know you might find some tips for new paints on the Buggies Unlimited forums. Some of those guys have outrageous paint jobs on golf carts. Mostly fiberglass bodies, though. I'm sure some of their tips will also work for wood.
 
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