Guitar Zone

How To Re-spray A Guitar

How to paint a guitar in the colour of your choice.

There are several different ways to paint a guitar. For this website I'm going to be concentrating on the easiest way, and if anyone out there wants to have a go at painting their own guitar you'd be better following a simple way rather than a complicated one.

Disclaimer:

This guide is not exhaustive in the slightest. I have provided this as a quick reference as to how to paint a guitar. For fuller, more in-depth guidance, try borrowing a book from a library (even one which shows automotive painting - the techniques are very similar). I will not be held responsible for anyone who does not achieve their desired finish.

Safety First:

1) Ensure you are wearing old clothes, and have adequately masked areas you do not want covered in paint with old newspaper, dust sheets etc..

2) Always work in a well ventilated area. Ensure a good supply of clean fresh air, especially if you suffer from asthma (as I do) or other breathing problems. If possible do your painting outside, or with an air conditioner or similar switched on.

3) You may wish to work with an air mask on.

4) Do not work near a naked flame in any instance.

5) Take a regular break.

6) Be patient - this is not a ten minute job!

You Will Need:

Old newspaper and a clear, dry space to work in.
Fine sandpaper (400-grit preferable)
Primer
Paint
Wet And Dry paper (1000-grit preferable)
Lacquer

Step 1

First of all, you take the standard body of the guitar you have. For this tutorial, it doesn't matter if the guitar is already finished / painted, or is just the natural wood. We'll assume that this guitar has already been finished in another colour, and you want it changed to a different one.

Now you have this body, you have to sand it - it doesn't matter if you sand the paint off, all you want to do is to take the gloss lacquered finish off of the guitar. As you can see in this picture, the sheen has been removed.

Sanded down.

Step 2

Now, for this body I'm going to be changing it from this aquamarine colour to a dark blue. For this we're going to use aerosols. First of all you need a base coat - this is called primer, and is usually grey or white (the colour you will need depends on the final colour for the guitar - check the can of paint to find what colour of primer you will need).

You need to sand the body down so that the primer will stick evenly to the body (and not run off the sheen), and then the paint sticks to the primer. The advantage with using aerosols is that they're cheaper than a professional spray gun and readily available - you can get them from most shops that sell bits for cars, as car spray paint is the same stuff!

Take your can of primer, shake it up until the agitator ball stops rattling so much - this way you know it's mixed well. Hold the can about 10-14cm from the area you're spraying and lightly spray on the first coat of primer. It doesn't have to cover all the previous colour, just enough of a mist so that you can tell it's there. Tip: To avoid doing what I had to do (I had to paint indoors due to the weather) suspend the guitar body from a washing line or similar, using a bit of wire through the neck holes. This way you can walk around the guitar and get both sides of the guitar done at once.

Leave this to dry (most primers are dry enough to work with within 20-30 minutes, but check the instructions on the can), and then build up another couple of coats, until you have a grey, matt-finish guitar.

What it should look like with the primer.

Step 3

Next, take a bit Wet And Dry paper, about 1000-grit if you can find one. Apologies, I only know that this is what it's called in Britain, I don't know what it's called elsewhere. Dip this in water and lightly rub the body down to take off any minor imperfections. Once you have done this, and the primer is fully dry, take your can of spray paint and begin, as you did with the primer, by holding it 12-14cm from the body and spraying a light coat on top of the primer. Tip: Do not worry if your first couple of coats do not seem to be matching to the colour you bought. They will react with the primer (and also the colour underneath) and probably give you a lighter coat. This will disappear with every coat you apply. Remember you will probably need five or six coats to achieve a full, gloss finish.

Repeat this process, allowing time to dry in between (again, most spray paints will be dry enough to apply your next coat within 30 minutes - but check your can again) and building up to achieving a shiny gloss finish after five coats or so. Between coats, you may have to give a light rub down with the 1000-grit Wet And Dry paper (dipped in water) to remove any imperfections that may build up when you're painting coats.

The following pictures show the colour differences between coats - the first picture is after only two coats, the second is after five.

Painted. Notice the difference in colour between coats (the more coats the deeper the colour).

Step 4

Once you have applied the final coat, and the finish is to your liking, leave to dry overnight. Tip: If you are planning on applying any custom decals to the guitar, as I am, you may wish to apply them now, so that they will be under the lacquer.

Take your can of lacquer, and shake it up. Lacquer is a clear substance used to protect the paintwork and give it an extra-shiny, gloss finish. Now, apply the lacquer the same as you did with the paint, starting off with a light coat, building up to your desired number of coats (I would recommend at least five), rubbing down between coats with the 1000-grit Wet And Dry paper.

When this is finished, and you have applied the final coat of lacquer, leave this to dry for a day or two. Once this has dried, pick it up and admire your work. Congratulations! You have painted your guitar body.

Thanks to Project Strat for this information.

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