If I do a guitar with shielding paint, i do everything I can to preserve it. Tape it off.

Glad it went well. I kinda scorched my P-bass a bit. Not bad, and won't hurt anything, but it's the first time I have ever done that.



That's what happens when you aren't careful lol

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

I got the primer on it, going to try and pick up the color paint tomorrow and maybe have the basecoat done tomorrow or Thursday.

Here's a pick of it stripped with the new rosewood neck and one of it with the primer on it.

Nice. That's gonna look so awesome!!

take loads of pictures, then start a new refinish thread, that isn't so cluttered up. i'll do one for the bass too!!

Heat gun is def the way to go with a catalyzed finish.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

What color are you going to paint the bass? Any designs or anything?

I am going to aim for similar to lake Placid Blue, with a black pickguard and knobs.

but with a bit of a twist. LPB is a one stage metallic paint. as in the flakes are in the powder. I want to try out something more like a candy colour.

Plan is to seal the body, paint it white (homemade primer,) then spray it with a silver metallic lacquer (I am mixing it myself, I have the silver powder,) then go over it with a transparent blue (also of my own mixture,) lacquer.

that way you look through the colour coat to the sparkle. Should add depth to the finish, sort of like Candy apple Red versus metallic Red. i am aiming for a lighter hue, more like Pelham Blue than some of the darker LPB's.

I expect to take several runs at this finish before I get it right.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Twelvebar, this is very interesting indeed. I've certainly never tried a sparkle and I'd sure love to see some "how to" photos. Please record it in good detail, would you?

Also, I hate to nag, but when are you going to finish the Swirl Green Ibanez for us? I'm waiting to see a perfect flat shiny clearcoat so's I can vote "mojo"...

Cheers - C

he it shouldn't be too long. I want to take advantage of the last of summer weather 9had late snow, and tons of rain this year,) and do some painting, on a couple projects, and save the polishing/soldering for rainy days.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

This is a very interesting topic! Mahalo!

Ya'll are off to very good starts and I was just thinking that if I had a similar notion, http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bodies,_necks,_wood/Electric_guitar:_Bodies/Strat_Bodies.html might be the way to start. StewMac also has some really neat finishing supplies and tools. Your sources were creative, this is just an alternative recommendation for others considering similar projects but don't want to strip another guitar or who want a particular wood species.

My wife is totally against me painting the guitar yellow. She want's me to paint it blue with the same stripes. But If I were to paint it blue I would want a metallic blue. Maybe like the Gun Metal Blue that they used on the Strat Plus. And I think that might be hard to find in a can.

I have a compressor and spray guns. So I decided to try mix all my stuff from scratch for this one.

I can't ship any of the easy alternatives for Nitrocellulose lacquer across the border, and there isn't any good source for spray cans of coloured lacquer in Canada. So I bought stuff to spray with, and will be tinting and toning my own colours. But as this is a hobby, I think it will be fun and challenging to try find shades I want. Spray cans make it easier to get colours, but you lose control of exact shades. and you can't adjust spray/flow the same way.

Don't get me wrong, you can achieve professional results with spray cans. but I think the fact i couldn't go to them, while eliminating their simplicity, has opened up more options to me.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Here's some pics of the guitar after about 4 coats of paint.
The shade of yellow isn't exactly what I wanted, but the choices in yellow aren't that great. They had the standard bright yellow, and this yellow that was lighter. I wanted one with a little more gold in it. They had a gold, but it looked more orange so I went with this.




Here's a screenshot of the car I race online that I'm basing the guitar on. That's more the shade I wanted.

Well, indoors the color looks a lot closer to what I wanted.

Well, I got the stripes done. Need to touch up the paint here and there and then clearcoat it.

It's looking good. Should be very effective once it's finished - it's really eye-catching.

Looking really good!!

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.