Re-painting a guitar

thecolourbox

I've been offered this guitar in a trade for my amp and I don't like the colour.

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a639/matthew_goodwin1/Mobile Uploads/FB_20150712_17_42_17_Saved_Picture_zpsfsavpq7r.jpg

How hard is it to re paint it in something less horrible? Wouldn't go for red as its too clearly me wanting a Jack White esque guitar lol but blue, black or maybe something oddball like yellow

Thanks in advance!

BluesboyMitch

Arent these guitars plastic?

Sassafras

I'd say the colour was the best thing about it.

thecolourbox

BluesboyMitch;700118" said:

Arent these guitars plastic?

No the ones they are based on from the 60s were resoglass (fibreglass) but these are wood

Sassafras;700141" said:

I'd say the colour was the best thing about it.

Oo err!

jd0272

That's lush man, what the Hell's the matter with ye???

paulnb57

Shouldn't be a huge drama to repaint, it no different to refinishing any other guitar really.......I would use rattle cans, but I like it as it is......suits it IMHO

thecolourbox

It's a horrible colour, as is the scratchplate which I guess might be more difficult to sort out

It's not even a proper green!

thecolourbox

paulnb57;700187" said:

Shouldn't be a huge drama to repaint, it no different to refinishing any other guitar really.......I would use rattle cans, but I like it as it is......suits it IMHO

I've never done it at all though, my upcoming DIY project also will be a varnish finish rather than painting it. I'm guessing though I'll need to sand off the existing colour, re spray then lacquer?

Sassafras

I agree about the scratchplate, it really deserves a white one. Might even tone down the green a wee bit.

usedtobe

I think it's horrible. Sorry!

thecolourbox

usedtobe;700262" said:

I think it's horrible. Sorry!

I feel the same with Les Pauls to be honest, it's just individual taste. Looks better in this kind of colour:

https://mossguitars.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/mattmoss-res-o-glas-kit02.jpg

usedtobe

That does look a lot better, tbh!

thecolourbox

Exactly. The green washy colour is ugly as sin

stonevibe

Looks like a Dalek's toilet seat.

JohnB

If the finish is in reasonable condition you might get away with just keying it with wet and dry and spraying the new colour over the top.  Be careful though because some finishes will craze or strip the old finish then you will have to take it back to bare wood.  Nitro lacquers make quite good strippers.

thecolourbox

JohnB said:

If the finish is in reasonable condition you might get away with just keying it with wet and dry and spraying the new colour over the top.  Be careful though because some finishes will craze or strip the old finish then you will have to take it back to bare wood.  Nitro lacquers make quite good strippers.

 Bear in mind these will all be new skills to learn for me, and i don't really know what some of that means... keying it with wet and dry?

Or is it generally easier and wiser to just pay somebody to do it all for me? 

Sarge

Keying = roughing up the surface with emery paper(wet n dry) so the new paint /primer will stick properly.

Sassafras

thecolourbox said:

JohnB said:

If the finish is in reasonable condition you might get away with just keying it with wet and dry and spraying the new colour over the top.  Be careful though because some finishes will craze or strip the old finish then you will have to take it back to bare wood.  Nitro lacquers make quite good strippers.

 Bear in mind these will all be new skills to learn for me, and i don't really know what some of that means... keying it with wet and dry?

Or is it generally easier and wiser to just pay somebody to do it all for me? 

It depends on how much it's worth. If a lot then it would be better to have it done professionally. On the other hand if not much then it would be useful to learn how to refinish a guitar yourself.

thecolourbox

Yes that's a fair point, hmm no maybe it is best to get somebody who knows what they are doing to do it! 

According to the Eastwood site they retail for £949 brand new, so to get one in trade for my little amp (trade value £300 or so) is quite a generous offer I feel, I'd guess they are too decent an instrument for me to risk bodging a paint job on on reflection...

JohnB

Maybe get a cheap one to practice on :-)

Sarge

This might be a touch beyond an absolute beginner, but you could remove all the original paint with a heat gun, very gently mind, see this thread
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/44392/westbury-standard-gettin-nekkid/p1

It's a very clean method but easy to go too hot and make a mess.