Guitar PAINTING Question...

[snowaie]

So I got my Gibson Les Paul Junior. 2010. Vintage sunburst. It's nitro, painted. I'm thinking I like how the white looks on it better. Any way to paint it white? I'm a total noobie with all this. Thanks

[snowaie]

or just paint it fully black. thanks.

[schoolie1]

I wouldn't repaint a new guitar. It's doable, but it's going to ruin the resale value, in my opinion. Here's a link, if you want to do it:

http://reranch.com/101.htm


Is it possible to return it and get the color that you want?

[alex9152]

Is it possible to return it and get the color that you want?

 

This. Just exchange it for one in white.

[snowaie]

haha bros ive had it for like 7 months now. im probably not going to repaint it. more of just wondering minddddddd

[snowaie]

and im never gonna sell this guitar or my otber one. no need to worry about resale value

[docjeffrey]

Unless you have a spray booth, an air brush, a clean room for drying, and many years of experience, it's gonna look ghetto. Ghetto is cool on some guitars. Not on an LP Jr. You got the cool color. Now leave it the {censored} alone.

[BG76]

Unless you have a spray booth, an air brush, a clean room for drying, and many years of experience, it's gonna look ghetto. Ghetto is cool on some guitars. Not on an LP Jr. You got the cool color. Now leave it the {censored} alone.

:facepalm::facepalm:

This is complete nonsense.

I don't have a spray booth, an air brush (which would be insane to use to paint a guitar) or a clean room for drying.

I paint guitars all the time and they come out great. What you need is patience, planning and time.

I painted all three of these in my house. I actually sprayed the Gretsch outside.

If you do things right your guitar is dust free before you start and your lacquer will be dry the second it hits the guitar so you have no worries.

If you get an imperfection or two you just sand them out.

Just don't spray your paint when the humidity is high.

[Elias Graves]

My only advice is don't learn to paint on your Les Paul.
Do some other projects first and make your mistakes there.

EG

[BoneNut]

It's your guitar, do what you like with it.

{censored} overpriced reranch. You can get the same results with a couple of rattle cans from Home Depot. Since you're planning on going wit a solid color, it's a very easy job and inexpensive too.

The "right" way? WTF is that? It's just a paint job. 0.1% is the materials and 99.99% skill. Skills that anyone can learn.

[Elias Graves]

Yes, boner, a coat of $2 enamel would look just great.

 

EG

[DaveAronow]

Unless you have a spray booth, an air brush, a clean room for drying, and many years of experience, it's gonna look ghetto. Ghetto is cool on some guitars. Not on an LP Jr. You got the cool color. Now leave it the {censored} alone.

 

Dont listen to this ^^ freekin negetive nay sayer.

 

He is one of those that believes that because HE is all thumbs, then so must everybody else be.

 

It is YOUR guitar, and you absolutely CAN do a fantastic job on it if you take your time, do some research, and use proper materials and techniques. It is not rocket science. A 10 year old could do a fantastic job.

 

You DONT need a pray gun, compressers, spray booth or any of that stuff. That is all luxury stuff that makes it EASIER to get great results but it is not the only way.

 

I have painted guitars with rattlecans that I have challenged many of my friends to tell me which of my guitars were painted by me and which were factory. The only ones who ever get it right always abmit they were just guessing.

 

And resale value? You already said you are not planning to sell it, so who cares?

 

 

Here is a link I did with alot of info if you are serious about this. I know alot of other people here have had fantastic results with primitive methods too.

 

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?t=1894708

[brianeharmonjr]

My only advice is don't learn to paint on your Les Paul. Do some other projects first and make your mistakes there. EG

 

 

+1

[BG76]

+1 to Dave Aronow he speaks the truth.

[NHLfan2010]

+1 to Dave Aronow he speaks the truth.

As always!!

[BoneNut]

Yes, boner, a coat of $2 enamel would look just great. EG

As a matter of fact, it does. All it takes is a little skill. Skills that anyone can learn. Just like guitars, it's not the guitar that matters...it's the player.

Here's a shot of my Strat that I did with two acrylic enamel rattle cans from the Home Depot. No clearcoat.

Last photo in this color though. It'll be black in a couple of weeks.

[Elias Graves]

So, you recommend that he strip off a very nice lacquer paint job and replace it with spray paint intended for patio furniture and lawnmowers?

There's nothing wrong with rattle can enamel...I've done it myself...on a cheap Epi.


But, seriously? You want the guy to strip his Porsche and paint it with Schwinn paint? I've painted professionally and never in a million years would I give that advice. A good recipe for a pissed off customer.

EG

[soundcreation]

I'm sure paint is like anything else in life...buy low quality get low quality, buy high quality get high quality.

 

And I've known enough "do it yourself 'ers" who have a lifetime's worth of skill that would prove high quality jobs can be done by anyone if you are patient and have the skill.

[Belva]

and im never gonna sell this guitar or my otber one. no need to worry about resale value

Famous last words. You know how many "will never sell it" guitars I've owned? Every single one I've sold. Don't paint it. If it was, say, a cheap Chinese knok off, OK, paint it. Not a Les Paul Jr. BIG MISTAKE!!

[Quarter]

My only advice is don't learn to paint on your Les Paul. Do some other projects first and make your mistakes there. EG

 

This is good advice ... Nothing wrong with modding and refinishing, its a fun hobby, but for maximum satisfaction, learn to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run ... face-plants suck.

[BoneNut]

So, you recommend that he strip off a very nice lacquer paint job and replace it with spray paint intended for patio furniture and lawnmowers? There's nothing wrong with rattle can enamel...I've done it myself...on a cheap Epi. But, seriously? You want the guy to strip his Porsche and paint it with Schwinn paint? I've painted professionally and never in a million years would I give that advice. A good recipe for a pissed off customer. EG

I'm not recommending anything. He's the one that wants to paint his guitar and as far as I'm concerned, he can do anything he wants with it.

What I am saying is that using expensive products won't get him better results. Especially if he doesn't know how to use them. It can be done just a well as with less expensive products.

That paint on my Strat is acrylic enamel and that {censored} is hard as nails. After a year of use, there isn't a ding that has gone through the paint.


It's not a Porsche, or a Schwinn and there is no customer. It's just a guy who wants to paint his guitar. Does Schwinn make their own paint? Are they even around anymore? Dang, it's been years since I heard that name. Porsche doesn't make their own paint either BTW. (Standox or Dupont)

Nice job on that Epi.

We tend to impart "magical" qualities to everything we use here on EG. Every now and then we should remember it wasn't the arrow that killed the buffalo, it was the indian. A skilled indian.

Paint is only paint. No magic to it. The guitar? It's a Gibson Les Paul Junior... looked at analytically, it's a slab of wood with paint on it. No "magic" to it.

[HanSolo]

Trade yours in on a white one. Unless you have painted a few guitars before and know the tricks, don;t try to learn on a nice new guitar. Pick up a beater and try your hand at refinishing. If anything, it will give you new-found respect for painters who a can lay down a flawless paint job on the quarter panel of your car after you've smacked it up.

[snowaie]

yeah, i'm not painting, was mostly just wondering.

Famous last words. You know how many "will never sell it" guitars I've owned? Every single one I've sold. Don't paint it. If it was, say, a cheap Chinese knok off, OK, paint it. Not a Les Paul Jr. BIG MISTAKE!!

you know how hard i worked to get the money for this guitar, and how much i put into thought for this? i swear to you i i sell this thing in 20 yearsi'll give you a call.

anyway, great advice dave, eg, and others i cant rember. thank you all, i appreciate it.

[Angry Tele]

strip it, paint it, sell it.

Painting a guitar is not hard at all*. It just takes a long time and some research.


*except for black is very hard to get perfect

[RaoulDuke]

Go for it dude. I just repainted a couple of guitars this past spring and had a great time doing it. I did them in white too. One was a Jaguar that was origionally Olympic White nitro but it of course looked more like a cream. I stripped that off and went to sherman williams and got the brightest white they had. Now my guitars are WHITE. Of couse, with the nitro gone all the mojo and tone were completely lost from the guitar. It's worth it sounding like crap to have the color I want though.

It's really not to hard to do. Just make sure you get some fine grit sandpapers (600-1500) and take your time. Then get some automobile rubbing combound to rub in after the clear coat dries. That stuff is what will really bring out the shine. Before you put that on it will look kind of {censored}ty, so don't loose hope as you're doing it.

BTW, why doesn't Fender make a REAL white, not all these offwhite colors like they offer?