Repainting

Are you going to be using an opaque color paint? If so, you do not need to strip the existing finish. Sand with 220 to 320 grit dry paper to give the finish some teeth, then coat it with a white pigmented shellac primer such as BINS brand.

Next, smooth out your shellac finish; I use 400 wet for that part. Apply your color coats, smooth as necessary with 600 wet, then do your clear coats.

Read these articles several times through before starting:
http://home.flash.net/~guitars/ReRanch101.html
http://home.flash.net/~guitars/solids.html

And buy a good respirator rated for spray paint fumes!

The stuff sold at the Guitar Reranch is nitro-cellulose lacquer, but their online store is down a lot more than it's up. I've used ordinary spray paint, but automotive lacquers work very well. For the clear coats, nitro lacquer such as Deft brand are really easy to use, if you don't mind killing every bug and bird within a 100-yard radius. :wink: Automotive clear can also be used, of course. (Someone else needs to chime in here as I always forget: is it "don't put nitro over acrylic lacquer," or the other way around?)

To finish the clear finish, plan to wet sand from 600 to 2000. For an even better and easier finish, get some micromesh papers 1500 up to 12000 grit, wet or dry. Then buff your finish with automotive polishing compound and a swirl remover such as Meguiars ScratchX. You can go further with a really fine polisher like Meguiars Paint Cleaner, but I switch to liquid auto wax at that point (I like Black Magic brand.)

Did I mention buying a good respirator? Might seem spendy, but once you do one mod job you'll be addicted and will get good use out of it.

As with all things, there's more than one way to skin a cat, and others use different methods to achieve great results. The above is just stuff that's worked for me.

great tips for repainting. I only would add the obvious. remove all hardware from guitar.it makes everything easier.

Good stuff Mitch.

I'll add that your paint applications should be LIGHT to avoid drips. A few light, even coats - let dry for a while and then repeat. Many LIGHT coats will give you an even finish - and will look a TON better than 4 heavy coats.

The lacquer topcoat is the easiest - in my estimation - because it is clear and won't show as many mistakes. Plus, you can easly sand down the issues are re-coat. Sanding paint drips is not as easy.

I always use Nitro Lacquer when possible, but if you are covering a non-bare wood body it doesn't matter since the "thin skin" nitro effect on sound quality is moot given the poly undercoat (the original top coat of the original color) that will be present.

But whatever you do - have fun and don't get discouraged.

I was hoping to take off all the paint, I have dings that took the paint down to the wood, and I figured it might help the tone a bit as well.

if you have dents and dings and want to fill them you can fill over the paint. use bondoor something similar.

I am not convinced of the stripped to wood solid body tone is better thing.

how many guitars do you see sold that way?
how many great players have guitars that way.?

wood under painted guitars typically do not have much grain character. that is why the finish is opaque.

but it is your project.

iv painted a few guitars and my advise is DONT sand it to the wood!!! its much more work then u want. most of the wood used was sealed before it was painted to make the surface even. if you sand down to the wood you will encounter grain problems.

heres how i do it:

sand it even with around 160 grit.
if u have dings, sand then with 80 grit (not the whole body, just around and in the ding) ,then fill it with bondo (automotive filler) apply the bondo alittle bit higher than the surface level.
sand the bondow with a hand or electrive sander ( this makes shure that the surface will be smooth and even and use around 160 -220 grit)

once its all even use a 220-260 grit then 360ish grit then wet sand with 400.
clean it with a tack-cloth
prime it with sandable primper (you can tell by the time it takes to dry, sandable primer takes about 15-30 minutes)

let the primer cure for about 2 days

USE AN ENAMAL TYPE PAINT!!

using a spray gun makes it look better than spray paint

first put a very light base coat of the color you want ( you should still be able to see a little bit of primer)
let it sit for 15 minutes (so its tacky)
paint a little bit heavier coat ( not to thick) so that you cant see the color of the primer.

let that sit for another 2 days (waiting longer lets the paint cure better and gives a better tone quality)

now paint your last coat (still not to thick or you could get runs in the paint)
the paint needs to be flat though so dont paint it to glossy (flat= doesnt reflect much light, glossy= reflects alot of light)
let it sit for a day

if you are freking out that the paint is really flat and ugly then calm down and keep reading

1 can of glossy clear spray paint,and about 2 cans of just clear (1 will work but it wont be as durable)

spray 1-3 coats of the clear gloss paint (15 minutes between each, recomended 2 coats)

let them cure for one FULL day.

apply 4-10 coats of the clear (regular clear not glossy clear) (2 hours between each coat)

after the last clear coat wait 2 days (i waited only 1 day and the paint wasnt dried long enough and it scratched easily, just my opinion, wait longer)

*TIPS****

-after you clean it with the tack-cloth, try not to touch it, the hand oils could screw up the paint
-clean everything extreamly well
-remove all oils and greases from were you are painting
-if u can paint in doors, so that debris and bugs dont get into your paint (trust me, it happends)
-the longer you let it cure ,the better
-take your time, dont rush
-dont use any laqures. they dont mix well with enamals
-be shure you know how to use a paint gun and how to reduce paints
-dont get mad when you screw up, no one is perfect!