How to Repaint Your Guitar Properly

One of the most significant drawbacks when buying a low-cost electric guitar is the lack of a wide range of color options, which is why, on this occasion, we’ve decided to teach you how to paint your electric guitar properly and what to plan beforehand. We will also help you with your questions about acoustic guitars.

It’s actually very easy to learn how to refinish and repaint a guitar yourself whether you’re looking for a particular custom guitar color or simply want to refinish your electric guitar or your acoustic guitar.

So Before you start learning about How to Repaint Your Guitar Properly, Please bear in mind that refinishing and repainting a guitar is far more difficult than refinishing and repainting any other wood item, as it takes a great deal of effort and attention to achieve a smooth, sleek, factory appearance.

Make sure you’re ready to take your time when beginning this project, as painting guitars and properly finishing their guitar bodies is a lengthy process that can take weeks to complete.

Make sure you don’t rush this job because you might feel pressed to finish it quickly so you can get back to playing your instrument.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started on your painting project:

If you’re doing your own painting, make sure to follow the basic guidelines outlined in this article to stop rusting, as your hurry and errors will show up in the end results!

Repainting, Re-staining, or Refinishing a Guitar

You should begin the process of repainting your guitar by disassembling it.

Start by clipping the strings of your guitar with a pair of wire clippers or string clippers to cut them.

You won’t be able to repaint a guitar with these strings on, which means that after you’ve finished painting your guitar, you’ll almost certainly need to re-adjust your truss rod once it’s back together.

After you’ve cut the guitar‘s string, you’ll work on removing the instrument’s neck.

Bolted-on guitar necks are actually very simple to remove; all you have to do is unscrew the bolts on the back of the neck joint and gently wiggle the neck free.

If you have a glued-on collar, though, glued necks aren’t supposed to be removed, so you’ll have to leave the instrument’s neck alone and repaint it to match the rest of the body.

Once you’ve removed the guitar neck, you’ll need to remove all of the guitar‘s hardware. The bridge, knobs, strap buttons, pickguard, pickups, and output jack can all be removed with a screwdriver or an Allen wrench.

The output jack and knobs are connected to the pickups through holes in between each cavity on certain guitar models, so you’ll only need to cut the wires to remove each piece of hardware.

However, you should ensure that you understand how the wires are connected so that you can reassemble them correctly.

After you’ve removed some of your other hardware, you’ll focus on the bridge studs. Although certain instruments lack bridge studs, the bridge of your guitar can simply be unscrewed from the body of your instrument.

Since bridge studs are pounded into the guitar‘s wood, it can be difficult to remove them.

If you’re in a hurry to remove the bridge studs, you can use a soldering iron to heat the wood, which will cause the studs to contract and become easier to remove once they cool down. The disadvantage is that removing the bridge studs with pliers will scar the finish of the studs, resulting in their appearance being ruined.

After you’ve removed all from your instrument, put all of the hardware and fasteners in plastic baggies and mark them.

Since refinishing your instrument can take a few weeks (or even months), you’ll want to make sure that each bolt and screw are clearly labeled to avoid any confusion when reassembling your guitar.

You’ll begin sanding the current finish on the guitar now that all of your hardware has been removed. When it comes to sanding the current finish on the instrument, there are two approaches you can take.

You can either sand away the polish entirely or rough up the existing finish to apply a new coat of paint that will adhere to the guitar.

If you’re repainting your guitar and want to use a polish, a transparent paint, or go back to the original finish that’s darker than the type of paint you’re using, you’ll have to fully erase the finish that’s already on it. If you’re only going to use solid paint on your instrument, you’ll only need to roughen up the surface.

Remember that many guitar builders believe that a thick coat of paint or finish will detract from the tone of your instrument.

Next, sand away the majority of the finish with an orbital sander. Fit an orbital sander with coarse-grit sandpaper and use circular and smooth strokes to sand the entire body of your instrument.

Even if you’re tempted, don’t use paint stripper; not only is it a toxic and messy operation, but most paint strippers can’t remove the rock-hard polyurethane that many guitar manufacturers use.

If you note that there is still a finish on your instrument after using your sander, sandpaper may be used to remove the remaining finish.

Since your sander would struggle to penetrate curved areas on your guitar, coarse grit sandpaper or a coarse grit sanding sponge can be used to remove the finish in these difficult-to-reach areas.

After you’ve done sanding the guitar‘s frame, you’ll focus on smoothing it out. To smooth out the wood on the guitar, use fine-grain sandpaper.

You’ll want to sand the whole body of the guitar with medium-grit sandpaper (120 grit), then go over it again with a finer grit (220 grit).

After you’ve finished removing the guitar‘s finish and smoothing the body flat, you’ll need to clean it thoroughly.

Any of the dust from your sanding can be eliminated by using a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment.

To clear any residual dust, spray it away with compressed air or wipe it away with a dampened cloth dampened with water.

When dealing with mahogany or other porous woods, you’ll want to use a grain filler on the guitar‘s body unless you’re going for an intentionally unfinished and distressed look.

A grain filler is a form of putty or filler used to even out the surface of your guitar before you begin painting. Choose an oil-based or water-based filler that matches the finish or paint you’re using if you plan to go for a filler.

After you’ve finished adding grain filler, clean your guitar‘s body with mineral spirits to remove any remaining oils. Don’t hit your guitar after you’ve applied the mineral spirits!

Allow the mineral spirits to dry completely before touching them, as the oils from your fingertips will spoil the fresh finish.

Place your instrument inside a large box that is sitting on top of a form of portable table before you begin applying your new paint or finishing the job (like a TV tray).

The opening of the box you’ve selected should be turned on its side so that when you’re painting your guitar, all of the paint is contained inside the box and the guitar will slip in and out easily.

Also, make sure you’re having your area ready for painting your instrument in a space that’s spacious and open, so you don’t have to worry about your furniture getting painted accidentally.

Now it’s time to have some fun! You must choose the stain or paint that you want to use. If you choose to paint your guitar a solid color, look for a paint that is long-lasting, such as nitrocellulose or polyurethane.

Nitrocellulose is the perfect option for you, and it’s available at auto parts stores or online. However, the only drawback of this paint is that it takes a long time to dry. If you want a stained look, go for a water-based stain and a nitrocellulose or polyurethane clear coat.

Alternatively, you might use an oil-based polish for oil-based finishes. You may also use spray-on finishes to eliminate the possibility of brush marks appearing on your finished product.

Before you begin applying your new finish or paint to your guitar, you should first apply a few coats of primer to your instrument that fits the type of paint you want to use.

Apply two to three thin coats of primer rather than one thick coat to ensure that the primer dries correctly and does not spill.

Make sure you’re painting in a dust-free atmosphere while you’re working on your new finish. Bugs are naturally attracted to the odor of the paint and may get trapped in the wet paint if you paint outside.

This will result in a lumpy, bumpy, and badly made finish! When painting indoors, wear a quality air mask and goggles to shield yourself from the paint or finish‘s toxic vapors.

If you’re going to use spray paint, make sure to add thin layers of paint and let each thin coat dry completely before applying another.

Allow one week for your colored coat of paint to dry fully before applying your transparent coat of paint.

If you’re going to use a stain, you’ll need to wet the body of your guitar first to make applying the stain smoother and prevent blemishes.

You’ll need to apply the stain to the guitar according to the manufacturer’s directions, and you’ll need to apply as many coats of stain as necessary before you’ve achieved the desired look.

You should add a clear coat to your instrument after your stain or paint has dried for a week.

A clear coat of nitrocellulose is strongly recommended. When applying your clear coats, make sure to apply them as thinly as possible, applying the second layer after the first has dried, and so on.

To achieve a factory finish, you can need up to a dozen coats. If you want a nitrocellulose or polyurethane finish, you can give three to four weeks for the paint to harden fully. If you use an oil-based finish, however, you’ll just need to wait a few days for it to harden.

Using a wet sanding technique instead of dry sanding the polish! When sanding the polish, use a wet sanding technique on the hardened finish, beginning with a fine grit (400) and progressing to a rougher grit (2000). 400 grit, 600 grit, 800 grit, 1000 grit, 1200 grit, 1500 grit, and 2000 grit should be used in your grit process.

Any scratches, swirls, or tiny pits in the finish or elsewhere should not be skipped over or overlooked; they would be difficult to remove.

Also, make sure you don’t sand through the transparent color coat and into the color, so be cautious when sanding around the edges to avoid sanding through the paint.

After all of the paint has dried and you’ve sanded it down, reassemble your guitar‘s hardware by screwing or bolting it back together.

If you had to snip some wires when disassembling your guitar, you’ll have to weld them back together. This will be an excellent opportunity to replace some low-quality factory parts with better ones.

This is also the time to replace your worn-out pickguard with a new one! Once you’ve reassembled your instrument, you can clean and shine it with your usual guitar polish. Then string it up, tune it up, and start playing!

The Finishing Touch: Repainting a Guitar

If you plan to use a paint stripper to remove some old paint, be very careful! Use a proper paint respirator and do it outside. Paint stripper is toxic and carcinogenic, but doing it outside is much better for your health.

Even, if you’re sanding, make sure you’re wearing eye protection and a dust mask! Be cautious, polite, and good luck with your painting!

FAQ About Guitar Refinishing