I Want A Natural Finish

[RTA]

hey guys, what do you think is the easiest way to take off the black finish of my epiphone les paul special, im thinking about just taking all the electronics and hardware off and then just sanding it down, i dont know if there is a better way of doing it or not. soo give me your ideas.

[Primal]

Of course, sanding is a sure-fire way of removing the paint, however you will definately wish you hadn't done it once you are about half way through the layer of paint, haha. I refinished an old Harmony guitar and started out using just sand paper. After about 1 1/2 of sanding, I decided to use a chemical stripper, which sped the process up quite a bit. You may want to find some sort of stripper.

Also, you can use a heat gun to remove the paint (not sure how well it works on clear coat, however).

Hope that helps.

BTW, something like this should be in the finishing section for future reference.

[rhoads56]

Use a paint stripper, but not if it had plastic bindings.... it can destroy them, so beware.

[Mickguard]

I used an electric sander and 40 grit sandpaper --took it all off (down to the sealer) in less than half an hour.

Most strippers won't work on polyester finishes, and if it's a recent Epiphone, chances are that's what it has. And then there's all those nasty chemicals.

In any event, you'll need to buy a respirator --an ordinary dust mask won't cut it. Protect your lungs, a guitar isn't worth it.