Help Me Paint My Guitar White!

[cosmic_osmo]

Ok, I'm working on an alder superstrat here, and I want to paint it a nice glossy, bright white.

Alder doesn't have much of an open grain, so I have decided not to use a grain filler like I would have with mahogany or ash, but I still plan on using a few coats of oil based sanding sealer to get a nice smooth base. (this is my first project so please let me know if this is a good/bad idea).

I went in to several paint stores and told them what I was doing and they all pretty much told me the same thing: A white guitar finished in nitro-cellulose lacquer or polyurethane wasn't going to look very good because either of those would tend to turn the guitar "yellow". They recommended instead that I just find the glossiest white paint I could find and build up several coats -- making sure it was nicely polished when I was done.

If this is the case, then I'm thinking maybe automotive paint? That's the glossiest and most durable stuff I can think of right now. I'd like to hear you guys' oppinions, tips, suggestions, etc. though.

Thanks!!

[al heeley]

If you are good with a spray can, automotive paint can produce some good results, but it stays quite soft for ages, so youo have to be careful sanding and buffing the final coat. You could try a hard lacquer over the white to give a good glossy finish.

[hotgoalie11565]

If you want it to stay bright white over time you should be able to find a non-yellowing lacquer; be it nitro or poly. I think Deft makes a non-yellowing nitro. Check this out.

http://www.deftfinishes.com/wood/new.htm

[al heeley]

good pure acrylic won't yellow, not in the lifetime of the guitar.