gaiastellar Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 hi all, this is my first post so forgive me if this is the wrong place to post this topic. I want to strip the paint off my old strat copy body, for respraying later, but not sure of the best way to go about this. There is someone local to me who runs a business stripping paint off doors etc, using a giant acid bath type of set up. He's not sure it will work with the kind of laquer that is commonly used as a top coat on electric guitars. so any comments/ ideas pleased about the best way to strip my old guitar please. thanks paul uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim37 Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 I wouldnt strip it Most factory guitars have some kind of bullet proof finish on them that will work great for a base coat with almost any finish out there. I would just fill any nicks or scratches scuff it real good and start spraying. Thats my opinions im sure others will differ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 I would agree with Tim if that is a factory built guitar that has a paint finish. There is not much chance of having any wood under the paint worth looking at. It is paint you want to respray later? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaiastellar Posted March 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 hi, thanks guys. yea, i just want to repaint a different colour. so... i can just fill in the dinks and cracks, rough up the surface and spray some white undercoat? thats my kind of easy! Paul uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaiastellar Posted March 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 oh.. and yes, i meant to say, it is a factory guitar with a kind of dark sunburst paint job. paul uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Use a blow torch... and a putty knife.Probably be way more fun to build a new body from a Blank and set that one aside.But I will say that I have had success remove large amounts of Polyester finish from the flat surfaces of factory guitars with a sharp scraper with a properly burnished edge. It peels the stuff off in large ribbons...I don't usually recommend a paint stripper. If it gets into the wood then you have to rinse the body. And it you manage to stop short it softens everything under it. So even if you try not to take all the finish off whatever is left is usually ruined as well. Plus it is caustic to sand.Other things I have done back when I used to mess with factory guitars. All of these work to varying degrees but cut through is going t o happen in some places.6" DA Sander with heavy cut paper (80 or 60 grit)6" Grinder with finer paper (80 or 120)5" 8 hole DA with 60 grit paper5" disk in a 3/8" Drill with 80 grit paperUmmm... you get the idea. None of those are safe easy ways to strip a body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 All of the above. After my negative experience stripping and sanding the finish and seal off an 80s BC Rich, I would test whether the chemical stripper will touch it. If it takes off the top layers but not the sealer, maybe that's for the best. Re-sealing is a PITA so consider that the "work has been done for you" there. As for sanding, don't bother. The best you can achieve there for the work required is to key the surface (like Tim37 says) with a low-ish grit and make the old finish an undercoat of sorts. The downside is that you are building paint on paint which may alter dimensions for things like the neck pocket, cavity covers, etc. Generally stripping a body is a minefield. You can easily "get in too deep" and commit yourself to a crapload of work that you don't want to do but have to, other than ditching the body. So yeah, "try the stripper in a place that is not normally visible". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar2005 Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Agreed with everyone else. Stripping is not a good idea. I could build a new body in less time it would take to strip and fix up a old body. sand it to 220 and re-spray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim37 Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 The downside is that you are building paint on paint which may alter dimensions for things like the neck pocket, cavity covers, etc. years ago i finished stripping a mim strat body someone else started (cheap ebay) to bare wood the factory finish was so thick that where the heal of the neck and body come together on the bottom doesnt line up any more. it doesnt effect the guitar but fender accounts for the finish thickness and under cuts there body to account for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaiastellar Posted March 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 hi all, thanks for all the replies. i really dont have alot of money ... starting with a blank isnt an option... i got the guitar for £10... the electrics are ok, but the neck and body are a bit beat up, so i thought to do a custom paint job, and buy a new neck for it. turn it into a project, whilst at the same time learning alot. so whats the consensus (if there is one)? A) Sand the old finish and respray over the top? try chemical stripper and see what happens? C) try stripping with a Heat gun ? i appreciate all of your advice... paul uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim37 Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 first thing i would do if i planned on swapping necks is get the new neck and fit it. Set the guitar up and make it playable. As far finishing, i would put some laquer thinner on it just to test and make sure its not nitro (most likely it isnt) if it is you need to strip it. If not start by filling and repairing nicks scratches and dings and what ever else. Then scuff with 600grit then start spraying. The heat gun blow torch method is a messing hard and unnecessary job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 I was kidding about the blow torch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim37 Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 Yeah but if you google stripping a guitar it does come up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted March 30, 2014 Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 Stripping a guitar from factory paint is the most common first-time job that a modifier or budding luthier attempts. Would an article be useful on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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