Constantine

I am in the Portland area and need a more formal shop space and was struggling to build a spray booth and piss off the neighborhood everytime I finish a guitar. however, it sounds like you landed in the Seattle area. Is this correct? Thanks, Constantine

I don't know about the forum but the store is often closed now. Actually, I am a builder and refinsher and the store is closed so much that I have resorted to making my own lacquer paints and have spent hundreds of hours doing all the research to color match and source all the original Fender colors in instrument grade nitro. I never wanted to go into the paint business but to recoupe all my expenses and to keep my guitar business going I am considering selling color matched guitar lacquers as soon as I have my stuff together. I have had angry customers come take their guitars out of my shop cause I could not give them due dates or make my original promise dates due to paint availability. My main intent was to be a builder/refurbisher and specialty pickup maker, but everyone wants paint work too because so few people do it and body shops only want to do car work and only if it is insurance work. It is hard and fussy work but I like to bring guitars back from the grave. I am new to this forum but why don't you ask your finishing questions on one of the sites here? Constantine

I have a lot of the stuff sitting in my repair shop but you need to tell me how much you have budgeted because I have to get a pickguard and possibly scrounge up a bridge but they are not that expensive for me. I have two used hand wound vintage style pickups, but they are really, really nice sounding AlnicoII with a chrome neck cover and the bridge has black cotton wound cover cloth string on it. The setup would be way better than Squire (more like what you get with a $2500 Tele) but most of the parts would be new looking even though they are used. All the stuff is with vintage cloth wiring. Let me know, Constantine

I have been spending a lot of research time and energy on the formulation of notrocell paints especially for solidbody guitars and especially regarding vintage colors. This grew mainly out of the lack of availability of quality Behlen's and McFaddens instument lacquers in tinted forms that matched vintage colors. Mainly because the un-named supplier on the net who shuts down his web site without notice making it impossible for me to get paint for my refinish customers. This supplier would not post information about his web store status or answer my emails about when he would be taking orders again. If you have ever tried to order rattle can lacquer from this guy you know what I mean and he is closed even as we speak. Well I finally cracked the codes for the the solid colors and I am interested in talking to builders and refinishers about solid colors to match well known name vintage paints (by the original codes) as well as custom colors. I have a paint mfr that can make what ever I want in quantity and I have the supply chain set up. I am still working on the R and D for the metallics in true nitro lacquer (not just the original auto industry Acrylic lacquer) but my goal is to provide the best lacquers for sraying in HVLP guns and even rattle cans in the future if folks want that as well. For now I want to offer some colors for folks who can't get paint elsewhere who are frustrated like I am and need to get their guitars painted. I have a web site for my guitar business but not for the paints as of yet, but I will be making plans depending on the response I get from the folks here and elswhere. I can be reached at the following email: payne4229@comcast.net Thanks, Constantine