Dino

No need to drill out any position markers, and for the love of god ... DO NOT USE CHEMICAL STRIPPER! If your guitar has any sort of binding, chemical stripper will melt it right off! If it doesn't have binding, it'll still melt your position markers. Use sandpaper to strip the finish ... Then tape off the fretboard, including the edge (or binding) which hold the position markers. Once you paint the neck, remove the tape on the edges of the fretboard (or binding), leaving the tape only on the face of the fretboard. Then proceed to clearcoat the neck and the edges of the fretboard. Once you're done, simply wetsand and blend everything, then compound and buff. I'm thinking your goal is to refinish, not rebuild, right?

Sounds like solvent pop to me too. Especially the "pin holes". A couple more things that may contribute ... * low temp activator on a summer day * water in your air line. Use the right temperature activator. Drain your compressor tank and run an oil/water filter at your gun. Of course, good body prep and thin coats always helps.

Bring a sample of the color you want to any automotive paint distributor and they should be able to match it right there at the counter. I strongly suggest NOT using spraypaint.

I agree there are several ways to do it and starting with the lighter colors and using the "positive" cut-out of the pattern will give the same results. For me, it was just easier to anticipate the layout of the patterns by using the "negative" pattern method. You're right though ... either way would work just fine.

Here's a pic that illustrates the process pretty well ... http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a274/Din...moProgress1.jpg And here's a pic that shows the masking technique I used ... Basically what I did was take the backing off decal paper and cover it with masking tape. I then drew the patterns, cut them out, and used the negative of what I cut out to mask the guitar. http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a274/Din...moProgress2.jpg I also use a product called "Sticky Micky's" masking paper. It's mainly used in the automotive industry and works well for these types of graphics, however I didn't want to have to cut out the shapes while the paper was on the guitar body. Cutting them out with scissors made for smoother patterns and I didn't have to worry about leaving razor blade marks in the finish. Dino, your pics are a bit too large!!! And only one allowed per forum rules.

Spraying the lightest color of the camo as your base would only work if you're going for a lighter camo design, such as the Desert Strom camo. This was the order in which I did mine in order to achieve a more comventional camo look ... 1. Olive Green as your base 2. Then brown patterns 3. Then khaki patterns Had I not used the color black for stripes, I would have then used black for my third and final patterns. Guess it really all depends on the look you're going for and which camo design you want to achieve. Good luck.

Thanks guys. Just waiting on a few parts, and she'll be good to go.

My comments regarding sanding in between coats was just a general statement. I would NOT sand in btween coats if using flat colors, however you should take extra time in doing your body prep. Yes, clear will make the colors more vibrant, however I have decided to clearcoat mine just to even out all of the different layers of the graphics. Then I'll wetsand and just leave the finish dull to give it more of a military "look". IMO, camo just looks better and alot more realistic without a shine.

I wouldn't suggest Nitro because it has the tendency to yellow and crack. I would suggest a urethane (acrylic or poly). Use dust coats to "lock in" the paint used for your art work, then follow up with light coats. Good luck.

If it's a flat black, you may wana try taking a cloth with some lacquer thinner and wiping somewhere where it wouldn't be noticable. Did this person paint the neck heel too? If so, that may be a good place to test it. Ceck your progress each time you wipe to help you get a good idea of how much paint is actually on there and try not to rub into the clearcoat that lies beneath. If you're successful, the thinner will probably make the finish dull. You'll probably want to try buffing it up a bit with some compound to bring back the shine.

Without knowing what type of paint lies beneath, I'm going to go with Prostheta's suggestion of using a heat gun. It may or it may not work, but you'll do alot less damage trying to find out IMO. If the neck was sprayed with spraypaint, it's already liable to be soft and sticky. Just be careful what you use to scrape it off. I really think you could use a chemical to strip it, but like ryanb said ... knowing what type of paint you're dealing with is crucial. What kind of guitar is it?

What type of paint/clearcoat did you use? Just a tip on sanding between coats ... If you use anything as fine as 2000 grit between coats, the paint won't have anything to grab onto and may eventually peel or flake off. As for wetsand/drysand ... Wetsanding will provide a smoother finish. The water helps lubricate the sandpaper and helps avoid scratching the surface.

Why would you go through all the trouble of making bridge adjustments, etc ... and not simply change the string? Stop being such a cheap bastard. Just kidding. I think changing the string will do the trick.

I use a roller.

That's awesome information, but I'm kinda confused how it will help align a neck.

Assuming it's a bolt-on neck ... First, remove the neck and plug your existing holes with wooden dowels. Then use a clamp to secure the neck into the neck pocket. Then string up the first and sixth strings only. These strings do not need to be tuned to pitch. Just tune them up enough to take any slack out. With the first and sixth strings strung up and the neck clamped in place ... you should be able to shift the neck from left to right in order to properly align the strings. Once you have it where you want it, drill your new holes from the backside. I have pics to help illustrate this, but I'm at work now and don't have access to them. If you feel pics would be more helpful, let me know and I'll post them later. Good luck.

Man, you guys have great eyes! Thanks!

It really all depends on the severity of the dent. Mammoth Guitars had the right idea with steaming them out. If the guitar is unfinished, I'd suggest trying this first. If you do find that you will need to use a filler, then there should be less to fill after raising the grain.

This is the look I'm going for ... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1 I saw a related tutorial posted here, but the guitar shown in the above link looks absolutely seamless! How'd they do that?!?!?! If nobody knows how it's done, can you maybe point me in the right direction of someone who has done this type of work before? Thanks!

Yeah ... my first thought too.

There's no mention here of body prep or primer. IMO, good body prep is essential in achieving a nice finish. And primer will help your basecoat adhere. Also, I've found that removing the tape while the paint is still "tacky" will help prevent the "jagged edges". And yes ... removing the tape PRIOR to clearcoating will help "blend" your new paintjob. Good luck

+1

Greg, very well said ... and I agree. I didn't mean that Perry should be THAT specific with his findings, but rather maybe point out some of the benificial features in general. The headstock was an excellent example Greg. Perry, I didn't mean anything "bad" by making the comparison to Jackson. If you'll go back and read what I wrote, I said that I'm sure there are alot of differences. I just wasn't sure what they were. That wasn't meant to be interpretted as a "cheap shot". Nevermind ... it really doesn't matter. You've made your point.

Acrylic lacquer (Krylon) is very soft and won't hold up very well IMO. I think that painting a neck with it is especially a bad idea. Unless you're going for a relic look, I'd stay away from it altogether. I've had pretty good success with acrylic urethanes. Krylon takes up to a year to fully cure. This stuff takes about an hour 1/2 to a couple hours. Here's one I did that had a painted a neck. The neck was smooth as glass. http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a274/Din.../Finished4a.jpg http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a274/DinoBonanno/MSGV.jpg