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OK so I have a mexican strat that I am looking to re-paint.
I have access to professional spray equipment so I don't necisaraly have to use rattle cans.

Should I try to strip the paint off the body first?

Should I just spray a good blocking coat? Like primer?

Does the paint affect the sound of the guitar? To ad more paint that is?

The thing is black and my Clapton strat is black I am thinking maybe red

Thanks for any and all help!!
(hope this aint to silly of a question...)

Aaron

Try ReRanch.com. I've seen alot of people on this site recomend this site for info on (re)finishing a guitar. Hope that helps.


Originally Posted by WoodcutterTry ReRanch.com. I've seen alot of people on this site recomend this site for info on (re)finishing a guitar. Hope that helps.

x2

That site is full of great info.

or

here's what I did when refinishing my strat body.

Scuff up the paint as much as possible with the roughest sandpaper you can find. keep increasing the grit until you get a relatively smooth surface. I sprayed 2 coats of primer, with light sanding in between. Then I sprayed 2 or 3 coats of the color (i chose shell pink) with very light sanding in between. Then I sprayed like 5-7 coats of the clear laquer with very fine sanding in between. I let the guitar sit a few days. Then sanded using 2000 grit sandpaper, then let the guitar sit for 1 WEEK. Then, I bought two foam buffer pads from and you could use medium and fine polishing compounds from stewmac as well. Attatch the buffing pad to a drill, and put some medium polish on the pad, and have at the guitar. After a while (you decide when you're finished), use the other pad for the fine compound (I used the 3m finishing compound from reranch instead, you're call what youd like to use.). Once again, buff until you feel you're guitar is smooth enough. I am by NO MEANS saying this is a completely professional way, and luthiers are probably pounding their fists into a wall reading this, but that was my method and It worked very well for me.

JoeLap.. a FewQuestions? -Did you use car paint? You didn't remove all the original paint right? and the new spray paint stuck well to the old paint base?

WhoFan

Level and scuff the old finish.
Before the blocking coat you may want to spray a bonding coat.This will help the prime to adhear solidly.Maybe even a sanding sealer to give enough tooth for the primer to grab solidly without reaction.
Spray thin and give ample time for things to dry and you should be good.
Airbrush artists do this approach all the time.

The last time I repainted a Strat body I took all of the paint off, then did a primer coat, sanded that, then the final color (just like a car), then polished it. Yes, paint will change the tone of the instrument, too much will make it very dark sounding.

The poly on a Mexi-Strat is so thick it looks like in was dipped in “Plasticote”. You will spend more time than the guitar is worth stripping it down to bare wood. Scuff and prime as suggested above.

Paint does affect tone, however there is probably a good reason the wood used in your guitar ended up in a MIM Strat. Choice pieces get singled out for better finishes.

try this e-book:

from : localhost/every aspect of painting guitars with spray cans