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If a guitar was originally finished in polyurethene can that finish be totally removed if I want to re-finish it with nitrocellulose instead or does some bit of the poly stay in the wood no matter what defeating the purpose of the refin?

Can you tell how much I know about paint amp; wood?

This is kind of a follow up to my questions about the Mexican strats.

yeah im interested in this too....

Whatever doesn't come off with stripper should come off with sand paper. I've been told to try a heat gun but I haven't tried that method yet.

Remember that it's not water based so it doesn't soak into the wood the same way a water based dye would for instance. Can I ask why you want to redo it in nitro as opposed to french glaise or a THIN layer of poly?

Do NOT try this. I totally F-ed up a MIM Strat body. Stripper doesn't touch that thick poly. I ended up chipping it off. Messed up the wood to the point that I had to sand the living heck out of it only to find out that the alder top was just veneer and the body was very dark poplar or basswood or something. Looked like crap.

Do yourself a favor and buy a USG or Warmoth body, or one of those cheap ones off ebay (Mightymite?). You'll thankme later.


Originally Posted by 75lespaulIf a guitar was originally finished in polyurethene can that finish be totally removed if I want to re-finish it with nitrocellulose instead or does some bit of the poly stay in the wood no matter what defeating the purpose of the refin?

Can you tell how much I know about paint amp; wood?

This is kind of a follow up to my questions about the Mexican strats.

You can spray nitro over poly if you sand it w/t 220. Get it smooth and
prime it with Zinsler B.I.N.s of reranch primer. If you know for a fact the
body is Basswood is a good Idea to leave the poly on. Basswood itself is to
soft for a Nitro finish. Like Scott F. mentioned striping Poly is a pain. I've
done many, And paint stripper rarely works! Even the real nasty stuff. You
need a lot of sand paper and even more paticence. I use a orbital sander,
sanding sponge and a dremal tool. Use the power tools sparingly Cuz' you
will divit and round off the guitars lines real easy! (Then your screwed)
It's rare on a lower line guitar you find a nice slab O wood under the poly.
So if your looking to do a sunburst of trans finish? it isn't worth it.

whoa, sounds like fender really went cheapo with their MIM's. I hope their american strats aren't dark poplar with alder veneers....


Originally Posted by Scott_FDo NOT try this. I totally F-ed up a MIM Strat body. Stripper doesn't touch that thick poly. I ended up chipping it off. Messed up the wood to the point that I had to sand the living heck out of it only to find out that the alder top was just veneer and the body was very dark poplar or basswood or something. Looked like crap.

Do yourself a favor and buy a USG or Warmoth body, or one of those cheap ones off ebay (Mightymite?). You'll thankme later.
Chipping it off? Good lord. When I did it to an epiphone explorer, the sealer came off with sanding, but the veneer had to be shaved off using a powertool I don't know the name of and a number of 60 grit discs that kept getting clogged up.

Also, I've been told that in the past, fender has done nitro finishes on top of poly sealers.

Yeah, I'm learning that if a guitar is finished with polyurethene, you're pretty much stuck with it unless you want to spend a lot of money to have it stripped right. I wanted to use nitrocellulose paint because the sound quality it brings to the guitar. I know this is a hot issue but I swear the two guitars I have finished in nitro sound much quot;woodierquot; and resonant than the similar guitars I have finished in other finishes like poly.

I was talking to a custom luthier this afternoon and he said that the Fenders done in a nitro/poly combo (American models) are probably poly coating over nitro because nitro won't adhere to polyurethene. He also confirmed that the MIM strats did come in nitro only finishes but they are rare.

Well, I got MIM strat coming this week of ebay. This will be my first quot;realquot; strat as I'm sure it will whupazz over the 76 I had that was a piece of GARBAGE and sounded like it, and some late seventies real heavy light green sunburst model I had that also sounded and played like crap.

Thanks for all the info and opinions everyone! Later.