Strippin' A Guitar... what goes into that?

[CBA]

Hi friends.

I'd like to strip the yeller paint off of my Gibson Les Paul Faded Special... it's only been spray-painted and then given a thin coat of something, but the paint is rubbing off anyway as far as like just regular wear.



I'm planning on having a luthier do it, but was just wondering WHOM of you may have done it, and then like what you use to put a new coat of finish on it. I'd like it to just be stripped of paint, but then darkening up the mahogany so it looks like this:




...but probably a little darker so it matches the rosewood fretboard. You know, like a uniform color from fretboard to body. Maybe like a "black transparent" like what's on that Tele.

I also like this chick's headstock, but not sure how that's done. Probably came that way.




C

[sonidero]

Nail polish remover or similar will take the clear coat off then it's just elbow grease...

[dubkitty]

i'm currently engaged in de-painting the first of the two Musima guitars from East Germany i got for a song. everyone i know who does finish work says to either use a heat gun or sand it; chemical strippers/solvents can settle into the wood and make it difficult to refinish. i started sanding with 220 because the Musima has a lot of dings and scrapes in the surface; for something like you've got i'd start with 400 or maybe even 600 depending on how well the paint comes off...you want to use the finest grit you can get away with to preserve as much wood as possible.

[Josh Pelican]

Well, if you want to strip a guitar, you first you need to start with music. I recommend something like Barry White. Maybe Luther Vandross. Ready for the World isn't a bad choice either.

Now, the top layer is always the hardest so you need to bring your A game. You have to go gentle and work your magic. You don't want to go in with guns blazin' like your Dirty Harry and just start rubbing her all over just to get her top off. Things will get ugly fast. You gotta move slow and start at the top.

Show her how much she means to her. Make sure she knows you're not just stripping her and leaving her. They're sensitive, man. They need to be loved and cared for. If you have the right moves and the right touch, she'll open right up for you.

[sonidero]

everyone i know who does finish work says to either use a heat gun or sand it; chemical strippers/solvents can settle into the wood and make it difficult to refinish.

Yeah, I was thinking neck cause it's cool when it seeps into the wood and leaves a lil slickness... Heat gun and scrappers/sanders... I used some sponge sanders on my neck and they worked out well...

[Mudfuzz]

Hi friends.

I'd like to strip the yeller paint off of my Gibson Les Paul Faded Special... it's only been spray-painted and then given a thin coat of something, but the paint is rubbing off anyway as far as like just regular wear.



I'm planning on having a luthier do it, but was just wondering WHOM of you may have done it, and then like what you use to put a new coat of finish on it. I'd like it to just be stripped of paint, but then darkening up the mahogany so it looks like this:




...but probably a little darker so it matches the rosewood fretboard. You know, like a uniform color from fretboard to body. Maybe like a "black transparent" like what's on that Tele.

I also like this chick's headstock, but not sure how that's done. Probably came that way.




C

This is funny... I'm right now trying to FIX the paint on a gibson faded.. Someone sanded the finish off of the treble side for some lefthanded reason... so I can say this about the finish on those. It is just paint and is really thin so it should not give you much trouble to get off... BUT the grain is not filled before they painted them so heatguning and scraping or sanding will leave pain still stuck in the grain because of how mahogany is.. so I think you will need a form of remover. They make that bio stuff and that works pretty good and is non toxic.. test what ever you do on the back of the guitar so see how is works before going on the the more hard to get spots and good luck

[Greenfuz]

is it poly? poly is super fun to strip with a heat gun, comes off in big flakes

I used a lighter and some spray on deodorant because I don't have a heat gun but I wouldn't recommend it

[Mudfuzz]

is it poly? poly is super fun to strip with a heat gun, comes off in big flakes

I used a lighter and some spray on deodorant because I don't have a heat gun but I wouldn't recommend it

It's nitro, I had to dig all over the gibson boards to find what it was so I could match it.

[CBA]

Yeah, nitrocellulose satin I think. Perhaps.

There are some spots on the body where the paint has just rubbed away... where my arm apparently rests on the top butt, by the bottom strap peg, and on the horn where there was a bald spot in my old case. So I think it should be pretty easy. I don't mind if some of the paint stays in there. I'll probably just have to say FUCK IT like I do with all my guitar "projects" and just play it. Ha.

C

[Holy Schnikes]

It's not ideal for easy refinishing but I LOVE how the Gibson neglects sealing mahogany with the faded and TV colors. The way it sinks into the grain looks so good on my Antique TV Pelham Custom. So very good.

@CBA I'm thinking someone with experience will make quick work of that finish, the dark body is gonna look super! You gonna stick with a satin topcoat or oiled or whatcha thinking?

[gunslinger_burrito]

I used a palm sander, followed by hand sanding, tru-oil walnut stain, sealer and finish for this project. I'm not sure what the wood was; I don't think it's mahogany. But this might give you an idea?

viewtopic.php?f=192&t=30819

[Holy Schnikes]

I used a palm sander, followed by hand sanding, tru-oil walnut stain, sealer and finish for this project. I'm not sure what the wood was; I don't think it's mahogany. But this might give you an idea?

viewtopic.php?f=192&t=30819

Wow, looks great!

[gunslinger_burrito]

I used a palm sander, followed by hand sanding, tru-oil walnut stain, sealer and finish for this project. I'm not sure what the wood was; I don't think it's mahogany. But this might give you an idea?

viewtopic.php?f=192&t=30819

Wow, looks great!

Thanks! Next time I do something like this I'll probably use a heat gun or something before sanding. The paint was SO THICK on that guitar. It seriously took me like a week to get it all sanded.

[Mudfuzz]

I used a palm sander, followed by hand sanding, tru-oil walnut stain, sealer and finish for this project. I'm not sure what the wood was; I don't think it's mahogany. But this might give you an idea?

viewtopic.php?f=192&t=30819

it looks like alder, and good job!

[Holy Schnikes]

I used a palm sander, followed by hand sanding, tru-oil walnut stain, sealer and finish for this project. I'm not sure what the wood was; I don't think it's mahogany. But this might give you an idea?

http://ilovefuzz.com/viewtopic.php?f=192&t=30819

Wow, looks great!

Thanks! Next time I do something like this I'll probably use a heat gun or something before sanding. The paint was SO THICK on that guitar. It seriously took me like a week to get it all sanded.

Man, I bet that took forever! I used an orbital to de-gloss a friend's Strat recently, wasn't even going through the topcoat and it still took so long. It was my first attempt tho and I was proceeding with much caution. Was a real bitch getting it all uniform in appearance but end result was cool. Need to find some pics...