# paint problem - can anyone help?



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

I have this fabulous guitar, it is a custom made and I have had it a few years. It had a bubble in the paint on the back when I got it. the bubble turned into that big patch of paintless area you see now. the paint has been coming off in different spots as you can see and it is not because of wear and tear. It would seem that it was not properly primed and is not adhereing well to the surface. 

I wonder if it would be possible to remove the paint and start over. what do you guys think? 

thanks alot! 








[/IMG]









[/IMG]


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

sure..why not, and since you have a nice white binding, it's easier to manage to keep the top intact.. if it's a set neck, then the neck has to be redone, if it was me, to have the same paint all over basicaly.


----------



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

al3d said:


> sure..why not, and since you have a nice white binding, it's easier to manage to keep the top intact.. if it's a set neck, then the neck has to be redone, if it was me, to have the same paint all over basicaly.


thanks Al, you say it is easier to work with because of the binding. I was wondering if that would make it harder, I guess you just have to mask the binding right? I was thinking of painting the back, and neck, black again, like it is, but changing the color on the front - trans black or brown perhaps. the paint on the front is peeling off too, but not as bad. 

so what is the best way to strip it down to the wood and start over?


----------



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

I guess what I am interested in knowing is what about doing a total refin, front and back. I will not do it myself.


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

well..that's what you're talking about realy..total refinish... It is Mohagany?..such a shame to hide such beautifull wood under paint..


----------



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

yeah, the body is mohagany, there is another wood on top (?). I agree, I would like to have the wood show thru, even on the back, and then fade to black on the neck.


----------



## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

bluesmostly said:


> yeah, the body is mohagany, there is another wood on top (?). I agree, I would like to have the wood show thru, even on the back, and then fade to black on the neck.


yes the top is a beautifully flamed maple cap! 
i vote for losing the paint and showing off that great looking wood.


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

bluesmostly said:


> yeah, the body is mohagany, there is another wood on top (?). I agree, I would like to have the wood show thru, even on the back, and then fade to black on the neck.


Anything can be done realy. just a question of investing the money to get it done


----------



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

I found that there is a luthier that has a shop in one of the local music stores in town so I took the guitar to him to see if he could do the refin. I am asking him to remove all the paint on the body and neck (he said he would be sanding and scraping) and then refinish it with a trans brown burst. 

They are going to get back to me with an estimate. 

Any ideas on how much it will/should cost for a job like that?


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

bluesmostly said:


> I found that there is a luthier that has a shop in one of the local music stores in town so I took the guitar to him to see if he could do the refin. I am asking him to remove all the paint on the body and neck (he said he would be sanding and scraping) and then refinish it with a trans brown burst.
> 
> They are going to get back to me with an estimate.
> 
> ...


sanding and scapping huh!....jesus ok. removing the paint takes a while, and if it's not done properly, then it needs a lot of prep work to repaint. what color are you doiing?..Trans brown for the top...but the rest?...naturall?...are you going nitro or poly again?...

A Good refinish can go from 400$ to 800$ easy.


----------



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

al3d said:


> sanding and scapping huh!....jesus ok. removing the paint takes a while, and if it's not done properly, then it needs a lot of prep work to repaint. what color are you doiing?..Trans brown for the top...but the rest?...naturall?...are you going nitro or poly again?...
> 
> A Good refinish can go from 400$ to 800$ easy.


that is about what I figured for the cost, at the low end of that I am hoping, but I know it is alot of work. Trans brown on the front and back. what is the difference between nitro and poly?


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

bluesmostly said:


> that is about what I figured for the cost, at the low end of that I am hoping, but I know it is alot of work. Trans brown on the front and back. what is the difference between nitro and poly?


TO me personnaly i prefer a thin finish in nitro..seems to let the naturall tone of the wood sound better. Poly is often SO TICK..it's like having the gutiar in a plastic bubble.


----------



## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

well if it was my guitar & i was OK with the color of the top i would try to attempt to redo the back & the neck & leave the top as is


----------



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

Hey Al, they came back with the exact quote you figured it would be - they said $600-$800. 

I definitely want to have the top color changed, and the paint is chipping off there too, just not as bad. it would be a total refin. and a nitro finish for sure. 

I think I might look at doing the prep work myself, or somebody else, to keep the cost down.


----------



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

OK, they got the paint off in good time. they said it came off easier than expected, which is no surprise since it was coming off on its own which is why I am having it redone... 

the wood grain is very nice, maple top and neck, mohogany back. I am going with a trans brown burst. I will take more pics as we go. 








[/IMG]








[/IMG]


----------



## John Watt (Aug 24, 2010)

Sorry! I'm having computer problems with functions.
I can't totally delete this either.


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Looking forward to it ... didn't like the original colour


----------



## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

so here we are with the color in place, looks great, just the hue and tones I was after. I got him to put a black stain layer and then sand it to help bring out the grain. 

we decided to go with a simple black stain on the mohogany back but make the neck trans brown/orange like the front. 

It should really pop when the nitro finish goes on... This is fun! 









[/IMG]








[/IMG]


----------

