What type of paint is used on most guitars?

[EOT1]

I need to do some touch up work and I'm not sure what type of clear I need. Acrylic/latex, enamel, lacquer? Dont want to put something on there thats going to mess with the existing clear coat.

Thanks

[dg]

Unless it's a Gibson with old-school nitro lacquer, the vast majority of guitars these days are painted with a polyester or polyurethane just like a car finish. It's a 2-part system, where the paint catalyzes rather than drying like a traditional paint. Touch up work can be tricky with catalyzed paints, but there are a few tricks for doing drop-fills for chips. Some people just use super glue for small chips in the clear.

[sully]

Yep. If you just have chipped clear, you can do CA drop fills and sand them flat. You're going to have what's called a witness line from where the clear ends and the glue begins, but that's pretty unavoidable. Poly doesn't really burn together like lacquer does.

[EOT1]

Thanks for the info.
Another question.
Can you point me in the direction of a decent spray gun (I havent done any painting since the late 80's in autobody class. LOL). Ive checked some out at Home Depot and they range from $30-$150. I dont necessarily need the best gun. Just one that will get the job done. I just plan on painting solid colors so I dont need anything for details. Im gonna be learning on the fly so I want a gun that doesnt have too many unnecessary bells and whistles.

[sully]

Most guitars can be shot with a detail gun; especially for color. I've got to get some new guns myself. You may be able to find some stuff from Iwata or Sata on Craigslist for a deal. I know that Devilbiss has a few different product lines as well. Here's a decent site for comparison shopping: http://www.spraygundepot.com/

[dg]

If you're on a really tight budget, Harbor Freight has HVLP detail guns in the $50 range that actually work OK. I helped my dad on a project a while back and he had picked one up. I expected it to be junk, but I was surprised how well it worked.

[sully]

One other tip if you need to match paint. If you have an O'Riley's auto parts near you that mixes paint (some do - check the company web site), they also have this little scanner that they can put on a guitar in three places, scan it, and match the paint for you. They can also put stuff into rattle cans as well.

[Trussrod]

they also have this little scanner that they can put on a guitar in three places, scan it, and match the paint for you.

PPG outlets had this at least 15 years ago. The device was called a "prophet."