chemical strippers and guitars........good or bad idea

[kelly user]

i have a neck thru bass. it was a ordinally a see thru finish long story short its now flat black.

the paint screwed up because he was supposed to paint it white.

i said give it back, i'lll strip it and i'll finish it natural so you can just shoot clear over it.

now i have a flat black guitar.

so which chemical stripper should i use (if any at all).

i have heard of the stripper soaking in to the wood and effecting the finish down the line. but if i let it dry out for a few days and then raising the grain by soaking some water in to it an then sanding it down, will that take care of it?

what supplies should i buy? HELP i'm a

[soc_monki]

i think you should probably just sand all the finish off...ive never heard of anyone using chemicals to strip the paint off of guitars, and probably for good reason (most stripping chemicals are harsh and can probably damage wood).

[sully]

strippers aren't just for friday nights anymore but yes, you may be better off sanding it out.

in all honesty, was the person who painted it a pro? you may want to have them do the sanding.

[fett]

Thank God, I sent him a stripped body.:ROTF: :ROTF: :ROTF:

[dg]

Chemical stripping tutorial:

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/chem.htm

Sanding tutorial:

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/sand.htm

One thing I'd add to the sanding tutorial: get a good paper that doesn't clog. It makes it so much easier & faster, and is well worth the extra cost. My favorite is Norton 3X, which they have at Home Depot:

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?Offerings_ID=10244&TabSelect=Details

[kelly user]

Thank God, I sent him a stripped body.:ROTF: :ROTF: :ROTF:

stripped? there is a huge blotch of white, not to mention all of the sealer left on it. nothing a grinder won't take care though

[kelly user]

thing is it has way to many curves and contours. i'll be sanding till this time next year. he is a pro, for cars at least.

thing is it is black but it needs to have a base coat of white for what i want. and as we all know it will take a lot of coats of white to cover the black. and when its all set and done it is going to have the original paint, plus a 5 layers of black and another couple of white and the clear. it is going to completely choke the tone.

[straycat]

Auto Zone has a product called aircraft stripper(low oder) it works great on guitar bodies and it does not harm the wood.Pour it on and let it sit then scrape it off I use saw dust to remove the paint because it won't scratch the wood.

[sully]

thing is it has way to many curves and contours. i'll be sanding till this time next year. he is a pro, for cars at least.

thing is it is black but it needs to have a base coat of white for what i want. and as we all know it will take a lot of coats of white to cover the black. and when its all set and done it is going to have the original paint, plus a 5 layers of black and another couple of white and the clear. it is going to completely choke the tone.

if you're using automotive paints, one coat of black, and probably two of white, then clear will most likely work for ya. what is is that you wanted to do? stripes? zebra?

sully

[kelly user]

Auto Zone has a product called aircraft stripper(low oder) it works great on guitar bodies and it does not harm the wood.Pour it on and let it sit then scrape it off I use saw dust to remove the paint because it won't scratch the wood.

i actually looking in to that very same product because reranch had recommended it. can you do in to detail about the saw dust though?

if you're using automotive paints, one coat of black, and probably two of white, then clear will most likely work for ya. what is is that you wanted to do? stripes? zebra?

sully

i wanted a black and white burst. a white center with the black accent. and a fade out on the neck to meet the head stock.

but now that the opportunity has risen i want to take it down to the wood and finish it natural, seeing as it was a see thru finish to begin with, it should have nice wood underneath all that paint.

[Model1VH2]

I actually prefer stripper (Kleen Strip).
Sure, you'll need to re-seal the grain and use a primer before painting, but I'd rather spend the extra time doing these things then wearing my arm out sanding.
There are also finishes out there, like epoxy and polyester, that are damn near bullet-proof and a real bitch to sand.
Kleen Strip makes different chemical strippers for these finishes, but you have to be careful and read the can to select the right one.

The mess is a little more "controlled" as opposed to the dust you kick up from sanding a guitar too.

The only draw-back would be that you shouldn't use chemical stripper on bodys with binding, or it will melt right off.

[kelly user]

that there be a good tip, does and one know what type of finish ESPee uses?
poly?


it is a B-405 bass, don't worry no binding

[kelly user]

bump

[straycat]

ESP uses poly urethane just like Jackson,Fender etc.Use a scraper to get most of the stripper and old paint off.
The saw dust works like an abrasive to remove the remaining paint and stripper.Just grab a hand full and rub the stripper and old paint off use heavy duty chemical resistant gloves and rub. The saw dust won't scratch the wood.
Sanding is a lot harder and you run the risk of altering the original body contours.Something you don't want to do when you're working on a 50's strat or some other vintage piece.

[kelly user]

hey stray thanks a bunch. what else do you recommend that i use (acetone, plastic scraper, cleaners)?